Page 13 of Dirty Gambit

“Funny how crazy people never look crazy.”

Lena considered ignoring the statement clearly meant to hurt her but opted against it.

“Were you hoping for maniacal laughter?” She folded the dress and set it aside with her own things. “Maybe a dirty and torn straitjacket?”

She added a diaper and box of wipes to the pile.

“Amongst a few other telltale signs, yes.”

She cast him a glance from over her shoulder. “I’m laughing on the inside and my straitjacket is at the cleaners.”

Something almost like a grin moved the muscles around his set mouth, but as quickly as it had nearly appeared, it was replaced by his scowl.

She left him to his disapproval and checked her watch. It was early. There was still enough time before the money she’d put down to rent every room in the place for the night ran out, but she wanted to leave before the greasy boy behind the counter had a chance to see her face, or worse, saw her hauling a fully grown man out of the room at gunpoint.

Picking up her pace, she gathered her clothes and hurried into the bathroom. She dumped everything down on the counter and turned on the shower. Letting it warm up, she returned to the next room.

“Give me your hand.”

From the side pocket of her bag, she unearthed a second set of handcuffs. Her emergency set. The metal hoops clinked as she separated them and moved to Jaxon’s side.

“What?”

She gestured to his free hand. “Pass it over.”

“Are you kidding?” he sputtered, outraged. “I’m already shackled. I can barely feel the fingers on this hand.”

“That’s why I’m going to alternate them.”

He stared at her with a mixture of disgust and annoyance. “What a humanitarian you are.”

Lena rolled her eyes. “If you want to lose circulation in your hand, I’m happy to let that happen. Plus, we have a long drive ahead of us. You might want to give that hand a break.”

“Do this often, do you?” he spat.

“No,” she murmured quietly. “But I know how it feels to be chained in one position for long periods of time.”

She realized her mistake too late. The rapid blink of his eyes, the change in his features, she could see the questions brewing even before he opened his mouth.

“We don’t have all day,” she interrupted sharply. “What’s it going to be?”

Mutely, he lifted his free arm. Lena wasted no time snapping the other wrist to the headboard.

“What are you doing?” Jaxon asked when she took a step back.

“I need to take a shower,” she said. “I won’t be long.”

He tugged at his originally cuffed wrist. “What about my hand?”

“I’ll take it down when I get out.”

Not waiting for him to climb out of his shock, Lena hurried into the bathroom and shut the door.

True to her promise, she barely spent ten minutes rinsing off and even less time patting herself dry. Her hair was still dripping dark, wet patches across her top when she threw open the door and scrambled out, gun in hand, not sure what to expect.

Jaxon was exactly where she’d left him, as was Jessie. One was still dead to the world. The other was trying to set her on fire with the power of his mind.

Wordlessly, she dug the spare key from her purse and moved to the other side of Jaxon’s bed. She undid his binding and let him lower his arms with a groan.

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