Chapter 22
Heather didn’t know how Scott was still moving. She didn’t have a watch, but knew it had to have been hours since he’d started filing down the piece of metal in his hand. Every now and then he’d attempt to insert it in the lock of the cuff, but it wasn’t the right size yet. And he wasn’t saying it, but she had a feeling he wasn’t even sure if it would ever be able toopen the lock.
The chatter she’d been providing had dwindled as time moved on. Lack of food was making her weak, though the fact she was standing with her arms above her head for close to, what, maybe ten hours, might have something to do with it too. But damned if she’d complain. Scott had beendoing far more.
They’d been using the flashlight on and off, trying to save the batteries. The light kept growing dimmer and dimmer, though. There was a perfectly good industrial-strength flashlight sitting in between them, but it wasn’t close enough for either oneof them to get.
“Do youneed a break?”
His grunt let her know the metal wasn’t the right size yet. “I need this fucking piece of shit to actually fit in the lock.”
Before she could apologize, she bit her lip. It wasn’t either of their faults, certainly not more so than the other. If only she could do more. Scott’s hands were covered in blood and it wasn’t difficult to figure out why. Every now and then he’d wince as he rubbed the metal, and his hands, against the wall. They mustbe scraped raw.
“When we get out of this, I want to take you to this amazing steak house in New York. My treat. The meat literally melts in your mouth and you can cut it with abutter knife.”
“God, that sounds wonderful right about now. I’m going to hold you to that.”
“Then it’s a date.” Didn’t she wish it could be a date? Not some silly dream cooked up to keep their spirits fromdisintegrating.
“Holy shit, it fits,” he yelled. She turned the light onto his hand. The sharpened piece of metal did indeed slide into the cuff lock. It had taken forever to get this to work.
“Now you simply need to pick the lock. You saidyou knew how.”
“I do, but each lock is different and my hands are at a weird angle. It mighttake a while.”
“I think we still have a few hours. No rush.” She tried to sound casual, but the fact was even if they got the manacles off they still needed to get through the wall. How long did brick mortar take to dry? Where was Google whenyou needed it?
“Okay, yeah, I think I’ve…yes, I did it.”
Scott’s left hand suddenly swung free and he turned to face the wall. Shaking his arm, he clenched and unclenched his fist then dropped his forehead to the brick. “Give me a minute. My shoulder feels like it’s been dislocated.”
“I know the feeling,” she whined, impatient to be out of these torture devices.
“Sorry, yeah, let me get this other one undone.”
Luckily that took less than a minute. In another second he was in front of her and she could have kissed him. Desperately wanted to kiss him. And so many other things that couldn’t be thought of while they were runningdown the clock.
Lifting his hands to hers, he suddenly stopped. She looked at him quizzically.
“You know I always had a fantasy of you chained to a wall and me having my way with you.” A smirk grew on his face as his body pressed into hers and a hand skimmed her neck.
Grabbing the bolt, she hauled her legs up, wrapping them around his waist. His eyebrows went up and the grin grew larger.
“Guess now might not be the right time, huh?” Still he pushed closer, his growing erection apparent.
“Get us out of here and I promise you can chain me up and do whatever youwant with me.”
“Promise? I might need a kiss toseal the deal.”
She pulled him closer with her legs, their mouths clinging to each other. Squeezing him tighter, she ordered, “Now getthese undone.”
Efficient as always, he had her hands free in no time and she practically fell into his arms. The strength in her legs had disappeared, so Scott held her and lowered to the ground with her. As they leaned against the wall, he kissed her hair.
“Thank you. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” he said, skimming his lips over her cheek. “We still aren’t outof the woods.”
Resting against him, she felt safer than she had in a while. His heart beat quickly and she wondered if hers was matching his beat for beat. Because of their situation or because of their proximityto each other?
