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Eden is seated in my leather recliner, also duct taped in place with a patch strapped over her mouth. She doesn’t appear to be injured save for the deep, dark bruise forming at her temple and just above her eye. She looks to be breathing, her eyes fluttering open and closed.
“Didn’t I do a good job?” Renee asks when I don’t say anything else. “I spent the last twenty minutes cleaning up the trash.”
I grind my teeth together. “Yes…” I grumble. “Very good job.”
“You should have heard her, Hunter. I don’t think Eden loves you or the baby as much as she says she does. She was all like ‘shoot me,bitch’. So fucking rude. Don’t you think that was rude, Hunter?”
I don’t know what to say. I obviously don’t believe a word out of Renee’s mouth, but that does sound like something she’d say. Leave it to Eden to be feisty even in the face of danger. My brain is working overtime trying to figure out how to get us out of this mess, but nothing comes to mind.
I could easily overpower Renee. I’m twice her size and she’s a third of my weight, but the knife prodding me in the back is of major concern. All it’d take is a deep enough nick in the right place to bleed out, not that I think Renee knows precisely where to aim. Still, accidents happen, and I’d rather not die before I can get Eden and the others out of harm’s way.
“Renee,” I say gently, “why did you do all of this? Why go so far?”
She pouts her lips. “How else was I supposed to prove my love for you? Once I get rid of her, I’ll have you all to myself.”
“Eden’s pregnant, Renee.”
“So? All the more reason to take care of her quickly. You’ll be too busy taking care of the baby to pay me any attention.”
I will myself to remain calm. There’s no reasoning with her. Renee’s so far gone, her brain so twisted and fried, that I don’t think there’s a way to get out of this without the use of force.
Renee turns her back to Eden and hugs me around the torso, pressing her cheek to my chest with a content sigh. “Please hold me, Hunter. Show me that you care. I know you do, somewhere deep down.”
Eden’s eyes crack open slowly. She seems to realize where she is, noting all the film lying around in a heap. When our eyes lock, a silent conversation passes between us. What we need right now is a distraction, something to tip the scales in our favor.
I do as Renee asks, wrapping my arms around her body so she can’t turn around and see Eden trying to pry her arms free. “I do care about you, Renee,” I lie evenly. “I was wrong to fire you. I was speaking out of anger, but I sincerely hope you can forgive me.”
She giggles. “Of course I do! I love you, Hunter. I love you so much. I promise, I’ll do whatever you want until you love me, too.”
Eden manages to free a hand, silently straining to her side to reach for something in Taylor’s back pocket. She’s just barely able to slip it out between her pinched fingers. It isn’t until I see the glint of her friend’s metal lighter that I realize what she’s trying to do. Her eyes flit between the lighter and the film before looking back at me. I nod, just once.
It’s the distraction we need to get the hell out of here.
“Renee,” I say, keeping her focus on me. “What say you and I head to the premiere together? I’m sure we can find you a cute dress to slip on.”
“But what about them?”
“I don’t think they’re going anywhere. We can take care of everything once we get back.”
There are genuine tears of joy in her eyes. It makes me want to vomit. “Oh, Hunter. I would love to. But before we go, can you please tell me one thing?”
“What is it?”
“Will you please tell me you love me? I just want to hear it, just this once.”
I hold Renee close to my chest, one hand firmly placed on the back of her head. I look past her and keep my gaze focused on Eden when I say, “I love you.”
Eden’s eyes glisten. She can’t respond to me, but I know she wants to say it back.
Instead, she flicks the lighter and tosses it toward the film. A violent chemical reaction results. With the introduction of a heat source, the nitrate films ignite and burst into flames. It catches quickly, trailing up the walls and spreading across the floor, consuming everything that lies in its path.
Renee screams in confusion. “What did youdo?”
I take advantage of her momentary distress, snatching her wrist and twisting with all my might until I’m able to snatch the knife from her hand. I give her a hard shove toward the nearest wall, her head smacking against the drywall with a sharp thud. I rush to Eden, helping her cut through her bindings before moving to slice through the duct tape securing Samantha, Mei-Lee, and Taylor.
Smoke floods the room. It’s suddenly a million degrees and climbing. If we don’t get out now, we’ll succumb to the flames.
“Hurry!” I shout to Eden as she throws Taylor’s arm over her shoulder. I easily throw Samantha and Mei-Lee over both my shoulders, making sure Eden goes ahead first.
