Page 15 of Adored By Them
“Not really.”I flex my hands against the ropes.My arms are tingling.I both hope and dread Uriel coming back to let me have a bathroom break.“I can’t reach the knife.Can you reach it with your foot?”
It takes him more effort than I would’ve expected to push his leg out toward the desk.He grits his teeth and grunts quietly.
“Are you okay?Dumb question.”I laugh to myself.“No, you’re not okay.”
“No, I’m not.”Kellen pushes his foot out farther.There’s still at least two feet between his toe and the utility knife.“I can’t reach.I’m sorry.”
The little hope I was holding shatters.I force myself to smile even though tears prick my eyes and my throat aches with a sob I refuse to release.“Thanks for trying.”
“We’ll figure this out, don’t cry.”Kellen looks alarmed by my tear-filled eyes.“Does he ever let you out?Bathroom breaks?How long you been in here, anyway?”
“Maybe three days?What day is it?”
“Monday.”
So this is day three.Just like I thought.“I’ve been here since Saturday.”
He gives my wedding dress a once-over.“You were about to get hitched.”
Flexing my hands again, I focus on the feeling of my engagement ring.It’s on my right hand—I put it there in advance of the ceremony with plans to move it back over to my left hand and fit it next to my wedding ring.
I wish now I’d opted for a bigger, shinier gemstone.Something sharp.Something that could free me.“To answer your other question—yeah, he’s let me up to use the bathroom.He watches me the whole time, though.”
Kellen frowns at the utility knife.“There’s gotta be a way.Maybe when he takes you and brings you back, you stumble a little.You can shove the knife closer.”
I have my doubts about that idea, but it’s all we have.
“Will you be able to grab it and lift it with your feet?”I ask.
He doesn’t respond.His eyes are closed.Is he breathing?
I swallow down my panic.“Hey.Kellen.Kellen?”
No response.His chest rises and falls—but just barely.
“Kellen?Kellen.Wake up.”
Nothing—he’s passed out.I close my eyes, wishing I was anywhere but here.
* * *
Edmund
“Man, look, I don’t think I can help you.”Caleb whines in the back seat of Troy’s truck.He hasn’t shut up since we ziptied his wrists and shoved him in here.“I can’t believe you tied me up.Come on, Edmund, we’re friends.”
I want to laugh, but I mostly want to punch his fucking teeth out of his mouth.
“We aren’t going to Rendsell?”He shakes his head.“Why are we crossing Caro?We should be in Salding?—”
I adopt a bored expression.“Like I said, Sergey Aseyev is probably going to want a word with you.It’s faster to bring you straight to him so we can all have a productive conversation together.”
“Look, no.Take me to Rendsell, I’ll tell you everything.There isn’t anything, though.You guys, I had nothing to do with this.Whoever kidnapped Danica Aseyev, I had nothing to do with it.”
I can’t believe a word he says.“It’s Danica Montrose, soon to be Layton, you asshole.”
“Montrose!Sorry, sorry.I didn’t do it, though, whatever happened to her, it wasn’t me.”
“You’re talking too much, Morraine.”I flick a glance toward Troy, whose lips are pressed in a hard line, his jaw tight, his hands clenching the wheel.“Maybe you should try shutting up.Manchester looks like he’s about to do some violence.”
