Page 8 of Silent Vendetta (Vendetta Duet)

“Yes, you can,” I countered. “All you have to do is not chase me down and drag me back.”

I searched his eyes, hoping to find a glimmer of mercy, but instead, was met with an unwavering, cold determination as he shook his head.

“That won’t happen, Luna.”

CHAPTER7

Luna

New plan. I was going to stab a six-inch serrated knife into Hunter Lockwood’s jugular. I had no other choice. Running had failed, as did my attempt to win Hunter’s trust, and now, the police were on their way, creating a ticking clock to the gruesome ending to this hostage situation.

The only question was, who would come out of this alive?

Me, if I had anything to say about it.

I glanced at my only hope for survival. Fifteen feet to my right, the closest blade was polished with a black rubber handle, dangling on a metal hook against the weapons wall.

Getting to it wouldn’t be easy. Hunter was still positioned in front of me, and if I jumped up and made a sudden movement, he might stab me before I could ever reach the blade. Further, Franco Hopkins sat in the chair that blocked my most direct route to the knife, and around him, puddles of blood threatened to make me slip and fall on my way.

Not to mention, my wrists were still zip-tied—the plastic ridges biting my flesh, forming an unforgiving grip that refused to loosen. Blood pulsed against the restraints, as if my veins were trying to burst free. And I wasn’t exactly operating at full capacity—the night’s previous horrors leaving my body aching.

I returned my eyes to Hunter.

“Luna.” His voice was low and urgent. “Please. I’ll explain everything, but we need to figure out a way to get the cops to back down.”

I calculated the odds of grabbing the blade right now. Not good, I decided. I needed to scoot a little closer to it first.

With Hunter now pacing, I used his flustered attention to my advantage, shifting my butt two inches to the right, and biting my lip when a stray pebble jabbed my flesh.

“I don’t see a legitimate way to convince the cops it was a false alarm,” I said. And even if I did, I would never do it. Not in a million years.

“I’ll think of something.” Hunter’s voice was smooth and deliberate.

I moved another two inches to my right.

He sighed and shoved both his cell and mine into the pocket of his black pants—affording me time to scoot another four inches over. “If you call them, though, they’re still going to come and investigate. Especially since they’re already en route.”

Hunter twirled the knife’s handle in his hand, his bare feet patting the cement floor.

“So, calling them is out,” he mused.

I scooted three more inches.

“But if I don’t answer the door,” he continued, seemingly to himself, “and the officers have reasonable belief that someone is in danger inside my residence, then they’re permitted to force entry without a warrant under exigent circumstances.”

Another four inches over.

“We need to remove the exigent circumstances,” he decided.

And then he stopped pacing.

And stared at me.

My damn mouth went dry.

“Killing me won’t do that,” I argued.

“No,” Hunter agreed. “But if they see both of us alive and well, they’ll have no reason to enter.”

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