Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 88673 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 443(@200wpm)___ 355(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88673 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 443(@200wpm)___ 355(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
And she’s not.
Even I know she’s not.
All I wanted to say to her just now was that I understand how weird it is. I get it. But she was too wound up to hear that, let alone appreciate it, so I reverted back to threats. She responds well to threats, so it’s just the quickest, easiest way to snap her back in line.
Because there’s a significant part of this plan that is dangerous. Everything about her being here with me is dangerous. If they catch us, she’s done. If she’s not killed outright, if she’s allowed to live, then she will be a prisoner down here. And not my prisoner, either. A Colony prisoner. They won’t send her to the tunnels, but she’ll never have a carefree day again for the rest of her life.
I just don’t want to tell her that part. It’ll stress her out and high stress leads to mistakes. I’d rather have her angry with me than locked up in a cold, dark cage like a lab rat in one of our military laboratories. Because that’s where they’d send her. A nice up-top girl like her with all those outside genes to poke through? Yeah, the Colony scientists would love to have a guinea pig like Clover to test their shit on.
“Fine,” she finally says. “I’m ready.”
“You’re not, but it’s OK. Just let me do all the talking and don’t look around like a goddamned tourist, all right?”
Clover makes a face. “Why would I? It’s a dirty, underground city. It probably smells like a sewer.”
I just chuckle. “Whatever you say, Your Highness. Just stick to the plan.”
She blows out a breath, but our conversation is over.
I exhale loudly too, then turn my attention and flashlight to the security panel to the left of the door. I open it up, key in the code to open the door, and then the locks disengage with a low rumble. I crank the long handle to disengage the seal, and the door opens with a hiss of stale air.
When I look over my shoulder, Clover is all wide-eyed again, trying her best to see past the dark.
“Ready?”
She looks up at me and nods, all traces of her little freak-out gone now, fear taking its place.
“It’s gonna be fine, Clover.”
“I dunno, Riggs.” She sighs. It’s a much softer, nicer way of expressing her doubts than the huffs and scoffs. “You might be right. I’m maybe not up to this.”
I smile. Not just because she’s calm now, but because she doesn’t really think I’m a bully. Somewhere inside that head of hers she understands that I’m sincerely trying to help her. “Just follow my lead. And don’t act all impressed and shit over the city. That’s the big thing.”
“I don’t understand why I would be impressed by a dirty, dark, underground city.” She puts up a hand. “So no worries there.”
“Yep. You’ve got this, my queen.”
She wants to be mad about my royalty jabs, and she tries. For a moment. But then she gives in and smiles. “Fine. You’re right. I’ll be great.”
“That’s the spirit. Put on the brave face. Let’s go.”
The moment I point my flashlight into the next room, Clover grabs at the back of my shirt, then hooks her fingers around the belt loop underneath it.
I look down at her from over my shoulder. “Are you coming on to me?”
Her face scrunches up in confusion. “What? No. I just…” She peeks around me, like maybe there’s monsters in this tunnel. “I’m just a little bit afraid, OK? But if you’re going to make a big deal about me holding on to you for moral support, then—”
“I’m fucking with you. I don’t mind at all. Ready?”
She sucks in a big breath, then nods. “I’m ready.”
I walk forward as Clover shadows so close behind me, I can’t turn around to close the door until she gets out of my way. But I don’t say anything else about this little act of vulnerability she’s displaying. She can cling all she wants. It kinda turns me on to think she needs my protection.
“Fuck’s sake,” I mutter. Focus, Riggs! This woman is gonna get you sent back to the tunnels if you’re not careful.
“What?” Clover whispers.
“Nothing. Just talking to myself. Come on, the next door is just right up here.”
She doesn’t ask any questions at this door, just waits for me to unlock it, then calmly steps through. We do this several more times before entering an elevator that drops us a thousand feet in just under a minute. When we stop, the doors do not open automatically. Yet another code is required. So before I punch that in, I say, “This is it. Are you ready?”
She’s still holding on to me, but now, as she waits for me to key in the code to unlock the door, she presses herself right up against me, peering past my shoulder. “I guess.”