Page 28 of Fire
The only sound heard was my heavy breaths and the weight of my tennis shoes pounding the wet concrete. I thought for sure that taking a run would clear my thoughts, but every step I took only filled my mind with more guilt about the choices I had made. Living with an abusive father was no excuse for what I had done to get what I wanted.
As I ran by the closed shops, the weight in my heart grew heavier and not because I had run three miles. For me, three miles was a kick in the bucket. The heaviness was the thought of losing Kenzi. I knew why she was taken, and if I had any chance at all of getting her back, I had to let Davian inside my past and pray that he wouldn't judge me for the things I had done.
With only three miles in, I cut my usual ten-mile run short and headed back to the warehouse. It was barely past four, and I knew that Davian would still be sleeping. I wasn’t sure if he was even in the warehouse or back at the hotel. If it were me, I would be with the woman I loved. Cuddling up against a sexy, warm body was a no-brainer.
When I got to the warehouse, I wasn’t the only one who couldn’t sleep. Patton was sitting where he usually did, staring at a computer screen.Does this guy not have a life?I couldn’t remember him ever being with a woman, so it might just be that computers were his life—what a way to live.
Tossing my empty bottle of water in the trash, I walked over to Patton’s station. “I take it you couldn’t sleep either.”
“I got a notification on my cell that Levi McBride was on the move, so I can down to check it out,” Patton said. “Looks like he is heading out of the city.” Patton pointed to a moving small red dot on the screen.
“I wonder where that little weasel is going.” I stared at the small dot watching it creep up the screen.
“When the dot stops moving, we’ll know soon enough. I called Davian to let him know. He should be here soon.” Patton never excluded Davian from anything. His loyalty to Davian went way back. If I had to guess, long before they served together.
“I need to shower. If McBride stops before I come back down, come get me.” I stunk to high heaven, and even though I would much rather watch the little red dot on the screen, I couldn’t stand the way I smelled. The way Patton rubbed his nose, he couldn’t either.
“Will do.”
~
“What the hell were you thinking?” Davian cursed, slamming his fist against the metal door.
I wasn’t sure what to expect once I told him the truth about my past, but getting angry wasn’t one of them. Nothing I would say would excuse my decision back then, but maybe telling him why would lessen his anger and instead make him understand that I had no choice.
“From the day I turned ten, my dad was on my ass. Nothing I did was ever good enough for him. Hell, even cleaning up his empty beer bottles and taking out the trash ended up in a fist to my face. He said I cleaned up after him to get back at him. To somehow make him feel guilty. Like I was somehow better than him. The truth was, I did it because I didn’t want anyone to know that my father was a worthless drunk and didn’t give a shit about me.” I looked out into the dark sky, hashing the past I so wanted to forget. “Anyway. If I wanted to survive, I had to get out. At the time, entering the service was my only way out, and since I was only seventeen and my dad would never sign off, Van Wilkerson did. I had no idea what Wilkerson meant when he said he would collect once I got out. I thought he meant for me to pay it forward, but it was the opposite. Nothing I did helped anyone. All it did was fill the pockets of ruthless businessmen and leave innocent people without any chance of a decent livelihood.”
“The first thing we need to do is find Kenzi. Does she know about your past?” Davian looked toward me for an answer.
“I haven’t told her anything about my past. I would like to keep her away from it if possible.”
“When we get Kenzi back, she is going to start asking questions. You might want to rethink that. If she finds out the truth before you tell her, you’re sure to lose her. I know how secrets can tear a relationship apart.” Davian drew in a deep breath. “How about we figure out how to get Kenzi back?”
Nothing would make me happier. Davian took the lead as we headed back inside the warehouse.
~21~
Kenzi
The glass file I used to pry open the window turned out to be a waste of time. The file broke in half on my first attempt to move the sealed lever into the open position. My only hope was to use the wires I had pulled from my bra and try to work the lock on the door. I had no experience whatsoever in picking locks, but if I didn’t at least try, I wouldn’t be getting out of here.
As I worked the two wires back and forth against each other, trying to find the right position to turn the lock, I listened carefully for any sign of Niles Harris moving about on the other side of the door.
I tried everything I could to get the door to unlock, but nothing was working. Who was I fooling? I would never get this door open. Settling back on my haunches, I gasped in defeat, trying hard not to cry. There was no way I was ready to give up. Taking the two bent wires with me, I pushed to my feet and tried the window one last time. “Come on, you stupid lever. MOVE!”
Using all the strength I had, I repositioned the wire around the lever and pulled the two ends with everything I had. I wasn’t sure if it was anger or my adrenaline that gave me just enough strength to pull the lever from its closed position to open. My hand went over my mouth to muffle the cry of joy I let out. Niles was the last person I wanted storming into the room to find what I had done.
Before I made another move to open the window, I tiptoed to the door and placed my ear against the hard wood. As quiet as it was inside the bedroom, I could hear Niles snoring on the other side of the door. It was time to make a move.
With little to no effort, I was able to lift the window open. The early morning air was cold even for October. I didn’t have a coat, and since the last thing I wanted was to freeze while trying to find help, I grabbed the blanket from the bed and wrapped it around my shoulders.
Popping out the screen, I carefully lowered it down the side of the house, leaving it propped up against the wood siding. Lifting one leg outside the window and then the other, it was a short drop before my feet hit the ground.
After I closed the window and replaced the screen on the window, I waited for a moment for any sound coming from the house. The chilly air cut through the blanket draped over my shoulders, and I was glad that I had grabbed it. As far as I could tell, there was only one road leading to the house, so that was the road I followed. I would give anything to have my cell with me. There was no way of knowing where I was. As long as I stayed on the main road, hopefully, I would meet someone along the way.
~
I had been walking for hours with not a soul in sight. Soon it would be light, and Niles would realize that I had escaped. Wrapping the blanket tighter around my shoulders, I tried to stop thinking about getting caught and concentrated on being found. I reminded myself that I was closer to someone finding me with every step I took. I had to. There was no room for losing it now.
