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In addition to leaving my hands and fingers mobile, Declan had also made the mistake of not removing my rings. While it was true that I wasn’t much of a girly girl, I had two rings that Cian had fabricated for me years ago, and I hadn’t ever taken them off since the day that he had placed them on my fingers. When he had presented me with the jewelry, I’d been excited because I’d been a young girl and they’d been fashioned so uniquely. However, because my safety and wellbeing had always been Cian’s priority, they weren’t just two pieces of eye-catching jewelry.
When Cian had given them to me, he had sat me down in the exact same position that I was in now. He had sat me down on a chair, then had tied my hands behind my back, and had even tied my legs to the wooden seat. I’d been completely subdued, and after he had instructed me to try to get loose, that’s when he had decided that the first one should go on my right thumb since I was right-handed, and the other on the pinky finger of the same hand. He had also presented me with three other pieces to disguise the two rings that were more than just rings. After adorning my fingers with all five pieces, he had made me promise to never take them off, and to this day, I hadn’t. While I did clean and inspect them regularly, they always went right back on my fingers immediately.
Now, the ring on my thumb had a tiny latch that slid the ring open when pressed. Once the cover was released, a small blade protruded from the inside of the ring, making it possible to cut through rope, plastic, tape, or whatever else might be tying my hands together. The only downside was that the blade wasn’t big enough to be used multiple times, so it had to be replaced after each use, something that Cian had shown me a million times as I had practiced this exact scenario during my childhood.
The second ring was too small to carry a blade of any sort, but what it did have was four small spikes that contained drops of acid, and the acid was also set free by a small latch that you pushed in. Luckily, this ring could be refilled, another thing that Cian had taught me how to do. There was also the fact that Cian had made several of these particular rings, because even though the grade of the stainless steel was high enough to resist corrosion, the acid would still eat away at it over time. Luckily, the ring was just a backup to my thumb ring, and my thumb ring was solid for as long as I needed it, even though I had two extras of that one, too.
So, to the naked eye, my jewelry gave off a punk rock/biker chick vibe, but the stainless-steel adornments on my hands were actually survival gear that I was thankful for now. No matter what else could be said about Cian O’Connell, no one could say that he hadn’t prepared me for everything.
Now, for the past however many minutes or hours, I’d been putting on a show of trying to get loose, knowing that Declan or one of his guards would be watching the cameras and even expecting it of me. However, in reality, I’d been using the time to cut through the ropes.
Nevertheless, despite all my secret weapons, the challenge was going to be getting out of here. I had no idea what awaited me upstairs, and without knowing the layout of the place, I could easily become lost or end up right in the arms of Declan freakin’ O’Brien, something that I couldn’t afford to think about. When he’d made the comment about wanting permission to touch me, the heat that had raced down my spine had been an unwelcomed feeling. I did not need to be attracted to Declan O’Brien, no matter how gorgeous he was.
When the guard/soldier/whatever unlocked the door to the cage, I warned, “You might not want to do that.”
He stopped in his tracks. “Do what?”
“Come in here,” I answered. “I’d hate to have to hurt you.”
His hazel eyes blinked before he let out a deep laugh. When he finally got himself under control, he said, “Well, aren’t you a funny one.”
“I’m serious,” I said, even though I knew that he wouldn’t believe me. “You should just leave and take the tray back.”
“I’ll take my chances,” he snorted as he entered the cage.
My eyes took in everything about him, and though he appeared to be dressed simply in jeans and a t-shirt, I knew that he had to have a gun on him. As big as he was, I’d guess it was in the back of his waistband, somewhere that he could reach for it easily. Now, that wasn’t to say that he didn’t have another one somewhere, but I felt certain about the one at his back.
“I can’t leave the tray with you, so I’d appreciate it if you didn’t waste my time by picking at your food,” he said, and it really was hard not to roll your eyes at arrogant men sometimes.
“I already told you that I’m not eating any of that,” I reminded him. “So, if you head on back now, then your time won’t be wasted.”
“The O’Brien said that you had to eat.”
“I really don’t give a fuck what The O’Brien said,” I replied. “His happiness isn’t exactly my priority at the moment.”
He shook his head as he said, “You’re just digging your own grave, lady.”
“Newsflash: it was already dug for me the second that Declan kidnapped me,” I retorted.
“What the fuck is your deal?” he asked, his irritation showing. “Just fucking eat.”
“Christ, how many times do I have to ask this question?” I huffed theatrically, trying to keep him from suspecting anything. “Would you eat anything that your enemy made for you?”
He shot me a look, validating my point, but he refused to give me my well-earned point for common sense. “We’re not talking about me.”
“I’m not eating or drinking anything that you give me,” I repeated.
“Then I guess I’ll just have to force it down your throat,” he threatened, and if he only knew how much I prayed for that.
Though he was big, surprise would be on my side, and all I needed to do was incapacitate him. While I had no problem killing him if I had to, I’d rather not. He was just here to serve me some food, but I also knew that he’d kill me if it was a choice between that or telling Declan that he let me get away.
Ideally, I should go for his balls, but through the jeans, the contact might not be as impactful as I might need. Since my legs were tied to the chair, I only had use of my hands, arms, shoulders, and head, and if I went for his balls, I’d have to make sure that my grip was tight enough to send him to his knees.
My other option was going for his throat and choking him, momentarily robbing him of his ability to breathe. That could buy me some time, but not enough to untie myself before he recovered. I was going to have to get him on the floor, then come down on him with the chair, preferably right on his nutsack. Yeah, it might rupture, but I couldn’t care about his future children at a time like this.
“I’m not eating,” I repeated.
“You must really think that I won’t put my hands on you because you’re a woman,” he said, and though he sounded gruff, a part of me wondered if he really would. His words didn’t quite match his eyes, and that disconnect had me wondering what rules Declan had put into place.
