“I’m not,” I whispered.
“After all this time, this is the ploy you’re going to try to use on me to get away?” He crossed his arms, giving me a skeptical and almost disappointing and unamused frown.
“No,” I hissed, wishing he’d keep his voice low too. “I felt it.”
“Hmm.” He leaned his side against the doorframe.
“I did. Emil, I’m not joking.” He had to believe me.
“Sadie…” He shook his head slowly.
“Lower your voice.”
He frowned, studying me.
“Unless you know of your own backup in the area, someone is here.” I licked my lips and braced myself to run, to move, to defend. He had to believe me. “Someone has been watching me.”
He shook his head. “Look, I’m not stupid,” he whispered. “This isn’t exactly my first rodeo at holding someone hostage and hiding.”
“I know that,” I whispered back hotly.
“Which means if someone were around, I’d know.”
I tilted my head to the side, narrowing my eyes more. “Do you have proof of that? Cameras? Tripwire?”
He frowned.
“If you don’t, and you’re the only one keeping me here, then youdon’tknow.”
“I was just outside, getting some fresh air.”
“Did you do a perimeter check?”
He lowered his arms, seeming annoyed now.
“Did you?”
“You’re serious.”
I looked at the ceiling, wishing I could smack him. “Yes.”
He did that intense stare again, likely debating once more whether he should believe me.
“Fine. Then you’re checking the perimeter with me.” He approached me and cut my ties.” He left the rope linking myhands together, but not with my palms flush against each other. I could walk, but as soon as he led me outside, I wished I could run.
He kept his hand on my back, guiding me to walk outside with him. “This had better not be a?—”
“It’s not. I’m not trying anything.”
Pausing only to shoot me a stern look, he urged me to walk around the building with him. It was the first time I’d been out of that room, out of the small house, and all that greeted me as far as the eye could see was the jungle. Wet leaves. Soggy moss. Soft earth. And all that humid air.
Even though he didn’t ask me to have his back, I edged behind him so I could look out to the rear. He frowned, keeping one hand on his gun and the other gripping the rope between my hands. Maybe he was surprised that I was sticking so close to him, like I wanted no gap between us for security. Perhaps he was confused that I was acting like we were a team, or partners, with me watching his back as a lookout.
I didn’t care. That feeling wouldn’t go away.
“I don’t know what you’re feeling but…”
We’d almost walked all the way around the small building without finding anything now. “I don’t know how you can’t feel like someone’s watching us,” I whispered back.
