Page 80 of Body Lock

Making our way through the sea of debris and people, we tucked into the shadows of the back cove. Glancing over her shoulder, she eyed the scene behind us. Ducking into the blackened wall, she tugged on a small latch. “In! Go!” A half-sized door was hidden in the wall.

A subtle glow emerged from inside as I bent and ran in. Cadence followed closely, shutting the door behind us, and pulling a thin lock across the top.

“What the hell is this?” I asked.

“Go, keep walking.” She pressed her palms into my shoulder blades, guiding me forward.

We were in a small corridor, the ceiling was high, wood beams ran down the side with small, dull lights that lit the way.

Brushing the webs from my face, I asked her again, “What is this?”

“It's our way out.”

“Okay, where does it go?” I tried to look back over my shoulder at her, but it was useless. We were walking single file, my arms millimeters from brushing each wall.

“We're in between the walls, it's an old maintenance hallway, it'll lead us out, I hope.”

“You hope?” Her split second of doubt wafted over my brain. I tried to turn around again, my shoulders scraping the dusty walls.

Cadence pushed me forward, refusing to stop. “I don't know what's waiting for us at the end, if the cops are all over, then we're screwed.” Her voice reverberated off the narrow hall in an echo-filled whisper.

Reaching the end, another door of the same small stature outlined the bottom of the wall. Cadence inhaled a deep breath, I could sense uncertainty riding her lungs. “Open it slow, we'll be in the alley on the other side of the building.”

Sliding the metal latch, I cracked the door. A cool gust of clean air spilled in, the freshness filling my nostrils, climbing over my skin with relief.

The alley was quiet, no lights filled the darkness, the white noise of walkie talkies crackled in the distance. “It's clear,” I said, opening the door wider and stepping onto the sidewalk.

Cadence poked her head out and turned it left to right, emerging into the glow of the streetlight. “Well, I didn't see that coming.” Running her fingers through her hair, the long strands slipped back down, teasing her cheeks.

“We should go, I don't think we want to hang around here.” The sirens enhanced in volume, red and blue streams faintly colored the night sky.

“Here, you might need this.” Cadence tossed me the shirt I had left with her. “Sorry, I didn't have time to grab your shoes.” She eyed my bare feet, now dirty and dusty from the path we just crossed.

Wriggling my toes, I chuckled. “Well, hopefully we don't hit any rough terrain.” Holding out an open palm, her delicate fingers wrapped around mine.

As we walked away into the shadows of the alley, I had a burning question that ached inside my chest. “Cadence?”

“Yeah?”

“Were you serious when you told your father you were pregnant?”

Biting her lower lip, she thumbed her mouth. “Yes.”

“So you're having our baby?”

Her eyes drifted over my face, a look of fear settling back into the lines on her forehead. Her lips crinkled at the corners, cheeks puffing up as she held in a breath of air. “I am, Quinn. I found out a few days ago, and I wanted to tell you earlier, but after what I learned about my dad and his sick fucking idea...” Shaking her head, a shutter ran through her body. “I'm sorry you had to hear it like that.”

But none of that mattered.

I was going to be a father, we were going to be a family.

And that was all I could think about. Not the when or how it came out.

I couldn't stop staring at her. Mascara ran under her eyes, dirt smeared her cheeks, long wisps of dust were draped in her hair.

And all I could think was how beautiful she still looked, how happy I was to be standing with her in this alley, barefoot and dirty.

Nothing mattered, she was here with me.

That was all I wanted.

And all I needed.

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