I didn’t pay much attention the last time I was in here, too excited for my surprise. But I do this time, taking in the time delay on the door closing behind us. I count in my head and it takes a full thirty seconds to swing fully closed. That’s enough for me to sneak in here behind him if he’s ever distracted enough.
I stand by the SUV and study how Lincoln opens the locked key cabinet on the wall, also controlled by a retina scan. He takes a key and then presses the fob to pop the trunk as he walks over to me. I peer inside the open trunk and see the small salt and pepper shakers nestled in the corner.
“There they are,” I exclaim, reaching in to grab them. “Pierre will be pleased.”
Lincoln murmurs his agreement and then glances inside the trunk. “I’d better check that there’s nothing else in here.” He pokes his head inside and feels around. “No nothing else. Oh, shit!”
“What is it?”
He holds up his hand and his finger is bleeding. Not a lot, but enough for blood to be dripping down into his palm. He takes the salt and pepper cellars from me with his good hand and then presses the car key into my palm. “Can you put this back for me, angel. It goes on the top row. If I take these to Pierre, he might show me where the first aid kit is.”
Then with a kiss on my forehead, he leaves me alone in the garage. I glance around. What if I jumped in the car and made a getaway attempt right now?
Shoot! The giant steel doors can only be opened by Lincoln and I’m not sure even his armored SUV could get through those things.
Is this a test? It feels like a test. What if he’s watching me on the cameras right now? Not wanting to give him any reason to be suspicious of me, I head straight to the key cabinet. On the top row, there’s a sign, in both braille and handwritten pen, saying SUV. There’s another key hanging below it, which looks exactly the same, with the BMW logo right there in enamel.
Is it a spare key? And if it went missing, would he notice? It’s not on the same hook and there are other keys in here, so he might not. It’s worth a shot, and I have no other means of getting out of here. I don’t even know what I’d do with a spare key, but I have time to think.
Unless it’s not a spare key at all, meant for something else. I press the small fob and the SUV clicks open.
Yes! It is a spare! Quickly I lock it again and then hang the key Lincoln gave me in its rightful place, while discreetly palming the other one.
I leave the garage and close the door behind me. I don’t know exactly how yet, but I think I just found my way out.
Chapter 64
Imogen
Every day this week, I’ve waited with bated breath for the moment Lincoln realizes the extra key to his SUV is missing, yet he doesn’t seem to notice. He even went to town to get supplies yesterday and I was sure I was done for, but he bought me some Milky Ways and fucked me like a demon when he got back, so I guess he didn’t.
Today is the day he leaves for his trip to New York, and I’ve figured that’s how I get out of here—with him.
It’s late when he’s leaving and I feign a headache, kiss him goodbye and tell him I’m going to bed. “I think maybe it’s my period coming, or I’m getting a cold. But, I feel really tired too.” I wrinkle my nose and create a sad face.
Lincoln’s eyes narrow in concern and he rests his cool palm on my forehead, like he’s checking my temperature “Do you want me to postpone my trip, baby?”
I plaster on a smile. “There’s no need. I’m sure I’ll be fine after a good night’s sleep.”
He nods, although he doesn’t look entirely convinced. So I push up onto my tiptoes and kiss him. “I’ll miss you.”
That makes him grin. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“I know.”
He wraps me in a hug and then insists on bringing me to bed and tucking me in. With a final kiss on my forehead and a promise of love, he leaves.
As soon as his footsteps have faded, I climb out of bed and quickly get dressed in a pair of leggings and a sweatshirt before grabbing the spare car key from the pocket of my jeans where I stashed it last week. If he doesn’t close the door behind him manually, which he has no reason to, I have thirty seconds to get inside the garage. It’s going to be close, and he could catch me, but if he does, I’ll tell him I needed one more hug goodbye.
I have no idea how the hell I’m going to get myself into the car, ideally the trunk, without him seeing, but I have to think of something. And if I can’t, I’ll simply slip out the doors after he’s driven out. Not that I relish finding my way out of these woods, but I have options and that’s what matters.
My heart is racing so hard I’m worried both Pierre and Lincoln will hear it as I tiptoe down the staircase. I hold on to the spare key tightly. My lifeline. I hear the muffled voices of the two men as they chat in his study and I quietly make my way to the other side of the house. The garage door is already open. Is this a trick? No. he’s definitely done that before. He’s left the garage open while he’s gone to grab his bag or speak to Pierre.You’re spiraling, Imogen. There’s no way he’d risk you escaping, now get it together!
The lights in the garage are on. The SUV already unlocked.
I open the trunk, wincing at the clicking sound, which reverberates around the otherwise empty garage. It seems so loud. Almost as loud as my heartbeat ringing in my ears. But this feels far too easy. My escape can’t be this easy, can it?Yes, it can, Imogen. Because he trusts you. He believes you’re in love with him, because you were.
Maybe I still am.
