Still confused she gave a skeptical look, not sure if he wasbeing serious.
Holding up his hands, Zane laughed and leaned further backinto his chair while hooking one of his feet to the bottom rung of her ownchair with uncomfortable familiarity. “I’m serious. Once I finally got out ofthe military, we started working on this damn cabin,” he waved his hand aroundhim. “We worked nearly two years straight. And sweetheart, I have to tell youwhen I say we were bored I mean we were going batshit-stir-crazy. By the timewe decided to take the bank job for some old military friends of Reid’s, wewere at each other’s throats nearly every other day.”
Avoiding Reid’s monitoring stare, Everly nibbled on thepiece of pineapple after finishing her scrambled eggs. The military—that madesense. Reid’s straight formal posture, Zane’s controlled precise movements,both trained soldiers. That made them even more capable of keeping her here,right where they wanted her. Another thought struck her, were they going to domore jobs like the bank job? Looking to Zane he had his usual friendlyapproachable expression, she knew she could ask him anything and he would tellher without question. Reid on the other hand, looking at him she flinched alittle at his tense jaw and hard features. Everly couldn’t be sure if that washis usual expression or anger from her earlier question. Taking another bite ofher fruit, she snuck him another glance. The hard gleam in his eyes softened abit as if reading her mind. He wasn’t angry he was simply waiting for her toinquire more, waiting and wanting her to.
Her pride piqued at that. She shouldn’t give them anything,not one inch after everything they had done. She wasn’t interested in theirlives she wanted information on how to get out of this twisted nightmare. Butthe desire in their eyes didn’t abate, they desperately want her to talk—tocare. Looking at Zane’s searching waiting gaze again she felt herself cave alittle.
She told herself it was all in the pursuit of information asshe asked. “Are you going to do another job like that again?” Soon? If theyleft for another job that would give her plenty of time to try and escape.
“No, our focus has shifted,” Reid answered, his velvetyrough tone silently commanding her to look at him, to which she refused.
“Nope, we won’t. I can promise you, sweetheart, we willnever do another job like that ever again, now that we have you.” Zane agreedhappily.
Trying not to look disappointed with the news that theywouldn’t be leaving for another job she continued to look at Zane as he spoke.
“Besides our real job starts in,” Zane looked up to theceiling, going through his mental calendar. “Three weeks.”
Everly blinked in confusion.
“We just won the bid for a project in Toronto,” Zaneexplained. “It came in while we were on the bank job.” Reaching into hispocket, Zane pulled out a clip containing cards and folded money, selecting ablack card with glittering gold text he handed it to her.
The simple, neat gold embossed words sparkled back on thematte black card, Cimmerian Engineering.
Zane continued explaining. “We have a construction company.Our real talent, among so many other things,” he gave her a sinful wink. “Isconstruction engineering as you can see by the surrounding proof.” Waving hishand to the surrounding cabin.
Still holding the card with both hands Everly looked back atthe gleaming letters. Cimmerian engineering, Pitch Island, 2BlackHearts…
“Do you name everything based on your last name, Black?” Sheasked honestly.
Zane laughed first, a deep rich laugh that lit up his blueeyes even brighter. Turning to Reid, Everly felt her heart quicken at the sightof his small smirk. A tiny smile that instantly softened his hard, handsomeface.
Smiling, Reid looked up with half-lidded eyes.“Unfortunately, Zane has full control when it comes to naming stuff, and lookhow it turned out,” he gestured to his still smiling brother. “Everything is adamn pun.”
For a brief second, she almost smiled. Caught up in thelighthearted turn in conversation she almost foolishly let her guard down andallowed a smile. Thankfully she caught herself. These men and their wickedsmiles, she had to be careful. Military, bank robberies, and nowconstruction—it was too much to process. They were too skilled, too intense.Everything about them, this whole nightmare, kept piling up making it—makingthem—bigger and bigger. Like two growing sentinels becoming larger and morepowerful by the minute. Every detail she managed to glean from the conversationonly served to chip away at her hope of escaping.
Their smiles faded as they watched the shadows fall over hereyes. Silently, she stared unseeingly at the card in her hand as the thoughtsof hopelessness drifted across her mind. What was she going to do?
“You aren’t weak,” Reid’s deep voice cut her from herthoughts, looking up she met his once again serious gaze. “You said outside, wetook you because we thought you were weak.”
Nervous at the sudden intensity between them, Everly lookedto Zane to see that he too was staring at her with the same amount ofdetermination.
“We didn’t take you because you’re some victim Everly,”slowly walking around the kitchen island, Reid stopped next to Zane, forcingher to look at them, both of them. “We took you with us because together we areone-of-a-kind. It’s as if you were made for us.”
The fierce flash of heat that ignited in Zane’s eyesmirrored Reid’s, a heat that seeped into her body making her nervous. The hairson the back of her neck rose with silent warning at the two large predators infront of her.
“You’re so brave sweetheart,” Zane rasped, his voiceroughened with some unsaid emotion while his eyes positively glowed at her ashe leaned forward in his seat. “So damn brave it makes me speechless. Braveenough to escape that fucked up cult you grew up in, some no-name backwoodscountry. Brave enough to survive heartbreak and an unplanned pregnancy all onyour own.”
Each word felt like a knife slicing across her skin. Theyknew, they knew everything, she never felt so exposed.
“We took you Everly, because this world was trying toslowly devour you,” Reid cut in, his fist clenched at his side as he looked ather with an angry desperation, wanting her to understand. “And, dammit, weweren’t going to let that happen.” As if recognizing his own control slipping,Reid stood straighter and stared at her, the hard planes of his face flexing inintensity. “You’ll be safe and taken care of with us, and if you let us, if yougive us a chance—you’ll be happy.”
Looking at her they waited. Waited for her to respond. Withan unreadable face, she tried to control the shaking feeling their wordscaused. They were delusional, insane even. Nothing she said or did wouldpenetrate that formidable wall of thinking. Escape, that was her only option.
Setting the black card back on the steel countertop shestood up from the barstool. “I would like to lay down.” She whispered, staringat the space between them avoiding their searching gazes.
The strained silence seemed to go on forever.
“Go ahead,” Zane answered quietly.
