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Hmm. Interesting. Why amInot shaking? I wonder if all my recent drama, including the near-death experience, has wiped out my emotional receptors.
Another theory is that this scrawny little twerp is less than threatening. I can take him.
Oh, who am I kidding? He’s still stronger than I am, and worse, he’s high as a kite with a gun in his hand, making him highly unpredictable and very dangerous.
His phone rings, but he keeps the gun trained in our direction. “Yeah?”
My phone.It’s in my pocket!
Personally, I don’t think the guy is nearly as vigilant as he should be, but he is paying just enough attention to make digging my phone out of the hoodie’s pocket infeasible. He doesn’t so much as blink, however, when I slip my hand into it.
The guy begins to pace. “How much longer, man?” He runs his fingers through hair that needs a bath. “How much longer?”
I’m thinking his hostage-taking technique would never work with anyone but a couple of docile women. Although the gun stays pointed in our general direction, his eyes leave us every so often, especially when he does an about face after each nervous pass across the living room. I try to think through the steps of placing a call, to do it by feel, but it’s hard to judge the spatial placement of the soft keys without looking. I take advantage of one of his turns to sneak a peek. Marco’s name leaps out amongst the list of my most recent calls. I tap his name as our captor disconnects his call and returns his full attention to us.
My moment of elation collapses. Marco is in jail, no phones allowed. I should have dialed Tripp or, crazy idea, 9-1-1. Wow, I stink in a crisis.
Mr. Bedhead waves the big shiny gun as he speaks. “Shouldn’t be much longer. Dell will be here soon.” He rakes the hair again.
“Who’s Dell?” I ask. Sadly, whoever is on the way is sure to be more formidable than this loser.
“Dell’s coming. He’s coming. Dell’s the boss.”
I’m a little concerned about this guy’s stability, given the way he repeats almost everything.
Inconveniently, a double-barreled sneeze consumes me. My single tissue is barely sufficient, but I make do. “So, this Dell person, what’s he going to do when he gets here?”
His face twitches. Spasms. “He’ll tell you. H-He’ll tell you.”
Interesting. My captor looks more afraid than I am.Gulp.
He backs onto a stool beneath the breakfast bar. The position is less threatening, but he’s locked onto us now. Since I’ve wasted my one call, I figure it’s up to Avery and me to rescue ourselves, but this is rather outside my wheelhouse. I close my eyes and whisper a silent prayer.
This time I suppress my gasp. My purse is a couple feet away, at the end of the sofa. And what is in my purse? The gun I spent hours learning to shoot, thanks to the insistence of my annoying brother.
But it’s not like this loser is going to let me dig it out. What I need is a distraction.
Two thoughts: One, the dude isn’t too bright. Two, he keeps looking at me. Like,lookinglooking. Not Avery, me. Avery’s gorgeous, but I’m closer to this yahoo’s age.
I make my move, tugging the hoodie up and over my head. I feel the expected static electricity in my hair, and then it tumbles out in waves. Better yet, the cami underneath rides up my ribcage. I exaggerate a sigh. “It’s sohotin here.”Not.
Using pure willpower, I stifle another gusher of a sneeze. Why on earth do I have to be sick at a time like this?
I take a flow of hair and fan it along my neck, releasing slowly.Yes.I have his undivided attention. Then and only then do I pull the cami back into place.
His eyes follow.
Am I playing with fire? Ha. Maybe that’s the only way I know.
Or maybe…poison.
I feel Avery’s eyes on me. Later—let’s pray there is a later—I’ll be embarrassed, but for now, I’m using the tools I have in my kit.
“Do you mind turning on the fan? I’m sooo hot,” emphasis onhot. I don’t know whether to laugh or barf at my lame attempt at innuendo.
He drags his eyes up from, yes, the low neckline of the cami I typically only wearunderclothes. “W-what’d you say?”
“The fan.” I point to the wall behind and a few feet from him. “It’s right next to you.”
