Behind me, he utters a deadpan response. “Knitting.”
I spin back around, a laugh bubbling up my throat. My humor instantly dies when heavy footsteps thud directly overhead.
A child’s voice pipes through the floorboards, then grows louder, nearing the basement door. “Mom, the door’s stuck! What’s in there?”
I freeze, the rag falling from my nerveless fingers.
Kolya guides me behind a shelving unit with one hand. The other draws his gun in a smooth, practiced motion. He anglesthe weapon away from me but holds it steady, his body serving as a barrier between me and the door.
I’m certain the child on the other side can hear my heart hammering through the wood.
One twist of the knob, one curious peek, and we’re exposed. A kid would scream at the sight of us and bring the entire barbecue down on our heads, followed by the police.
And then our hunters would know exactly where to find us.
Did I leave boob prints on the boxes?
“Hunter, get away from there!” A woman’s voice, but not Brenda’s. “That’s just storage. Come help with the cooler.”
The tiny footfalls recede.
I release a shaky breath.
Kolya stays tense for another minute before slowly lowering the gun.
My eyes fix on the weapon, its lethal shape alien and frightening in this suburban setting. “Guess you don’t babysit much.”
Again, Kolya’s mouth quirks. “Not my field.”
Ha! See? That’s two almost jokes. By the time we escape, I’ll have him ready to perform stand-up.
I return to my self-appointed task of organizing shelves. Opening a random box, I peer inside. Then I promptly slam the top shut, nearly catching my fingers in the process.
Oh my god.
Brenda has a box of sex toys.
Expensive ones, from the glimpse of velvet bags I caught. Suddenly having sex on the box of family photos seems way less dirty in comparison.
A tiny, twisted part of my mind wonders how I can use this newfound knowledge against her later. Except that would require me to out myself.
After a beat, I re-open the box and peek inside again.
Yup. Still there. What the heck are these things?
I mean, I’m not aprude, but I don’t even recognize some of this stuff.
Against my better judgment, I reach for a little rubber ducky and squeeze, nearly fumbling the thing when it starts buzzing. Hastily, I shut it off and drop the duck back in the box. The vibrator bounces off a leather eye mask and settles against a thick-veined length of purple silicone.
I didn’t know they made dildos that cumbersome.
“You scared?”
Yelping, I glance over my shoulder.Please tell me Kolya didn’t see what’s in the box.
No, he’s referring to the men with guns. Not Brenda’s surprising capacity…for intimate play.
I redirect my attention to the toys and wrinkle my nose. Why does she have a display of glass decanter tops in various sizes? “Of course I am. Aren’t you?”
