Page 67 of Flawed Revenge

On the other hand, it could be expected that she would do that, so the people who would search for her might wind up starting at the furthest away point and making their way in toward the bedroom they’d been locked inside.

So she’d tried to pick a room somewhat in the middle. Not too close to the bedroom, but not as far away as she could get from it either. Maybe she was overthinking the whole thing, but she’d rather be safe than sorry when her daughter’s life was on the line. After all, she didn't know where Leo and the others were being held, didn't know how long it might take Rose to find them, so she didn't know how long it would be until they all came looking for her.

If she had to hide out for hours, then she absolutely wanted to make sure she had overthought things rather than underthought them.

“Mom, I'm sore,” Ariella whispered, her voice, quiet as it was, sounding far too loud in the cramped space they were huddled in.

“I know, sweetie. I'm sorry, I wish I could find us someplace more comfortable, but I can't. Remember, Rose said we have to hide until Daddy comes for us.”

“If we help her look for Daddy, then we can find him quicker,” Ariella suggested.

“That’s true, sweetie, but we’re not as good at being quiet and staying unseen as Rose is. This is what we need to do right now.”

“I'm bored.”

“I know that too, but unfortunately, complaining about it isn’t going to make it any better. How about if we play a word game? Twenty questions?” As long as they kept their voices quiet, they shouldn’t be overheard if anyone was nearby. And if she kept an ear out, she should know that someone was close enough to hear them, and then she could stop the game if they needed to.

“Yeah, I guess. I’ll go first.”

“Okay, are you thinking of a person?”

“Nope, not a person.”

“Are you thinking of an animal?”

“No, not an animal.”

“Are you thinking of a plant?”

“Yes,” Ariella exclaimed, a little louder than Kate would have liked, but she couldn’t hear anyone out there, so it was probably okay.

“A tree?”

“Nope.”

“A flower?” She was pretty sure she knew which flower her daughter was thinking about, since Ariella had a favorite flower. it was hydrangeas, because her Nanna and Poppy had hydrangeas planted all along the front of their house. They’d been there for as long as Kate could remember, even when she was a little girl, younger than her daughter was now, and she’d loved them as a kid, too. The pinks, purples, blues, and whites provided a gorgeous array of colors in the spring, and Ariella waited every year for them to bloom.

Still, even though she thought she knew the answer, she’d drag the game out a bit, anything to keep her daughter’s mind occupied.

“Daisy?”

“No.”

“Lily?”

“Nope.”

“Tulip?”

“No again, Mom.”

Because her daughter was smart and would catch on if she didn't suggest what they both knew was Ariella’s favorite, Kate opened her mouth to say hydrangea, but froze before the word could come out.

A sound.

She’d just heard something, only it wasn't footsteps.

It wasn't Leo and the others, because they wouldn't make a sound as they moved, and they wouldn't look for her until they had contained all threats. That meant that once they’d done that, they’d be able to call out to her and Ariella so they’d know who it was.