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Emmett rolls his eyes at me before pointing to himself. "FBI agent." Then he points out the window. "Partially-reformed kinky criminals and massively overprotective BFF. Not to mention all possible baby daddies of said bun. We won't let you fall."
And they don't. When the top of the telescoping ladder appears over the windowsill, one of the protective black vests is attached to it with a length of rope.
Emmett grabs it and helps me into it. It's a little loose, but he uses the slack in the straps to fashion more of a harness than a vest, and double-checks the knot on the rope. It's probably overkill, but I know it makes me feel better to have a safety net, just in case. I swing my leg out and onto the top rung while Emmett keeps the other end of the rope wrapped securely around his forearm. As soon as both feet are on the ladder, I shimmy right down, and when my feet are on the ground, Emmett tosses the rope after me. Even Apollo joins in the prank and lowers the ladder to the ground as Rex's voice comes from the window. Brent is nowhere to be seen, and I'm guessing he's gone off to ice his butt. Pansy.
"I thought you'd have run by now, babe. Move, Emmett, I know she's still in here." I can't help but laugh which of course filters right up to the open window. Rex pokes his head out, incredulity written all over his face along with a hint of anger. "How the hell did you get down there? You could have hurt yourself or the baby, Lark." I point to the ladder on the ground, but it doesn't help matters. "You grown-ass men let a pregnant woman climb out a window and assisted her for no reason? What the fuck, dudes?"
I can hear Emmett talking to him but can't quite make out what he's saying. Whatever it is, Rex glares at me for a moment then pops his head back in.
"Come on. I wanted to show you two this anyway, in case of an emergency." Marcus beckons us to the rear of the carport, and when he presses two separate spots on the wall, a panel pops loose.
Eyes wide with glee, I stare at Braeden. "They have a secret tunnel!" Thankfully, I whisper yell, or they'd have probably all wanted to strangle me.
At least Brade shares my excitement. "We need one of these at home, so we can sneak up on people. Like Rex." His grin fades as he eyes the narrow cement stairs. "But am I going to fit?"
I examine them more closely, and vertigo crashes over me. It's not The Facility. It's NOT. Marcus squashes my pep talk.
"I haven't brought you through here yet because it goes to the basement." Marcus holds out his hands, gray eyes earnest as he attempts to calm me. "It's fully finished and has a safe room. Plus a second exit, besides the one that goes into the house."
You can do this, Lark. Don't let it dictate your life.
One foot inches forward, taking one cautious step into the stairwell, much to Braeden and the others' surprise. I grit my teeth and make my other foot repeat the action. Step by step I follow it down until I end up at a small landing with a locked door.
"Solovey, wait for me. I have to use the keypad. While you can get out from the inside, you need a code to get in from this direction." Marcus hurries down the steps behind me with Apollo and Braeden staying at the top since there's really not a lot of room to stand. "I didn't expect you to walk right down them, or I would have gone ahead and gotten it open," he says as he punches in the number, not even trying to hide it from me.
He steps inside the door, and Apollo and Braeden come down the stairs behind us. Marcus leads the way into a short hallway made of cement, which is reminiscent of another place. The coloring is off as well since it's not bricks that have been used and painted, and I'm able to stave off the panic.
The short corridor comes to an end with another door, and Marcus explains its purpose. It's used to either slow down pursuers, if they make it that far, to allow time for escape— or lock them in so they can't retreat. I shiver at the blatant meaning behind that one.
Finally, he leads us into an open area with two other halls and a couple of doors leading off of it.
"Bathroom there," he says, pointing to a closed door. "Bedroom, which I think you'll remember from this morning." I subdue my embarrassment as Braeden looks at me curiously. When I sneak a glance at Apollo, he's uncharacteristically pale. Oh, shit. Marcus didn't tell him.
Marcus continues his short tour, acting like he hadn't said a thing. "Panic room— it's simple, go in and hit the button on the wall marked 'lock'. The rest are storage areas or empty, and the last is an escape route that leads directly to an SUV that's stocked with essentials." He opens an empty closet and demonstrates how the false wall in the back opens. It's much the same as the carport wall and leads down a dark tunnel. "Flashlights are up on the shelf, and if you have to go that way, make sure you grab one. It leads a ways out into the woods and doesn't have any lighting in it." He glances between me and Brade. "Any questions?" We both shake our heads, and I, for one, am suitably impressed. Even if I want out of the basement pronto.
Apollo interrupts, voice slightly frosty and stiff— much like his patrician manner. "Why don't we relocate upstairs so I can prepare our dinner." Well, it's not exactly a question, but I agree with him anyway. He thaws, slightly, when he glances at me, and I get the impression he's being aloof because of me.
While I try to puzzle it out, we file upstairs. Marcus and Braeden excuse themselves, leaving me to either follow Apollo or go my own way. I decide to make an attempt to find out what I've done to upset him. I figure it's got something to do with Marcus' verbal diarrhea—he really should have at least told him after, even if he didn't know at the time.
Apollo is halfway through making spaghetti, with me occasionally handing him ingredients, before he caves. He's been extra cautious not to get in my space, and he’s been polite to the point where I'm getting exasperated and almost broach the subject myself.
With his back to me while he stirs the tomato sauce on the fancy stove, he asks, "Did you see all of it?"
Not bothering to pretend I don't know what he's talking about, I respond. "If you mean you and Marcus' having some morning fun and what he coerced you to say— yes, I did."
He whirls with the spoon in his hand, flinging droplets of red with the abrupt motion. "He didn't force me." He seems kinda mad, and I'm not sure why. Noticing my confusion, and the mess, he grabs a rag out of the sink and elaborates. "Marcus may have encouraged me to voice my...feelings. But I could have stopped him at any time. I allowed it." Ohh, yeah, I can see where I went wrong.
"I didn't mean it maliciously, just that he was quite, uh, persuasive. Things said in the heat of the moment aren't always what you intended to say if you weren't influenced. As in, I won't hold it against you if you want to change your mind."
Face set in stern lines, he's quick to rebuke me. "I meant what I said. What I didn't plan on was you hearing it so soon." He's dead ass serious.
“Oh, um, you mean you want me… and you guys, and…" I make a smooshing motion with my hands, unable to quite verbalize what he'd said along with the image of what he'd been doing when he said it. "That’s— nice."
"Are you not interested in adding Marcus and myself to your dynamic?" He looks like a petulant boy who's been told he can't have a new toy— nose all scrunched up and disgusted with the corners of his lips tucked in. I recall seeing the same expression on his face another time and wanting to laugh then, too.
"I'm not sure I have a 'dynamic' if that means something going on with the others. I'm using this as a tryout period while we're in limbo. But I have to admit— this morning? That was hot, got me in a bit of a pickle with Emmett too. And let's not forget the vibrator Marcus left on my bed." Apollo doesn't even appear fazed that Marcus would do such a thing, and I have a moment to wonder how much trouble he'll get himself into if I take them up on their offer. "Thankfully Emmett didn't follow me in my room when I went to change because he'd never let me hear the end of it."
Of course, being a man, he zeroes in on one part of that. "So you didn't get to finish?” He's pointedly staring at my crotch, and even though I have pants on, it feels as if I'm naked. From the waist down, anyway.
