“Is that so? Well, if it is Stockholm syndrome…” That hint of a smile turns into a sinfully sexy smirk as he trails a finger down the column of my throat. “What all could I make you do for me?”
“Probably just about anything.”
His gaze dips to my mouth, and his thumb comes up to brush along my bottom one. “I’ve never kissed a man before.”
My breath hitches.
“That’s tragic,” I whisper. “We should fix that.”
He hesitates, just for a second. Then his hand tightens on my hip while the other moves to the side of my neck.
I lean in.
Our lips meet.
They touch.
It’s the best half second of my life.
But that’s all it is before the world explodes.
A deafening blast rips through the basement. The door at the top of the stairs shatters inward with a violent crash that rattles the walls and sends dust raining from the ceiling.
I jerk back, my heart slamming against my ribs.
Reese’s head snaps toward the sound and the shouting voices.
Just like that, we’re out of time.
I scramble off Reese’s lap so fast my foot catches on the edge of the mattress and I almost go down. The world tips sideways, adrenaline pounding through my veins, the boom of the blast still vibrating in my bones and ringing in my ears.
Reese moves too, snatching his gun off the bed, the motion smooth, automatic. Muscle memory. Survival.
“Stay here.”
As if I’d listen.
He’s already out the door before I feel like I’m steady enough to move. But I’m only a few steps behind, barefoot on concrete, heart in my throat. My lungs burn like I’ve been running for miles even though it’s only been seconds.
A crack splits the air.
Reese jerks like someone yanked a string attached to his shoulders. He stumbles. The gun falls from his hand and clatters on the floor.
“Reese!”
His knees hit the concrete.
Red blooms on the front of his shirt.
There’s blood.
Too much blood.
He falls to the ground, and it spreads dark and fast beneath him. For half a second, I can’t move. Because it doesn’t make sense. This wasn’t part of the plan. We were…
We were going to run.
My bare feet slap against the cold ground as I bolt out of the room. I don’t remember deciding to. My vision tunnels down to him and nothing else.
