Page 36 of Splitting Secrets
“We can’t break the window,” Ava sighs, falling to her knees before the doorknob to get a closer look at the lock. “Sonny, do you think you could do a repeat performance on this lock?”
“I could try,” Jonah offers, stepping toward Ava.
I’m stuck in my spot, sitting uselessly on top of a tree stump as my body freezes from the dropping temperature. Physical movement would likely help me stay warmer, but I hardly have the energy to breathe, let alone jog in place or something equally stupid. I honestly don’t think I could get lucky a second time, but I’m willing to try if Jonah can’t do it.
Beatrix backs away from the window, but doesn’t immediately drop the rock back onto the ground.
Something rustles in the foliage behind me, though I don’t bother to check what it could be this time. Birds and small animals have been skittering around us all evening, likely uncomfortable with the presence of humans in their safe space. The sun has nearly set and the canopy of the trees provides enough shadows that it’s already too dark to see very far in front of our faces. There’s always the possibility of a bear or mountain lion deciding to make us its next meal, but we’ve talked it over and decided there’s no use in getting scared about it. If an animal that fast decides it wants to eat us, we don’t have a snowflake’s chance in hell of getting away.
Besides, all of us are so malnourished, the bear would probably sense how useless it would be to try, and move on.
“If you break my lock,” a masculine voice echoes off the trees behind me, startling all four of us. “You’re going to have to replace it.”
I twist in my spot, half relieved, half ready to pummel the face that’s slowly breaking through the foliage.
Raze walks over every stick and rogue tree root like they’re nothing to him, his breathing even and face relaxed. “Sorry I’m late,” he greets, then dares to smile.
He fuckingsmiles.
None of us respond, too scared that if we react, he’ll end up disappearing and the hallucination will go away. Perhaps this is what happens right before you die.
If so, then I should get a few hits in while I can.
My fist tightens at my side as he strolls closer and I can finally see some evidence of a struggle. His hair is in complete disarray and his jacket has some small tears where I assume some small branches snagged it on his way out here.
“Let’s get out of this cold so we can talk.”
20
Raze
“Raze!” A feminine voice calls out from somewhere behind me.
I’m too focused on the path ahead to acknowledge who it is or where it came from, my thoughts swirling in a violent spiral.
The cells were empty.
Not just Sonny’s, butall of them.
I have no clue how she managed to do it. This wasn’t in the plan. She was supposed to get herself out, and let us get the rest of them if we could.
The Syndicate is going to lose their minds when they discover that she’s escaped. They’re going to burn down the whole town when they realize they’ve lostfourprisoners while they sat in a meeting a few hundred feet away, debating their fates.
“Hey, slow down,” the voice yells again.
The sound of heels clacking against hardwood floors picks up, and I yank myself far enough out of my thoughts for logic totell me to turn and see who it is. I can’t have someone following me where I’m headed.
“Abigail,” I practically moan her name in relief, gripping the bridge of my nose to force myself to calm down.
She smiles at my tone, completely misreading the situation. “I haven’t seen you around in a while.”
“I’ve been busy. In fact, I’m on my way somewhere now.” I hook my thumb over my shoulder and take a step back.
It doesn’t take a mind reader to know she’s completely forgiven our past encounter, when I kicked her out of my office to speak with Sonny and started all of this. She’s still stalking after me like a cat in heat.
Perfectly painted lips push out into a pout as she reaches into the space between us and wraps her hands around my coat, then tugs me closer. “Come on, Raze. You can’t chat for a few minutes?” she purrs seductively.
Shaking my head, I pull the fabric out of her grasp. While there’s no denying they’ve been pleasurable in the past, those lips simply don’t do it for me anymore.
