Page 40 of Every Time My Heart Breaks

“I got the keys!” I heard Trick answer triumphantly. “And a towel. No clothes, though, sorry.”

“No. This is good. This will do. Hey! Keep your face back, perv.”

“Is she still okay? Chlo? You good?”

“I’m good,” I rasped, feeling a little drowsy and light-headed after crying so hard. It was hard to stay awake actually. “Ready to get out of here, but good.”

“She sounds worse,” Trick said to Luke. “Why does she sound so hoarse now?”

“Because her adrenaline’s dying down with the danger being over, and everything’s finally starting to hit her, okay? Just…give us a second,” Luke added before he shut the door firmly in my brother’s face.

Then, he turned back and waved the key at me in greeting. “Yousureyou’re ready to break free?” he asked, returning to me with the towel tucked under one arm. “Or do you need another minute to say goodbye to the place and all the fond memories you’ve had here?”

“Get me the fuck free,” I said, not even playing.

He chuckled lightly and knelt down next to one hand. “Yes, ma’am. I hear that one loud and clear.” As soon as the lock slipped free and the freezing metal grip on my wrist loosened, I sobbed out my relief. My arm immediately curled over my chest, seeking warmth and protection as I helped secure Luke’s shirt firmly over myself, hurting and burning as I bent it after it had been forced straight for so long.

Luke’s brow furrowed in concentration as he shifted down to my closest ankle and released the cuff there next.

I felt a bit like a Slinky who was no longer being forced to spread its coils. As soon as Luke freed a limb, it would curl back to the main portion of my body until he was done, and I was all wrapped up tightly on my side in the fetal position.

“There,” he murmured gently, touching my shoulder once he had all the handcuffs off me.

“Thank you,” I whimpered.

He nodded and silently took my shoulders in his hands to help me sit up. “Let’s slip the shirt over your head and then wrap the towel around you like a skirt, alright?”

I nodded and then tried to lift the shirt over my head to put it on myself, but my arms were too weak, and they shook so hard that it hurt to move.

“Here, let me,” Luke offered, taking the shirt from my hand with a kind gentleness I’d never seen from him before. “Just lift your arms out in front of you. Yeah…that’s it,” he murmured when I complied. He patiently slipped the arm holes over my bloody wrists, and the big shirt slid its way up my arms until he was pulling warm cloth that smelled like Luke over my head. When he went as far as to slide my hair free of the collar for me, I lifted my gaze to his face.

He met my eyes and nodded. “Perfect. Now, let’s just wrap this towel around your waist and get the fuck out of here.”

I nodded. “It’s like…it’s like you can read my mind.”

He winked at me. “Just one of my many superpowers, darlin’.”

I sniffed and rolled my eyes, which made his grin bloom.

But then I sucked in an unexpected breath and winced when pain shot through my hurt ribs.

Luke gripped my arm. “Chloe?”

I nodded my bowed head, trying to reassure him. But I couldn’t stop shaking, even though sitting up off the floor and away from the freezing concrete, plus wearing his shirt made me a million times warmer than I’d been before.

My nerves were just plain shot.

“I’m okay,” I said, looking up.

Luke smiled encouragingly and hooked a hand under my elbow. “And we’re going up,” he instructed, trying to get me to follow the pressure of his tugging until I was up on two feet.

Except when I tried to stand, my knees gave out, and I started to go back down again while pain screamed through my side.

“Whoa, there.” Luke promptly caught me and helped me back down to the floor. “No problem,” he told me, blowing out a settled breath. “I’ll just carry you.”

When he looked at my face, silently asking for permission to pick me up, I nodded and lifted my arms to wrap them around his neck. He swept an arm under my knees, then braced a hand around my back, and I was finally off that damn wet concrete.

“Oh God,” I breathed in relief. “Thank you. Thank you…” I turned my face in to bury it in the crook of his neck, inhaling his warmth and familiar Luke scent, and he turned his face in toward me as well so he could press his cheek to the top of my head.

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