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The problem was, I was not particularly stretchy. I really should have done more yoga. Atticus had said that along with the training for self-defense, they'd also work on my flexibility, saying that I would find it a whole lot of fun when he showed me how well he could use it in the bedroom.
Not that I didn't believe him, but the man was incorrigible.
The forward momentum helped me get my head down further, and I tugged, pushing my heels against the pole and my frozen toes on the ground.
I tugged, and tugged, but all I could feel was a little bitty slip.
Think of Atticus, damn it. You are going home to see your husband. You are not going to sit here in the dark waiting for some psychopath to come and kill you.
Just thinking about Atticus's face and how much he would blame himself, thinking about how much he would hurt, made me tug harder. Thinking of my sister. Atticus would protect her. I knew he would. Atticus, and Micah, and Lance. They would all protect Morgan. The boys too. Pierce, and Gavin, and Sven, the lot of them. But she was my baby sister. No one could protect her better than me. Atticus would break. And I didn't want him breaking on my behalf. So, I needed to get the fuck out of these restraints.
With another grunt, I pulled forth with all the energy I could muster. And then suddenly, my full weight propelled me forward. I had barely a second to brace my hand in front of me before I landed forward on the concrete and hit my head.
But thank Christ, I was free.
I grabbed my wrist with the zip tie still attached and held it to my chest, massaging my shoulder. I was much better, but fucking hell did that hurt. My shoulders screamed, and physical therapy was going to be unpleasant this week.
I yanked the bag off my head and removed the duct tape from my mouth, but still had no light to see by. I bent down and felt around on the floor, finally locating and grabbing my boots. But instead of putting them on, I decided maybe it was better if I use them as weapons. I felt around for the door. When I turned the knob and ran out, the light blinded me, and I ran straight into a wall… of muscle.
29
Atticus
Heaven.
That was hiding behind door number two hundred and four. At least that's what it felt like. I had opened every damn door in this building myself, personally.
While Pierce, Rowan, Gavin, and Lance had continued to prowl over security cameras, talk to witnesses, and pull footage from across the street to make sure that Gwen hadn't, in fact, left the building in some way, I had opened every damn door, starting from the top floor down. And just like that, I opened the door to the utility room on the fourteenth floor, and out she spilled, right into my arms as if she had never left me.
My arms wrapped around her body, and I held her close as she shook. "I've got you, Gwen."
When the loud, racking sobs escaped her body, I only cuddled her tighter. "It's me, baby. I have you. Ness, you're safe now. I'm not letting you go."
She tried to pull back, but I couldn't let her go. All I could do was pull her tighter, eventually scooping her up and bracing my back against the wall as I held her and slid down, cuddling her to my body.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I should never have let you walk out of my office alone."
She didn't say anything. All she did was cry. Then the walkie-talkie went off, and Lance's strained voice said, "We have more footage, but none of it shows Gwen leaving the building."
I snapped out of it and realized everyone needed me to be tough. I picked it up and then pressed the button. "I have her. Repeat, I have her. Fourteenth floor, near the utility closet. Send the EMTs up."
She shook her head. "I don't need EMTs."
"I don't give a fuck what you think you need right now. This is what I need. I need you looked over from head to toe."
Lance's voice rang clear. "Over."
I dropped the walkie to cradle her face in my hands. "Baby, are you okay?"
Tears were streaming down her face, leaving tear tracks in the dirty smudges. "I-I… Physically, I think I'm fine. A little dizzy. They put a black bag over my head. And then—” She choked back a sob as a shudder racked her body.
I shook my head. "You don't have to talk about it. I have you. I was coming for you."
"And I was coming for you. I knew that you weren't going to survive if I stayed put and let them kill me. I was so scared, Atticus."
"I know. I was scared too. I'm so sorry, baby. I shouldn't have let you walk out of my office alone. Fuck."
She shook her head. "No, I-I think someone was waiting for me."
