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He stroked Ryker's bloody face, not at all bothered by the blood on his hands. I heard him zip up his pants before he strode out of the room without a backward glance. My shoulders sagged in relief before I tensed. This could all be a trap, and he was watching us, but I had to take it for what it was. A free moment.
Sucking in a deep breath, I braced myself for what I had to do next. Hopefully, I was in enough pain already that I wouldn't notice it. Pressing my thumb against the chair leg, I moved it back and forth until I heard the snap. My eyes watered and I grimaced. But I couldn't focus on it. With my thumb out of the way, my wrist could slip through the binding, and I pulled my arm forward.
My shoulder hurt from being yanked back, and it took a moment for me to get any feeling in my fingers. I cradled my hand against my chest, but I knew I had to move. Standing, I wobbled with the chair until I could grab something off the medical kit so I could cut my other binding. Once I was clear of the contraption, I picked up the phone to see if it still worked. I knew it was risky using his own technology. But knowing a few backdoors, I hoped to get around it so I could get a message sent out.
Logging into one, I made my way over to Ryker and cut his binds. Scanning his injuries, I grabbed a first aid kit and worked to bandage the most severe wounds.
He mumbled groans as I worked, but didn't resist. Once I had him patched up, I went back to the phone to see if I could get a hold of Finley.
ME: Sweetheart, use this IP to find us. I'm trying to break us out. Send help. I love you.
It wasn’t the most romantic thing, but it was concise and all the time I had for. Erasing my footprint, I tossed the phone back where I’d found it and grabbed a few things from the room we could use for weapons. Who was I kidding? That I could use. Ryker was in no shape to fight.
Lifting him up, I placed one arm around my shoulder as we began the slow process to the door. He was already panting when we made it there, and I was sweating from the exertion myself.
“Just leave me. Get help and come back. If I don’t make it, tell Finley I regret not kissing her just once,” he whispered, most of his words barely coherent.
I wrestled in my brain with what to do. I didn’t want to leave him, but I also knew he was right in that there was no way we’d make it any distance with his condition. But if I left him, I might never see him again. I might never have the opportunity to tell him…
“I…” the words died on my lips. Gulping, I wetted them as I stared into his eyes. “I’ll come back for you. I promise.”
I pressed a gentle kiss to his lips before very carefully setting him down on the ground by the door. I handed him a weapon so he might be able to catch whoever entered by surprise and save himself some pain. Ryker squeezed my hand and took a breath as I gripped the doorknob.
Turning it, I waited for an alarm, half expecting guards to swarm the area the second I stepped out. The hallway was oddly quiet and devoid of anyone, but I didn’t take that to mean I was safe. Creeping along the wall, I tightened my hand around the knife I’d grabbed. The blood was no longer in my eyes, but the pain still throbbed through my body with each step. I didn’t think I’d ever get the feel of their fists out of my head.
An elevator dinged ahead, so I quickly ducked into the first room that didn’t have a keypad on the door. Shutting it quietly, I stayed hidden in the dark, praying the footsteps would keep moving.
“The boss has lost his marbles,” a voice said, coming closer to the door. “First, he had us kidnap these two dudes and then beat the crap out of them. Now that we have an actual breach in our system, he doesn’t even seem to care. I joined MKG because I wanted to show the world I was smarter than they thought.”
“Pfft,” another guy chuckled. “I joined to get rich.”
“Yeah, okay,” the first guy agreed. “There was some of that too. But this is beyond either of those. It feels more like a terrorist group than hackers quietly taking money out from under the rich’s noses.”
“For sure. That whole mall thing was insane. It still gives me nightmares thinking about that. I couldn’t believe he had us plant those drones and then stay to watch. He’s sick, man.”
“Yeah, well, it’s not like we can defect. You saw what he did to all those others who wanted to leave. We’re down to half our numbers as it is.”
The more I listened, the more hope bloomed that maybe we could make it out of here if MKG wasn’t at total capacity. An idea began to form, and I knew it would be risky, but it might be the only way to make it out alive and back to Finley.
Taking a deep breath, I gripped the doorknob and opened the door. Both guys turned, guns lifted at the sound. I raised my hands, not even pretending to be a threat.
“Looks like we have a runner,” one of them said, but I focused on the other, the one who’d been talking about the nightmares.
“I think we could help one another. The Order is onto MKG, and it’s only a matter of time before they storm this facility and take over. Once that happens, your chances of not rotting in a prison cell are slim. I’d like to propose a trade.”
The one guard scoffed, turning to look at his friend. He had a contemplative look, and I knew I had him.
“What’s your trade?” he asked. His friend rolled his eyes, but the one who’d been haunted held mine.
Smiling, I laid out the deal, hoping to ensure our safety and give Finley and The Order enough time to arrive.
Twenty
FINLEY
Anxiety coursed through me,making my palms sweaty and my heart race, but I was here and confident about my plan, so I wasn’t going to freak out now. Asa and Milo had helped me perfect it, and I trusted our judgment and plan to get our guys back. I believed in us… and me. It was a whole new feeling, and I wrapped it around me, helping to stop some of the trembling.
“You got this,” Asa said through the comms, somehow knowing I’d be fretting. Smiling, I centered myself as I stepped out of the car and began my walk up to the building. I was decked out in leather pants, knee-high stiletto boots, and a red leather jacket. I’d taken my look six years ago and ramped it up, aligning it with who I was today. I’d never felt more like the femme fatale than I did right at this moment. Using that energy, I strode forward.
