“We don't have time,” he said as he tugged me closer to the door.
“West, we don’t have a way to get away.”
He paused. “We need to find those van keys. Look in their pockets.”
I blinked. “You want me to search a dead man’s pockets?”
He furrowed his brow. “You got any better ideas?”
My gaze dropped to the body at my feet. “I’ll start here.”
Sliding my hand into the man’s pocket made me want to puke. I’d never seen a dead body before, much less seven of them, and the smell of their metallic blood made my stomach churn. I swallowed the bile down, refusing to give into the weakness that flooded my body every time I panicked. I couldn’t keep living my life like that. I had to grow a backbone. I had to be strong.
Especially if this was the life I’d lead with West, should he have me.
“Not over here. You got anything?” he asked.
I shook my head as I moved to another body. “I’m working on it, but so far, no.”
We searched every single body and came up empty-handed.
“Fucking hell,” West growled.
I shook my head. “Maybe they store the keys on top of the tires of the van.”
He paused. “You stay here. I’m going outside to check.”
“Oh, hell no. If you’re leaving, I’m leaving. We do this together or not at all.”
He whipped around and glared at me. “Now is not the time to fight for control. Stay here. If they’ve got watchmen out there—”
“Those guys would’ve come in the second they heard gunfire. There’s no one else here but us.”
His eye twitched. “Stay behind me, all right?”
I nodded. “Done.”
We crept toward the door as his words filled my ears. “I was so worried when they dragged you into that room. I thought they were going t—”
I placed my hand on his back. “I’m right here. I’m still breathing. I’m fine, okay?”
He sighed as his hand fell to the doorknob of the door they had dragged us through. “I’m so sorry for all of this.”
I rubbed his back. “Even if they did kill me, so long as you make it back—”
He spun around and cupped my cheeks. “You have to make it back. There’s no other option.”
My eyes danced between his. “Why? Why is there no other option?”
His gaze filled with sorrow. “Because I can’t bear to lose you, that’s why. I can’t go through that pain again, all right?”
Again? What does he mean by that?
“Come on, we’re wasting time,” he said as he took my hand.
Just as quickly as the moment had popped up, it dissipated. He grabbed my hand and eased the door open before we dashed out into the sunlight. Thunder rumbled off in the distance. Dark clouds threatened to head in our direction. And as lightning flashed across the daytime sky, we couldn’t find the black van that had temporarily been our prison.
“What the fuck?” West hissed.
