Saranya
Somehow, with my tears, words, and fake body language, I’d lured Jordan into removing my handcuffs.
As I sat there, rubbing them, I covertly scrutinized him.
I was trying to determine whether he had a weapon on him.
If he did, could I take it and use the damn thing against him?
Jordan had no noticeable bulges that would indicate he carried a gun under his shirt.
As for a knife, those would be harder to spot.
Unable to decide, I brought his mind to the next thing I wanted to attempt to use to my advantage.
“Jordan, it’s late. I haven’t eaten since lunch. Have you?”
“No, I haven’t eaten. I wasn’t thinking. You’re hungry?” he asked.
“I am. My stomach feels like it’s about to eat itself.” As if to sell it, my belly growled loudly.
He grinned. “So I hear. Okay, I can fix us something to eat. I made a stew last night and brought it here. I’ll go warm it up and bring you back a bowl. How does that sound?” He rose.
“Sounds delicious, but wouldn’t it be easier if I came with you instead of you carrying things to me?”
Jordan was mulling over what I said when there was a sound from downstairs. It was faint and hard to place. It snapped Jordan to attention.
“Stay here. Don’t make a sound. I’ll be back. Hide under the bed,” he hissed.
Pretending to comply, I slid to the floor and acted like I was going under the bed. However, the second he was out the door, I was on my feet. Rushing to the door, I tried the handle and cursed. He hadn’t forgotten to lock it, the way I’d wanted.
As I strained to see if I heard anything, I paced.
That’s when my gaze landed on two things.
The glass he’d brought my water in. Hoisting it in my hand, I noted how heavy it was.
Bring that crashing down on his head should knock his fucking ass out.
The other item was the cuffs, which were open on the foot of the bed—those I’d use to secure his arms once I knocked him out.
Palming them both, I tucked the handcuffs into the pocket of my jeans. Gripping the glass in my right hand, I snuck to the door and waited behind it. When he entered, I’d bash his head in. Less than a minute later, I got my wish.
There was the rattle of the lock, and then the door was swinging open. As it did, Jordan whispered, “Sari, it’s me. We have to get out of here.”
As his head cleared the edge of the door, I used both hands to bring the glass down on his head, right behind his ear.
He staggered, requiring me to hit him harder.
In slow motion, he hit the ground on his knees and then rolled onto his side.
He was dazed but not unconscious. Hurrying to his head, I kicked him in the side of it. That clobbered him into oblivion.
More sounds rose from the first floor. Not knowing if it was friend or foe, and not willing to take the chance it wasn’t a cavalry, I grabbed him under the arms and tugged on him.
He inched further into my space. Watching out the door, I yanked on his arm as hard as I could.
His body moved like a snail. I almost had his feet clear of the doorway so that I could shut the door when a figure topped the stairs.
I blinked, unable to believe my eyes, but they showed me the exact resemblance.
It was Cowboy. Our gazes met. Disbelief was apparent, and then I dropped Jordan’s head like it was on fire. Simultaneously, we ran to each other. I flung myself into his open arms. Cowboy squeezed me tightly. His lips sealed themselves to mine.
Desperation was apparent in both our mouths as we kissed.
His tongue entered my mouth, tangling with mine.
Vaguely, I registered that others were walking past us.
When Cowboy didn’t react to them, I didn’t either.
Cowboy had me lifted off my feet with his arms cradling me.
Eventually, a throat being cleared, followed by chuckles, made me tear myself away from my man’s mouth. He grunted in disapproval.
Peeking around us, I found several Horsemen standing there. I noted, along with the smirks, expressions of relief. I smiled back.
“Hi, guys! What took you so long? You left all the work for me,” I wisecracked.
“So damn right, and I have a bone to pick with you about that, Sari. Couldn’t you leave a little more of the actual rescue for us?” Butcher groused.
“I didn’t want to tire you out or make you mess up your manicure, Butcher,” I razzed.
“Well, since I didn’t get to demonstrate my spectacular rescue, you owe me, woman. Hug me,” he demanded.
I thought Cowboy would object, but he surprised me when he let me go. Butcher embraced me first, then I was passed from Horseman to Horseman until I was returned to my old man’s arms.
“Mind telling me what the sit rep is?” Cowboy asked.
“Other than her and an unconscious Neely, the place is clear. Man, you sure bashed the fuck out of him. What did you use?” Crash asked.
“I hit him twice with the glass he gave me a drink in, then when that didn’t fully do the job, I kicked him with these babies. They’re steel-toed,” I held up my foot.
My admission made the men snicker, except Cowboy.
“Guys, I need to speak to Anya. Excuse us.”
He carried me into a nearby room. It was another bedroom. And by the looks of it, Jordan or someone had been sleeping in it. Kicking the door shut behind us, he went to a nearby chair and sat with me on his lap. Cupping my face, he stared deeply into my eyes.
“Babe, I need you to be honest with me. No matter how much it may upset me. I have to know the truth.”
“Okay, ask away.”
“Did he touch you or do anything to you?”
Anguish was apparent in his tone and on his face. I slid my hands up to cup his neck.
“Zander, I swear on the life of my family that other than scaring me and knocking me out to kidnap me, he never laid a finger on me. I was able to keep him believing I was okay with him taking me. I’m sorry, I told a bunch of lies about you and the club to make it convincing, honey. I had to do it.”
His breath rushed out, and his body sagged as he placed his forehead on mine. “Thank God. The thought of him harming you in some way made me mental, Wildling. And I don’t give a fuck how many lies you told if it kept you safe.”
This time, I was the one to initiate our kiss. It lasted longer than the last one. By the time we eased apart, due to a heavy knock at the door, we were both breathing raggedly and aroused.
“What?” he yelled.
“Brother, hate to break up the snog-fest, but we’ve got to get the hell out of here before someone comes.
We don’t know for sure that he’s the only one using this house.
Wolverine went to get the SUV. We’ll transport back in that.
Butcher and the others are wiping down stuff.
Make sure to do the same in there. Sari, where did you touch in the other bedroom? ” Diablo asked.
“All the drawers, baseboards, just about any surface to see if I could find a weapon or way to unlock my cuffs,” I called back.
“Shit, okay, we might be here a tad longer. Anywhere else he had you?”
“The vehicle he brought me here in.”
“Already on that. We’ll be moving out in twenty. Be ready.”
And that was how I was taught to wipe down a space to remove fingerprints. When we entered the other bedroom, Jordan was trussed up at his wrists and ankles with a piece of duct tape over his mouth. The sheets from the bed were piled next to him. Seeing my puzzlement, Cowboy explained.
“Since you were in the bed, we’ll take those and burn them to remove your DNA.”
“Wow, you guys have this down pat,” I said in awe.
“Unfortunately, we’ve had a lot of practice over the years,” Butcher admitted. His remark made me curious, but I’d ask Cowboy about it later.
When it was time to leave, I walked out with Cowboy. He insisted I ride in the SUV with Wolverine and Jordan. He apologized, but he wasn’t sure I was up for the long ride home on his bike. I thought I was, but remained silent.
I was uneasy as they bled into the trees like ghosts, leaving me with Wolverine and Jordan.
However, when Wolverine drove us and stopped down the road, and I saw them leave the trees to get on their bikes, I relaxed.
We set out for the journey home. I wondered what they had in store for Jordan.
Nothing good, based on what they did to Michelle for only sneaking in, but also trying to claw me.