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Freddie doesn’t wait to hear the end of my sentence, which was shaping up to be a witty joke about Seb’s flaccid cock, and sprints out. Seb follows while I double-check that Bram has everything he needs before going after them. Maybe Bram’s the lucky one…
CHAPTER 17
IVY
Great. While Freddie’s off being overruled by testosterone-fuelled caveman urges, I’m tied up like a puppy on a lead outside a supermarket.
I move my ankle that’s attached to the radiator, hoping to make a noise to remind him I still exist when…Holy fuck!The pipe moves, and something comes loose. I drop to all fours, using my entire body strength to wrench my leg and yank the pipe as hard as I can. The metal digs into my skin, but I keep going.
Despite my efforts and years of training, I’m not stupid enough to think that I stand a real chance of escaping. Even in the unlikely scenario that I can overpower three guys, they won’t be holding me somewhere that would be easy to free myself from. I have no idea how long I’ve been here, and we could be in another country for all I know.
Freddie’s flippant attitude and the disgust on his face ignited my rebellious streak. I might come to regret my decision, but I have to try. Not trying would be like surrendering; I don’t back down easily. I needed to teach them a lesson for locking me up.
I keep pulling, feeling the resistance lessen as I do. All I have to do is keep going. There’s a tinny ping, and then…Bingo!
The pipe comes away with a crack, detaching from the radiator. Water gushes everywhere, soaking the floor, but I slide the cuff off the pipe to free myself. With one foot, I can run with the chain trailing behind me, but I won’t have long until Freddie returns.
My adrenaline surges as I cautiously push open the bathroom and peer around its edge. There’s no sign of anyone, so I slip away and hurry down the medieval-themed corridor, trying to ignore the sound of the metal chain dragging behind me like cans strapped to a noisy wedding car.
Raised voices come from behind me. I won’t be able to put a lot of distance between us moving at my speed, but if I hide, I’ll buy myself more time. I can hide in plain sight.
A door slams. I act fast, darting behind a giant horse-shaped statue and crouching like a hunting tiger. I watch Freddie rush into the bathroom, with Callen and Seb in pursuit. They won’t be happy to learn I’m not there.
“She’s gone!” Freddie yells in fury.
I smirk. Okay, hearing his reaction is totally worth whatever consequences I’ll have to face.
“I told you the pipes aren’t great,” Callen replies.
“Ivy!” Freddie’s shouts echo around the walls. “Ivy!”
“I’ve always liked a game of hide and seek,” Callen says. “She won’t be able to get far. Torean’s security is stationed outside, and they’ve been ordered to shoot on sight.”
Freddie spits orders at the others, splitting them up. They race past my hiding spot while I hold my breath. They fan out in different directions to cover more ground. While the others are looking for me, I decide to use my newfound freedom to pay someone a visit.
I press my back against the wall. All the crashing and smashing they’re doing on the floor above easily masks thesound of my running as I head into the room where they fled from.
I open the door, mentally preparing myself for what I might see and find Bram sleeping in bed. Surprisingly, he looks… good. Well, as good as someone can look after what he’s been through. He’s shirtless; his muscular arms rest on top of the pale blue duvet, his shoulder is bandaged, and a drip feeds into his arm.
This is the man who jumped in front of a bullet for me. The same man I tortured. I push away the pang of guilt at the sight of the brand in the centre of his chest. None of my targets ever lived past a torture session with me before, but Bram was strong, or maybe fate stepped in because it knew he was never really my enemy.
I shuffle to the chair next to him and take a seat. While the others run around the castle like they’re playing Supermarket Sweep, I take Bram’s hand and gently stroke his calloused palm. Our time in the Killers Club dungeon feels like a dream now.
“Thank you,” I whisper. “I’m glad you’re alive.”
Thankfully, he doesn’t stir at my mumblings, but I feel a little lighter to have said it. I'd be dead if he hadn’t stepped in, just like Jonathon. Although I thought Jonathon was a friend, I can’t bring myself to feel bad about what happened. If he really cared about me, he’d have let us go. He had to make a choice, and he chose to blindly follow the Killers Club.
Meeting Bram changed my life. He flipped my loyalty to the Killers Club on its head, leaving me questioning everything. He anchored me to reality; whatever came next, I wanted to be here for him now. I owed him that much.
“She’s in here!” Seb’s yell shatters my peace, almost rupturing my eardrums. “Get away from him!”
He runs in. He’s wearing clean clothes, a simple white tee and jeans. He clutches his stomach, panting as he conducts a visual check to see if Bram’s chest is still moving.
“What did you expect me to do?” I arch one eyebrow. “Kill him?”
“I-I-I—” he stammers, then shakes his head, still catching his breath.
The others must be out of shouting range as he sends them a text to let them know I’ve been found.
