Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 86240 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86240 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Around twenty minutes later, we stopped, and I caught my breath. Months before my captivity, I would have considered myself in decent shape, as I had to pass the fitness test at Quantico. But now, I had to cover my mouth to conceal my huffy breaths, afraid someone would hear me.
Unsurprisingly, we were at another hatch door. Shawn didn’t have to work so hard on opening this one. On the other side was a supply closet. I took a step up and over to get inside, and Shawn was there with a helping hand.
The door closed silently as if it had been given some TLC recently, and he locked us in. Industrial shelves surrounded us, lined with cleaning supplies. I moved to the side to let Shawn continue to lead, as he obviously had a plan. Only I bumped right into a bucket that held mops. It tumbled over, sounding like thunder as it hit the ground and I lost my footing.
As if I was being dipped, Shawn caught me around the waist. Tingles raced through my body at the very wrong time. Our gazes were magnetically attracted for just a second before he set me back on my feet.
He moved to the door and opened it a crack before waving me forward. We stepped into a hallway, and someone said “help” before they noticed us. “You, son. Come help me.”
Shawn went for the older woman, nearly bent at the waist. As he’d done with me, he helped her into a standing position and became her anchor at the same time he followed her directions. I took stock as to where we were. Noticing an open door with what appeared to be an apartment. But the medical equipment in plain view and the older woman in the hall suggested this was some sort of senior facility.
Shawn appeared out of a doorway I hadn’t seen him go through. He swiftly came my way and guided me toward a door that had an exit sign above it. We pushed through and headed up several flights of stairs.
I was winded by the time we got there and did my best not to show it. Parts of the hallway had plastic covering over the walls. He checked his phone before he confidently walked us to the end of the hall and turned the knob on a door.
It was as if we walked into a time capsule. The apartment was furnished and looked lived in, with bookshelves and framed pictures lining one wall. Whoever lived here had a happy family. There were lots of smiling faces.
A beautiful quilt that looked handmade lay folded over the back of the sofa.
“Does someone live here?” I croaked, having not spoken in a while.
“Not now.”
“How did you know about this place?” I asked while leaning on the back of the sofa, glancing at Shawn, who stood in the kitchenette area.
“When we realized that you might have been tracked, Griff found this place for us to hole up. They are renovating the building. A few floors above and below us are vacant, giving us privacy.”
I was impressed with Griffin. His ability to pull something together was almost superior to the FBI. Certainly, a lot less red tape.
“Are you hungry?” Shawn asked.
We had rushed out that morning and I felt my stomach rumbling for some lunch. “Yes, actually. Are we going to order delivery?” I teased.
He walked over to the refrigerator, which was stocked. Griffin was on top of everything. Shawn had cooked for me before. It was my turn. “Why don’t I make us something?” I asked.
“Okay,” Shawn said, looking impressed. “I guess I’ll go grab a shower.”
“Sounds good.” Though, to be honest, I wanted to join the man in the shower. The look he gave me before he left for the bathroom suggested he wouldn’t be opposed to the idea.
Things felt calm for the moment. It seemed unlikely the men following us would find us here. I let my guard down and focused on the task at hand.
After checking the refrigerator and cabinets, I decided to make a spicy chicken sandwich because all the ingredients were there. I washed my hands and got to work.
Cooking reminded me how much I missed my family. I used to spend hours in the kitchen with Mom. Because she worked so hard, that was the time I had with her. She was my rock and everything. I missed my stepdad and sister as well. They were my world. I wiped a tear from my eye and hoped this would be over soon so I could see them.
My emotions were clearly all over the place because when Shawn came out with his hair still a little wet, my skin prickled with alertness. Never in my life had I been this horny. Embarrassed, I turned away from him, hoping he didn’t see the flush spreading over my skin.