Page 116 of Lucian

Lucian had the distinct feeling they were stuck in a six-by-six confined space in a bad situation, and while he hoped he was wrong, he probably wasn’t. Elevators only went up and down. They didn’t stop to open on upper floors to pick up others unless those guests had pushed the up button, also. No one in a hotel wanted to go up unless they were going to their room. Chances were, their elevator wouldn’t stop until it reached the top floor. As always, his ever faithful Eagle was at his back, but it would only do so much.

So yeah, Lucian wanted to kiss her.

Lucian didn’t bother to ask Jordyn again, he simply leaned forward and took what he wanted, pinning her to the elevator wall under his hands as his lips claimed hers. Jordyn didn’t shy away from the kiss, instead sighing a quiet moan and granting him access to her mouth. Intense couldn’t adequately describe the way his entire body seemed to tune in to her, the person behind him, and everything else around them.

“Close your eyes,” Lucian murmured lowly. “And no matter what, don’t move. It won’t help.”

The distinct zing of a wire as it uncoiled registered behind him. Lucian knew that sound. It wasn’t the first time he heard it, or used it himself, for that matter.

Jordyn’s brow furrowed as she looked up at him. “What are you talking about?”

“Just close your eyes, and don’t move, sweetheart. Trust me.”

She didn’t need to see this. Whatever it was.

Jordyn’s eyes fluttered close and Lucian pressed one more feather light kiss to her cheek before telling her to stay that way no matter what. Then, he started to pull away.

While Lucian kept his words down to a quiet murmur, too low for the man to hear, he hoped the guy thought all of his attention was on Jordyn. It usually was, but he’d been keeping track of the movements he could hear behind him, too.

The man had stepped back at least a foot from his previous position, and he was slightly turned, now. It was only a millisecond before the guy rotated completely and the wire wrapped tightly around Lucian’s throat, yanking him backwards from the unexpected force. The Eagle at his back fell from its spot, hitting the floor with a clatter. Lucian kicked the gun away, not wanting the attacker to pick it up instead.

Instantly, all the air in Lucian’s lungs left. It was a natural reaction of the body to expel air in a shock. It was also why those who suffered death by strangulation died fast. The fight or flight instinct kicked in for the victim, all desire being completely focused on the one thing: the need to breathe.

But, no matter how hard or fiercely the victim fought for that breath, with an attacker behind them, and a wire to their throat cutting off all oxygen to their damaged trachea, it became a useless fight. Too much energy was focused on needing to breathe, and not the fact they needed to find a way out of the situation.

A wire was quick, quiet, and effective. It was more efficient in a hand-to-hand situation than most other weapons when a job needed to be done quietly. There was no fuss about it, and no mess to clean up but for a body with a mark around the neck. It could essentially take down a two-hundred pound man with little to no fight at all in mere minutes, if not seconds, when done correctly. There could be a crowd of people just feet away, and they would never know a thing until the body was found.

Lucian was not a stupid man. He’d used this silent attack before. It was a good one, frankly.

Despite knowing the last thing he needed to do was fight for his breath and instead, fight to get the wire off his neck, Lucian couldn’t help the immediate flood of fear and adrenaline raging a war in his body. Pulled back against the strong chest of his attacker, Lucian’s hands grappled for anything in those first few seconds. He wanted support, something for leverage to keep him steady. Instead, he found himself grabbing at air because he was panicking.

The choked off cry he released came out on its own accord. Another natural reaction of a body in survival mode.

Jordyn’s eyes opened, then, staring straight into Lucian’s.

It took her but a flash to take in her surroundings and realize what was occurring. The fear there was immediate, breaking his heart as he couldn’t tell her to close them again if he couldn’t speak. Lucian didn’t want her to see this happening to him. When she jerked forward from the wall to try and help him, he managed a tight shake of his head that sent her flying back into the corner. She could have picked up his gun and turned it on the man, sure, but she wasn’t all too familiar with weapons or how to use them. There wasn’t anything more dangerous than someone will little to no knowledge of how to use one brandishing a handgun.

Who knew what this person behind him would do to Jordyn, but the intent on Lucian was clear enough that he was going to keep his attention on him for as long as he could. Lucian also wasn’t sure if the wire was the only weapon the attacker had.

Those wide blue eyes of hers with tears spilling to her cheeks and a fist pressed to her mouth did do something good for Lucian. For a brief moment, it calmed him. The welling, thick panic saturating his senses dulled enough to let him think, and consider more than just the acts.

The man behind him was strong, even with Lucian’s fingernails digging deeply into the forearms locked behind his neck, keeping the wire extra taut. The attacker didn’t speak, not a word. In fact, he barely seemed to breathe as he squeezed tighter. The lack of scent also caught Lucian’s attention. People wore things … deodorant, perfumes or colognes, shampoos, and soaps. If they didn’t, a person smelled like sweat and poor hygiene. This person had no smell.

Because they’d wanted to be invisible, Lucia realized.

The man had meant to be overlooked. Just another guest in the corner of the hotel, chatting on a phone or reading a paper. No one important or a cause for concern.

A professional.

Perhaps the man had been at the hotel earlier, but his chance to make a move had been lost for whatever reason.

Lucian quickly decided this one would be, too.

As much as his body and mind screamed in protest at the choice, Lucian compelled himself to let go of the man’s arms and stop grabbing at the wire around his throat. It wouldn’t do him any good at this point. He tried to think how many seconds had passed with him in the panicked state—thirty, maybe.

Inside his chest, his lungs burned with the need for air. Saliva was choking him. His eyes felt dry. His heart beat far too fast and out of control and his mind was muddled, but clearing slowly. Pain from the wire cutting into his neck was dulled compared to everything else. The urge to cough, though no sound would come out, bubbled up repeatedly.

Thirty-five seconds.