Saint’s hand hooks under my knee, wrapping it around his hip as he deepens our kiss. I get so lost in him that I forget we’re in the hallway.
It’s little moments like this I’m grateful for, to be able to still enjoy things, despite the shitstorm that surrounds our reality.
That is until the ringing of his phone breaks through the cloud.
Cursing, he pulls away, leaving me breathless as he checks over it, his face hardening. “I need to take this; it’s my dad. He’ll be looking for an update.”
He gives me one last soul-snatching kiss before pulling away and placing his phone to his ear, disappearing down around the corner.
My head thumps back against the wall as I regulate my breathing. Then my eyes cast up the stairs, my feet leading me to Jenna’s room.
Holly stands across from her door, and she smiles at me as I walk towards her. I chat with her more than the rest of the people under Saint. I think I’m drawn to her more before she was the first person that looked scary as hell, but as soon as her soft voice wrapped around me, I felt safe in her presence.
“Is the doctor in with Jenna?” I ask her, stopping just a couple feet away.
“Doc’s gone out for the day, but you’ve been added on the list of visitors. Just knock and say who it is.”
I turn towards the door, skin buzzing with excitement. The fact that Jenna has added us to visit whenever we want fills me with hope.
It’s a step in the right direction for her, even after her hurdle. Regina and I were worried that our last visit had been too much, and she maybe didn’t want to see us for a while.
My fist bangs against the door, maybe a little too loud due to my pulse rushing in my ears, and I shout through to her that it’s me.
Light footsteps grow as the door gently opens, and I smile when I see her. “Hey, are you busy?” I ask, and she steps back from the door, opening it to let me in.
“Swamped actually, I’ve got a meeting in five minutes to oversee the paint drying on the wall, then after that a dinner date with some weird protein dish.”
We’re silent, staring at each other before both our lips etch up at the sides, and I burst into her arms. “I’ve never been so happy to hear your smart mouth.”
She laughs into my hair, squeezing me tighter. “They didn’t take that from me. I’d run it to the very end.”
When we release each other, we walk into the room, letting the door close and then sit on either side of her small leather sofa, the TV playing a movie as background noise.
“Sorry if we overwhelmed you the other night,” I say, wrapping my arms around myself as I take her in.
She sighs, resting her head against her hand. “You didn’t, it just was…a lot. I’ve barely spoken about my life, or anything for that matter. That freedom felt too good to be true y’know? I haven’t had normality like that for years.”
She reaches behind her into her mini fridge, taking a bottle of water for herself and me.
“Nice outfit by the way,” I tease, looking at her kitted in the cargos and hoodie like everyone else at the Pit. It’s drowning her, but it makes me smile.
“Ugh, you wear this willingly? I think that’s why I’ve been given a kilo of chicken to eat.” She tugs at the waistband of her trousers.
“The food isn’t too bad; you get used to it. Gina and I usually steal the good protein bars. We’ll bring you some.”
Her eyes twinkle. “I’ll hold you to that, but candy would be my chosen vice. Speaking of which, where is Gina?”
“She’s off with Dawson checking on our ex-employees, making sure they leave the state…just to be safe.”
She nods, twisting the cuffs around her hands, her voice quiet. “Are they looking for you?”
There’s no point in lying to Jenna, she’d find out eventually, and one thing I’ve never done is lie to my friends. “They know about our company, just not a hundred percent if they know who. They have Saint’s face though. We just don’t want the girls getting caught up in our revenge plot.”
Something flashes behind her eyes, and my hand reaches for her shoulder, giving her a reassuring squeeze. “They won’t findus here; this place is completely off grid. Plus, it’s like a damn base.”
She puffs her lips, shaking her head. “How did they find out about you guys?”
It’s my turn to blow out a breath. “Well, I took out someone who was apparently a big hand in their organisation.”
