Page 10 of Escaped
“No, we should stick together.”Erin looked frantically between us as the voices of the newcomers grew louder.
Scanning the hallway, I couldn’t see the looming threat, but the assholes were making their presence known.At any moment, they’d come into view and set eyes on the three of us.
“I’ll find you both.”Baron answered her directly.“Now, Rosen—go!”
“Erin,now.”
My clipped tone garnered her focus and, brow furrowing, I could see how much she wanted to argue.The Erin of old might have done so, too, pressing her point despite the hazards, but the version standing before me knew better.Only a few days with me had put paid to that.She knew what kind of danger we were in.
“For fuck’s sake.”Her jaw tightened, but she allowed me to tug her away from Baron.
“Baron’s a big boy.”Wrapping an arm around her, I hurried her along the corridor in the opposite direction.“He can take care of himself.”
“But it’s not right,” she protested, jogging to keep up.“He helped you and—”
Her complaint was splintered by the deafening sound of gunfire, her face paling as she glanced back.“Oh, God!”
“Run!”My strides lengthened as another volley ripped through the air behind us.“And keep that gun close by.”
I prayed she wouldn’t need it, hoped that the things unraveling around us wouldn’t require a woman as innocent as Erin to open fire and have to live with the consequences, but I sensed the walls were closing in around us.We’d spent too long dallying in the hallway, too long talking when we should have been moving, and we’d allowed Hawkins’ goons to hunt us down.That was just as much my fault as anyone else’s—more maybe, since I was the one who’d started speaking to Erin—but running down the hall, culpability didn’t much matter.
Taking her hand in mine, we broke into a faster sprint.A part of me was still left behind with Baron, hoping he could handle the incoming barrage and make it out in one piece, but a larger facet was already working out our next move—where the way out would be, how we’d discover where Hawkins garaged his vehicles, and then, ultimately, getting us the hell out of there.If all went according to plan, Baron would join us, and we’d be home and dry.
Well, not home, but away from Hawkins, at least.
She’ll be safe.I glimpsed her in my peripheral vision, pulling her closer as we rounded the end of the corridor.So long as she’s safe, everything will be okay.I’llmake it okay.
“Where to now?”she gasped, hanging onto my bicep as we reached an intersection.
“Keep going,” I muttered, my concentration shifting between the way ahead and the impending menace we were running from.“We can’t be far from a way out.”
“I hope he’s all right.”Her voice was barely a murmur as my attention slid back to the direction we’d left Baron.
“He will be,” I resolved, encouraging her to start moving again.
There hadn’t been any gunfire for a few moments, and my earlier remark had been true—Baron had been dealing with scum like Hawkins even longer than I had.
“You’re always so sure of yourself.”She managed a half-smile as I pulled her on.
“That’s me.”I couldn’t argue with her logic.Even when I was uncertain, I didn’t normally let it show.
“I was still worried about you, though.”Her brow creased as she hurried beside me.“I didn’t know what had happened to you when they brought us here, and…”
Her voice cracked with emotion as her hand rose to dab at her eyes.
“Hey.”There wasn’t time to console her, but something about her vulnerability affected me the way no one else ever had.In the limited time we’d known each other, I’d been exposed to many sides of the woman, but none of them stirred me like her upset.“It’s okay.I’m fine.”
The pain that ricocheted as I tugged her closer begged to differ, but I hoped she wouldn’t notice the flickers of discomfort on my face.
“I know.”Her green eyes were watery as she gazed up at me.“I’m so happy you are.”
A thousand responses sprang to mind.Hundreds of ways I could soothe her and share how I was feeling, and at least another dozen I could convey how her absence had inspired the demons to slither back into my life, but the approaching danger stole every single one of them.
“We’ll talk later, beautiful.”Squeezing her shoulder gently, I hoped to anything holy that she could tell how much she meant to me.“I promise.”
“There’s no time now.”She finished the line for me, glancing anxiously over her shoulder.“I know.”
“’Fraid so.”Baron hadn’t stayed to hold the fort so we could get ambushed a little further along the corridor.“Come on.”
