I had hoped she’d save me tonight, which, in turn, would expose the locksmith capabilities Ashlee informed me about earlier this month. I just had no clue Lee would take my maiming so harshly. He’s grown severely agitated the past four weeks. I also can’t blame him. Every time he gets within sniffing distance of Claudia, either Ashlee or I stop his fantasies from becoming a reality.
He’s nervous, which is dangerous.
You can’t get an edgier man than one who’s been deprived of touch.
I know this firsthand.
Ignoring my heaving stomach’s demand to dispel the slug sitting in the bottom of it, I get back to the task at hand. The little vein in Claudia’s neck flutters when I scoot closer to her. “One more lock, Claudia, then we’re out of here.” I purposely include her in my statement, hoping my false promise will have her agreeing to my suggestion more quickly. We don’t have time to dawdle.
Claudia shakes her head as rapidly as her body trembles. Well, I think she’s shaking. With how twitchy my body is as it struggles not to overdose on the lethal mix of sedatives Lee gave me, I can’t be sure. I feel like my brain has been replaced with dark, moody clouds. I’m equally spaced out on drugs and adrenaline.
After a quick head shake, I return my eyes to Claudia. When she feels my stare, she sheepishly peers at me through a sheet of mousy hair. The submissiveness in her eyes is the equivalent of seeing flashing lights when I’m driving drunk. It sobers me up in an instant.
It also makes me hard as fuck. If I weren’t conscious this is myonlychance to escape, I’d fuck the goodness straight from her marrow, only stopping once every inch of her body is covered with my cum.
I freeze, disturbed by my thoughts. What drugs did they feed me?My brain is sliding out of my ears, yet all I’m worried about is being served my last rites. I didn’t play nice for years to let little Ms. Psycho’s fruity shampoo and big, innocent eyes unravel me. I’ve got revenge to exact. Little bastards to save. I don’t have time for this shit.
“If you don’t do this, Claudia, we’ll get in trouble. Is that what you want? Do you want to make the guards mad? I might not be able to save you from Lee this time. He’s growing impatient.” My words are more angry than sincere. I’m not angry at Claudia. I’m pissed at myself. I’ll never forfeit a game, but the drop of her pouty lip as she stares at me in fear makes me want to call time out.
I suck in a deep breath, the distress in her hooded gaze thickening both my blood and cock. Her big doe eyes would inspire a saint to sin to save her virtue, but I see a patch of darkness beneath her wholesomeness that reveals the saint’s plight would be made in vain.
She’s already danced with the devil, and she came out the other end smiling.
When Claudia shakes her head, advising she doesn’t want to get in trouble, I clasp her hands in mine. Her body responds the same way it did when her nipples brushed my chest. She blossoms under my touch—whether intentional or not.
Given the situation we find ourselves in, her body is extremely responsive, so imagine how receptive it would be outside of these circumstances?
I grit my teeth, warning my mouth it better articulate the right set of words before muttering, “Just one more lock, then we can go home. You want to go home, don’t you, Claudia? Back to the man who’s waiting for you?”
I doubt Nick is waiting for Claudia. If it is the standard groupie/bandmate stalker case regularly seen onTMZ, he’s probably already forgotten who she is. But if it gets me closer to escaping, I’m not above using her ‘condition’ to my advantage.
I hit a bullseye when the color on Claudia’s cheeks doubles as her chest swells high. Her response shouldn’t piss me off, but it does. I’m a competitive man—even when it’s against a man I have no right to compete against. Nick might be friends with the bane of my existence, but I have no qualms with him. If he doesn’t get in the way of me keeping my promise, we’ll have no issues.
Claudia’s eyes bounce between mine for the next several seconds as she contemplates a response. I’d shake her to hurry her up, but the last thing I want is her hollering at the top of her lungs before she’s unlocked the gun case we’re crouched next to. If it were an electronic lock, I would be in within seconds, but this is an old-school lock that would take me over thirty minutes to crack.
I don’t have thirty minutes.
I don’t even have thirty seconds.
“You can trust me, Claudia. I’ll never hurt you.”
Fuck! The drugs messing with my head are so potent, even I’m on the verge of believing my slurred promise. Claudia glances up at me like I am a god. Although it’s a look I’ve been given many times before, it feels different coming from her.
Hopeful the drugs fucking with my head aren’t causing me to misinterpret the silent questions streaming from her eyes, I confirm, “Just this one last lock, then you’ll be free. You can go home.”
Her lips twitch like she wants to speak, but not a syllable escapes her mouth. She doesn’t need to talk for me to understand her, though. Her scoot to the gun cabinet I’ve been eyeing as intensely as her shapely frame expresses more than her words ever could.
“Good girl,” I praise when the tall black locker pops open only a few seconds later.
I’m so spaced out on personality-altering drugs, I slap my hands on her cheeks and plant a sloppy kiss on her lips.
Meds must be at play, or why would I continue praising her like she’s a queen?
“You did it, Claudia. I’m so fucking proud of you.”
Ignoring the sensation buzzing through my mouth, I shift my focus to the gun cabinet. It’s full of weapons every psycho loves—shotguns, standard black pistols, and enough tear gas to recreate the river that flowed from Cleo’s eyes when my knife pierced the meaty flesh in the lower half of her stomach.
The image of her tear-stained face that night is one I’ll never forget. It was beautiful. Beyond perfect. One I’d give anything to witness time and time again.
