“Quick. Gimme a knife,” Lila orders, snapping me out of my cavern of doom.
“What?”
She grabs me by the arms to shake me into action. “Look at all this stuff in here. There has to be a knife or something sharp. A razor, maybe? Hurry up before we get there.”
Scanning the inside of the SWAT van, I rise to search. “He’s gonna check us for weapons.”
“I figured, but I have an idea based on something Kri told me this morning about what she did one time when she was kidnapped. It worked for her. It’s worth a try.”
The vehicle jostles as Andrews veers off the driveway into the yard. I steady my legs and open the case most likely to contain sharp implements.
“Jackpot,” I exclaim, finding a bevy of options.
Lila bounds over on shaky legs. “Ummm.” She peruses the offerings, deciding quickly. “This should fit.”
“Fit where?”
Lila’s only response is to cram the pointy-tipped razor into her cleavage. After smushing her breasts together twice, she releases a satisfied sigh. “Perfect. Hopefully, he doesn’t check there.”
My teeth creak under the strain of my jaw. “Glad you picked one with a cap on it.”
“I would have shoved it in there even if the blade was exposed. These are desperate times, dimples.”
The van stops, and the gear clicks audibly as Andrews shifts into park.
“I love you, cookie. So fucking much,” I blurt out, regardless of the ticking clock. “I hate that you have to do this. It isn’t too late to change your?—”
The picture of composure, she presses her index finger against my lips. “Shh. It’s okay. My mind is made up. We’re doing this. You and me. Together.”
“Together,” I echo.
Cupping her sweet face, I stroke the apples of her cheeks with my thumbs. “I swear I won’t leave you alone. Stay close to me no matter what. I’ll do everything I can to keep you safe.”
She caresses my forearms as if she’s the one consoling me. “Reed, you act like I’m cowering in the corner. I’m not.I’m fine.Whatever happens in there, I’m ready for it.” Her cheeks puff up and roll around her succulent lips. “I mean, I don’t want to die or anything. But I’m done hiding from things that scare me. Cardigan and his goons included.”
If I didn’t know Lila as well as I do, her last comment might cause me to worry about her mental state.
“Okay, kids. Five minutes is almost up,” Andrews warns, his tone belaying the dread we’re all feeling. “If we’re doing this, the time is now.”
Lila drags my hands from her face, entwining our fingers.She glances over to the driver’s seat, tenacity anddetermination guiding her. “We’re ready. See you soon, Warren.”
“See you soon.” He shifts his gaze to me, his warm eyes conveying too much for me to process in the limited time we have. “Don’t forget to get him near a window as often as possible. And be careful.”
Struggling to bottle up my emotions—possibly for the first time in my career—I choke out, “I will.”
He winks, somehow pulling off sarcasm and sincerity in the simple gesture. “Make me proud.”
Lila and I move as one toward the van door. Before opening the door, I pull her against me and slam my mouth to hers.
I don’t give a fuck where we are or who might be watching. I’m kissing her while I still can.
My desperate tongue invades her mouth, delving in, reading to take as much as she can give. There’s no hesitation. She reacts with the same frenzied desperation. Her hand clamps around my nape, yanking me closer.
She tastes sweeter than I remember. And her lips are even more supple than they were this morning.
I swallow one of those mesmerizing breathy whimpers before I need to end the kiss. Only one.
It isn’t enough. But it’ll have to do.
