Paige shrugged. “I guess.”
Thank fuck!
The lights went on, signaling that it was five o’clock. “Oh!” Paige bit down on her lower lip and scrambled for her jeans. Flood moved onto his back and looked away to afford her some privacy even though she dressed under the blanket. He stayed like that until he heard her zipper go up.
“I’m desperate for a shower.” She sighed.
“You should go now,” Flood said. “It’s normally at least an hour until they bring breakfast.”
She shook her head. “I don’t trust their movements today. I don’t trust them period. Not with Alex away.”
“I need to go and take a leak,” Flood said.
“Oh,” Paige sat upright. “I’ll fetch the—”
“That’s okay. I think I might be able to walk.”
She smiled. It was genuine and lit up her face. Even her eyes brightened up. “Yeah?”
He nodded, first moving into a sitting position. Testing his newly mended hip. Fatigue was still a problem but his limbs didn’t feel quite as heavy. He pulled the blanket off himself.
Paige sucked in a breath and snapped her head in the other direction. He couldn’t help but smile. He’d been inside her and yet she was too embarrassed to look at him naked. This female was utterly adorable. All his protective instincts fired and all at once. He needed to get them out of there.
Flood grunted as he moved to his knees. Grunted some more as he lifted to his feet. Pain flared through his hip and down his thigh. He ignored it. Damn, but he felt ancient and creaky, but at least he was standing. His muscles both rejoiced and protested. Taking one shuffling step after another, he made his way to the toilet. Flood put a hand up on the wall to steady himself, using his other hand to do his business. It felt good not to have to use the bucket. Amazing to finally be on the mend.
A plan was starting to form in his head. He and Paige would need to discuss it. He glanced back, expecting to find her facing the other way, or with her eyes still closed. What he didn’t expect was to find her watching him. She instantly closed her eyes.
It was probably fascination. He was certain she had never seen a male as big as him before. He scared most females, but he was also of interest to them. He was sure that’s all it was.
Flood turned and shuffled back. He’d made enormous progress but there was still a way to go and the clock was ticking.
Chapter 15
It should have hurt.
It should have felt like too much.
And yet, here she was gritting her teeth, focusing on a spot on the far wall, trying her damnedest not to come. She should have known by now that it was inevitable. Why was she even fighting it?
They were both under the covers. Her stomach flat on the mattress. Her legs were open, and Flood was between them. A doggy style only they weren't on their knees. She pressed her lips together, trying hard not to moan. Not to breathe so heavily. It was weird because, in this position, she seemed to feel him more acutely.
“So tight,” he whispered.
His crude words caused the muscles in her belly to coil and her clit to throb. She reminded herself that anyone could happen upon them at any second. There must be something terribly wrong with her because the knowledge only heightened her need. She pressed her face into the mattress, trying to stifle the moan that fell from her lips.
Like before, he’d first got her all hot and panting using just his hand. Then, when she felt like she might explode, he’d climbed onto her. Pushed himself into her. It had stung at first, but that didn’t last long. She could feel how much stronger he was. His thrusts were all the more insistent. He pushed harder and deeper, with an intensity that made her eyes water and mouth fall open.
This was the…second…third…fourth…fifth…no, it was the sixth…Good god! It was the seventh time they were having sex in less than twenty-four hours. She should be in pain. Rubbed raw, but she wasn’t.
It was also the last time they would be intimate, which made her feel disappointed. Probably because it was so darned good. Like ridiculously good. Like shove her face into the mattress good.
His hands were splayed on either side of her head. His chest was plastered against her back. His balls slapping against her with every hard thrust. He changed the angle slightly.
Paige bit down on the mattress. As in, teeth and all. Her eyes felt impossibly wide.
Holy cow.
Holy Jesus…holy… Her body spasmed hard. Not just down there either. Her whole body. Flood gripped one of her hips, holding her down. It only made her come harder. He planted his face between her shoulders and grunted as he jerked into her. Hot and heavy. It made her come harder still. Tears of pleasure streamed down her face. Who had heard of crying during sex? Crying from sheer ecstasy wasn’t a thing, was it?
Apparently it was.
It so was!
“Fuck!” Flood growled as he slowed. “I hurt you.” He pulled out of her. Folding the blanket around her and pulling her against him in an embrace. It was the first time he had shown any real affection towards her. Aside from the odd squeeze of the hand, which had been more about reassurance than affection. One thing was for sure, despite his size and sheer muscle mass, he was a really sweet guy.
“I’m okay. I am.” She wiped her face.
“Bullshit! That was too much.” He pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, his eyes narrowed. A deep frown on his brow. “Is there anything I can do? A hot towel maybe? I think there are still some painkillers in the first aid kit.”
“I’m fine. Just give me a minute to catch my breath.”
He cocked his head, scrutinizing her. “You’re not fine. I was too rough.” He ran a hand over his head. “I heard you moaning and I carried on.”
Moans of pleasure, her face burned. “That’s okay.” Paige didn’t want to admit the real reason for her tears. That she loved it. That she would miss it. It would be too weird considering why they were having sex in the first place. “I’m fine now. All good!”
“You sure?”
“Very.”
Flood kept his eyes on her for a few moments longer before nodding. He didn’t quite believe her but thankfully he was willing to drop it.
“What about you?” She couldn’t help but smile because she knew the answer already. Could see it in his sure movements. In everything about him. Flood’s color had improved. He no longer had those dark smudges under his eyes. His chest wounds were nearly gone completely. The one on his hip looked at least two weeks old. It was amazing.
“I’m feeling really good. I’m ready.” His eyes darkened and his jaw tightened. “I look forward to tonight.”
“Me too.” She licked her lips. Even though she couldn’t wait for the plan to play out. She was still nervous that something might go wrong.
“It will be okay,” Flood said. “You’ll see. That prick won’t see it coming.”
She nodded once. “I’ll be happy once it’s over. Once we’re free. Too much can go wrong.”
They’d been over everything half a dozen times and had opted not to tell the other women. If someone overheard them talking it wouldn’t work. They were relying heavily on the element of surprise.
“There’s something I wanted to say to you,” Flood whispered.
Paige locked eyes with him. “Yes?” Her heart beat a little faster.
“I’d like it if we could be friends. I know I said it wasn’t possible but…in light of everything…”
Paige smiled. “I already consider us to be friends. I think we’ve pretty much been friends since the beginning, despite you insisting the contrary.”
Flood smiled back and again she was floored by how good-looking he was when he relaxed a little. His eyes brightened up. Those dimples came out of their hiding place. “I think you may be right.” He put out his hand and she took it. They shook once or twice before letting go.
Friends.
It was weird. From allies to lovers to friends. What was next? Stran
gers was the word that popped straight into her head. They still had a long way to go before she would find out. She hoped she was wrong. Paige liked Flood.
“We might be friends now, but I don’t know anything about you,” Flood whispered. “I just realized, we’re sharing this tiny cell, we’re officially friends and,” he shrugged, “I don’t know a thing.”
“There isn’t much to tell. I have a brother. We’re not really close. He’s married with four kids.”
“Four?” Flood’s eyes widened.
“Yes, he and his wife are extremely busy, considering all the kids are under six years old.”
He smiled, looking…sexy. Sexy. She felt a bit panicky. Since when did she find him attractive in that way?
Paige quickly went on, not wanting to think about it. “They live in the next state. I see them on holidays. My folks are both dead,” she blurted.
He frowned. “I’m sorry.”
“Mom died when we were still in school. Cancer.”
“A terrible illness.” His eyes were grave.
Paige nodded. “My dad passed a year ago.” Her eyes threatened to fill with tears. “It was very unexpected. Heart attack. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.” She rubbed her lips together trying to gain her composure.
“I can tell you were close.”
She nodded. “Yes, we were.” Shit! Her throat felt clogged. She needed to move on to something else. “What about you?”
“No siblings and my parents are gone as well. I have my work and my friends.”
She nodded, smiling at him.
“Forgive me but thirty-one is old for a human female not to be mated.” His eyes were narrowed in on her. So serious.
She held back a laugh. “Geez, way to make a girl feel bad about herself.”
He sucked in a breath, his eyes widening. “I didn’t mean it badly. You are a great female. A catch, as they say.”
She shook her head. “Okay then.” She pretended to still be skeptical.
“No, I mean it, I—”
“I’m teasing you.” She smiled. “I was mated…married once upon a time.”
His mouth fell open and his eyes widened.
“I was twenty when we tied the knot. Far too young. We also hardly knew one another. We eloped.”
Flood frowned. “What does ‘eloped’ mean?”
“We ran off and got married. None of my friends and family were there. My dad was actually okay with the whole thing.” She smiled thinking about him. “He was just as okay when we broke up a year later.”
“That is sad. Your father sounds like he was very supportive.”
“Yeah he was and the whole break-up was sad. Josh left me. He said he was too young to have settled down. He said we made a mistake, that he wished our marriage had never happened.”
“Sounds like a dick.”
She smiled. “He was young and not all that eloquent. You would think it wouldn’t have affected me much after such a short partnership but it did. I didn’t date for a couple of years after the divorce. What about—”
There was a noise down the passage. They looked at one another. Then Flood looked away. He was good like that. Another really sweet thing about him. He didn't assume that because they were having sex, he could ogle her.
Paige hustled to get her pants back on. They couldn’t let their guard down now. Not when they were so close. Flood lay back down, closing his eyes. It would be lights out soon. Her heart beat like mad. Not long and this would be over. One way or the other.
Chapter 16
Maybe he wasn’t coming. All this preparation and the asshole was not bloody coming. Hours of darkness had crept by. Slowly. So darned slowly.
Alex would be back the next day. Paige would have to tell her that she hadn’t convinced Flood to talk and they’d begin torturing him. Make no mistake, she knew Tim would come for her eventually. If he didn’t come tonight, he’d come tomorrow or the next day. In the meanwhile, Flood would suffer.
They’d have to try to find another way. Come up with another plan. Footsteps. Shit! Someone was coming. This was happening. Light from a flashlight. She jumped up, putting the end of the bandage between her toes and standing in front of poor, injured Flood. At least she prayed to god that Tim would buy that she was doing just that. “Go away.” She raised her fists. “I swear I’ll fight you. You can’t get away with this.” Her voice sounded panicked, which wasn’t difficult since it was how she was really feeling.
He swiped his keycard. His gun drawn and ready. The light prevented her from seeing his face. There was no gauging his expression. She heard his mirthless chuckle though. It pissed her off.
Paige pointed at him. “Stay away.” She stepped forward, pulling on the bandage just a little. Sure to keep herself between him and Flood. “Please don’t shoot him. Don’t hurt us. Please! The dragons do have money. Lots of it. Let us go and—”
“I don’t believe that for a second. They’re animals. Get out of my way or I’ll shoot you too!”
“No, please we…” She shook her head. Paige gasped when he lunged for her, pushing her to the side.
Bang, bang, bang!
The three shots almost sounded like they happened in slow motion. The noise was ear-splitting. Then everything sped up. The flashlight went flying. The light spun round and around, disorientating her. Someone fell and someone else staggered. The women down the hall screamed.
There was a soft clatter. It sounded very much like the gun against the tiles but at the same time, it sounded like it hadn’t fallen from a height. She leaped up, grabbing the flashlight, which she swept across the floor. Flood was crouched over Tim. He smashed a fist into the downed man’s face. There was a sickening crunch.
There was blood. On the floor, on Flood’s hands. On his chest. It looked like he had been shot. “You’re bleeding.” She heard the climbing panic in her voice.
“It’s all his,” Flood growled.
Paige moved the beam from the flashlight to the mattress. The first aid kit was an exploded mess, as was the pillow. They had used everything available to them, from the kit to the bucket, to try to mimic a sleeping, injured Flood. She’d tied one side of the bandage to the bucket so as to imitate movement under the covers.
They hoped that if she put herself between Tim and what he would think was Flood, that Tim wouldn’t notice it wasn’t the shifter until it was too late. Flood had stood to the side, in the cover of darkness and had snuck up on Tim once he started shooting at fake Flood.
They were lucky that Tim had been so sure of himself, he hadn’t seen it coming. He’d aimed and fired at the mattress and Flood had taken him out. She swept back towards where Tim was lying.
His face was a caved in mess. It made her stomach clench just looking at him. There was more blood on his stomach. It looked like one of the bullets had hit him. Tim got what he deserved. She didn’t feel sorry for him.
“He died too quickly,” Flood growled. He was tearing a piece off of the blanket. Paige was about to ask him why when she saw him tie it around his waist. Yep, escaping naked probably wasn’t the best plan.
Paige picked up the gun next to Tim’s lifeless hand, sure to hold it away from Flood. She also stayed clear of the trigger. Chances were good that it was still loaded and that the safety was off. It might come in handy, so she took it with her.
Then Flood snapped the lanyard that held the keycard, yanking it free from Tim’s body. “Let’s go,” he announced.
She nodded once, pointing the flashlight at the cell door. Flood swiped the card and the door opened. They stepped out into the hallway. The other women were talking in hushed tones. Obviously afraid. They were banking on the cameras not working. The other guards would expect a commotion based on their sick plan, so chances were good that they weren’t coming. Not yet anyway. She and Flood were relying on all of that. They quickly made their way to the cell holding the other three women.
“It’s us,” Paige said. “Flood and me.�
� She turned the flashlight backwards so the other women would be able to see them.
“Oh my god!” Sydney pushed out. “We thought something terrible happened to you.”
“Yes.” Kelly’s eyes were wide. “What happened?”
“We don’t have much time. We’re getting out of here.” Paige focused the flashlight on the cell door and Flood swiped the keycard. Nothing happened. He tried again and nothing. “It must need another card.”
“Please don’t leave us,” Hayley begged.
Kelly started crying. “They’ll kill us. I know they will.”
“We’re not going to leave you,” Flood spoke under his breath. He gripped the bars in his big hands and pulled. He pulled until his face turned red, until veins popped on his forehead. He groaned, a thin sheen of sweat appearing on his skin. He sucked in a deep breath and pulled again, this time gritting his teeth. They all watched, open-mouthed as the bars slowly bent until they were wide enough for the women to squeeze through.
“I can’t believe I just saw that.” Sydney smiled at Flood. “I’m Sydney.” She held her hand out to him.
“We don’t have time for that right now,” Paige snapped. “Let’s go!”
“Paige is right.” Flood nodded once.
“Can any of you shoot a gun?” Paige asked, holding the weapon up.
“Yes,” Kelly piped up. “My dad taught me how to shoot when I was just twelve. He treated me like one of the boys ‒ I have three brothers. We still go hunting once a year,” she added as she took the gun from Paige.
“I’ll take the lead,” Flood said. “You take up the flank,” he spoke to Kelly, who held the gun like she knew what she was doing.
Kelly nodded, determination shone in her eyes. They all headed for the stairs. Flood took them three at a time. It was clear that he didn’t need the light from the flashlight to be able to see. The rest of them stuck together.
Paige heard Flood swipe the card. Then came the shrill noise of an alarm blaring. Flood cursed. “Stand back,” he snarled at them before kicking the door. It took three hard kicks before the door exploded outwards with a crash.
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