I felt my heartbegin to race as I thought about the impending and very realopportunity of escape tomorrow. I knew Darren would schedule theRussians to come back as soon as possible. They would definitely behere tomorrow, which means I might actually get the fuck out ofhere. I didn’t expect to escape Darren completely, that would betoo much to ask for. All I wanted was enough time to contact andwarn my family. That was my only goal. If I could accomplish that,then Darren’s wrath, when he found me, would be worth it. I justprayed to God that Jason would answer the phone when Icalled.
I tried to decidewhat would be better: to flee with one of Darren’s sports cars orbikes. A car would be less dangerous but more difficult to hide andit would be easier for them to run me down. If I were on a bike, itwould be more dangerous for them to apprehend me because I couldfall off and die and then Darren wouldn’t have anyone to obsessover anymore. I could maneuver in ways a car couldn’t, and I couldeasily hide it behind a dumpster or something while I ran to find aphone. I could just imagine revving up the engine now, the softroaring purr echoing through my ears and bringing a smile to myface. Thankfully, the keys all hung on the wall next to the door.Easy access.
I would probablydo it at night when the guards thought I was asleep andunsuspecting. I could turn the headlights off the bike anddisappear into the night. Hopefully, it would be cloudy tomorrow.Darren would also already be in his new location by then, whereverthe fuck that would be, so he’d be useless from where he was. He’dprobably even take Scott with him and just leave me with theguards.
But there was noway I could slip away undetected. I would have to create some kindof distraction. The heat of the fire caught my attention and then Ismiled. What better way than by burning Darren’s house down? He didhave a sprinkler system installed inside, but I didn’t need to burnthe whole thing down. Just enough to cause a distraction. There wasa giant plastic bottle of rubbing alcohol in my bathroom. Therewere matches in my dresser for the candles in my room. And therewas a glassbottle-likevase for the fresh flowers on my vanity.
Yep, I hadeverything I needed to make a Molotov cocktail…
The wheels in myhead turned with devious determination as I mapped out my entireescape plan. All I needed now was the glue to hold it all together… more specifically, the nailgluemy Russian friends would have when they repaired my brokennail.
Tomorrow couldvery well be one of the most important days of my life, as it couldmean the life or death of everyone I held dear. Tomorrow … I mightactually save them.
After an hour oflaying out and pondering my escape route and potential setbacks,the sun had finally set and the stars now speckled the sky in adiamond-like radiance and I randomly wondered if Jason was lookingup at the same sky as I was right now. I kind of hoped not. I hopedhe was getting some actual sleep in our bed right now since he wasseveral hours ahead of me back home.
A few minuteslater, Darren walked out on the patio and my shiver instantlyreturned.
“There you are.”He smiled deviously.
“Here I am,” Ireplied blankly, not taking my eyesfromthe stars.
“You’ve been outhere quite a while,” he said, sauntering over to me with his handsin his pockets.
I shrugged. “It’snice out.”
With my body lyingcompletely across the patio couch, there was no place left forDarren to sit, but of course, he didn’t let that stop him as helifted me up by my shoulders and sat down under them, resting myhead in his lap. He nonchalantly tucked my hair behind my ears andbegan to lightly play with my loose strands. Fuck, if that didn’tmake me want to grow a tail and start purring.
I closed my eyesand enjoyed the sensation of his fingers through my hair,attempting to relax under his touch. He seemed to be in a bettermood, and I did not intend to disrupt that, not when I was so closeto getting out. I needed all of my privileges while I still hadthem. I was sure they would completely disappear again once Darrenhad recovered me. Things would be bad. I could feel it like a fogrolling in and surrounding me. But I didn’t care about theconsequences because the consequences of doing nothing would be fargreater than any punishment Darren would subject meto.
“What are youthinking about?” he suddenly asked me softly.
As if I was goingto honestly tell him I was conspiring my escape plan. But I had amuch better lie on the tip of my tongue.
“I’m thinkingabout what makes you tick,” I repliedmatter-of-factly.
“I told you thatwould be a waste of your time,” he said, looking down atme.
“I’ll decide whenmy time is wasted or not, thank you very much,” I countered with abit of humor in my voice.
Darren actuallychuckled above me. Thank fuck. We were silent for a moment until Ifinally got the courage to speak again.
“You were groomedfor this life,” I stated as I looked out at thehorizon.
“Yes, I was,” heanswered.
“Are you happywith it? The way your life turned out?”
Darren scrutinizedme with his eyes, and I changed the angle of my head to meet hisgaze.
“I suppose,” hereplied, yet there was uncertainty in his voice. “But for a while,something was missing and I didn’t know what itwas.”
He started to curla strand of my hair around his finger, but it wasn’t meant to besentimental. It was a possessive gesture. Everything he did was.Like Gollum when he held his “precious” in hishands.
“And you’re hopingI’ll fill the void?” I asked without looking athim.
“I think it’spretty clear you already have.”
“And what aboutthe void in my life?”
