Page 37 of The Preachers' Promise
I glance down at myself. Fuck. People are going to see the blood splattered all over my white outfit and ask questions. The only thing I can hope for is that the lighting stays off. In the dim red glow from the emergency lighting, I might be able to pass the blood off as something else.
“But how—” she tries again. Her gaze once more falls to the man, and she swallows hard as if trying to stop herself from being sick.
I glance back at him. I guess it is a gruesome sight. I need her with me, though, not scared of me.
“Let’s save the questions for when you’re safe.” I use my hand that’s not as covered in blood and take hold of her chin firmly. “Look at me, Angel.” I purposefully use Cain’s nickname for her from long ago. I’m trying to anchor her to me in this moment. Her gaze finally moves from the man on the floor to me. “Good girl. Now, we need to leave, because otherwise we’re going to be stuck here, and I can’t save you then. The other guys are outside.” I pause and smile at her softly. “We came for you, baby.”
A small sob escapes her, and one single tear falls from her paler eye, streaking prettily down her cheek. She nods, and I see that strength I know she has assert itself.
Ophelia slides her small palm into mine, and my determination to keep her safe, always, solidifies inside me. Thatshe can be so trusting of me, even when I’m covered in another man’s blood, makes me love her with a ferocity that takes away my breath. She gazes up at me with those big eyes, and, for a brief moment, the entire universe collapses to this fleeting second in space and time between us.
I break myself from the trance and get with the program.
“Okay, let’s go.”
We head to the door, her behind me, her hand still in mine.
I still have the switchblade in my other hand, and I close my fingers around it.
The crazy thought goes through my head that I need to repent and must hurt myself. Punish myself. Ophelia was almost raped, and after everything she’s already gone through, it’s too much. She’s already so fragile. I feel like I failed her, even though I was the one who stopped and punished him. I can’t get over the feeling I need to punish myself, too, though. I need a release from this fury inside me.
I don’t have the luxury of time to take my belt off and slam it against the skin of my back, but if I don’t do something to release this pressure building inside, I feel as if I’ll lose my mind.
Before anything else, I need to get us out of here. I still have the keycard around my neck, so as long as this place isn’t in lockdown, I can use it to open the external doors. But now I’m covered in blood, and holding a knife, so getting out of here isn’t going to be so easy. I could change into one of Ophelia’s pink outfits, but first, they’d be even smaller on my frame, and second, if I look like a patient, someone will question why I have a lanyard around my neck.
I’m going to have to rely on the dim lighting and pray no one asks too many questions. I have the blade, and I’ll use it again, if I must, but I’d prefer to get out of here with no one else getting hurt.
19
CAIN
I stareat the inside of the fuse box like I know what I’m doing, a flashlight between my teeth lighting the switches for me. I use a screwdriver that was in the electrician’s toolbox to undo one of the screws.
I wish I knew where Ophelia and Roman are. I have no fucking idea what I’m doing and was planning on going straight to find them, but now here I am, being watched.
Because we didn’t know where we were going to find Ophelia, planning our escape route was nearly impossible. We couldn’t plan to leave via one particular exit, in case we found her on the other side of the building.
“Any luck?” Janice, the receptionist, who is still hovering behind me, asks. This woman is ruining all my plans. Maybe my flirting worked too well cause she’s like a lingering bad smell, and I can’t throw her off.
I shake my head, and step back. “Think it needs a new fuse. I’m gonna have to go back out to my van to get one.”
The van that also has two men stripped and hogtied inside it…
“Oh, okay. Is it going to take long? The patients get a little antsy when something’s different around here.”
I turn around and cross my arms. “Nah, shouldn’t take long at all.”
Her gaze lingers on my biceps, and she gives a flirty smile. “Well, that’s good, because I’ll miss you while you’re gone.”
I force myself to grin. “Yeah? I’ll be quick, then.”
The whole time, I’m looking over her shoulder, through the open door, trying to spot either Roman or Ophelia. Has Roman found her yet? He must have, or we’re seriously screwed. It’s also possible he’s left with her already, and I’m the one holding things up by lingering inside.
“I can buzz you back out through the gate,” she says, moving into the corridor. “Just hit the intercom again when you need to come back in.”
“No problem.”
As we walk down the corridor, two figures appear from the opposite direction.
