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He took a deep breath and opened the door. She straightened and smoothed the soft material over her thighs, then nodded at him once. Around her, he felt more alive than…hell, he didn’t know.
Since before the war.
Before he’d witnessed half of his buddies get blown to puzzle pieces, and survived to relive every single fucking detail at night when he slept. The light from the hallway illuminated her profile, and he focused on her again. Her swollen lips and flushed cheeks reminded him how amazing she felt, and her tousled hair teased him. He’d done that to her. Given her that I got fucked look.
And everyone would know it.
Swallowing hard, he latched gazes with her. She watched him with such trust, such openness, that it killed him. He had to do whatever it took to keep her safe, and he had a feeling he had the perfect plan. The problem was, it would make her hate him. She’d never forgive him, but she’d be out of jail.
That was all that mattered…or so he kept telling himself.
He cupped the nape of her neck and urged her close. “I’m sorry I had to blackmail you into helping me. And I’m even more sorry I might have to send you to jail. I wish—”
“I know,” she said, her flushed cheeks going pale. “I know.”
Unable to put the rest of his thoughts into words, he stepped out into the hallway, and they headed for the door. It was time for him to save her…
And pay the consequences.
Chapter Ten
Tara took a deep breath and pushed some random numbers on the safe lock. She tried her best to make her incompetence convincing, but she knew she was a complete and utter fail in that department. And judging from Jake’s narrow stare…he agreed with her own rating of her mediocre acting skills.
She’d been pretending to be an idiot for an hour and a half, emitting moans and a few curses here and there, but she was running out of ways to act stupid. She didn’t do stupid.
The glow of his phone illuminated his perfect face, since the dim overhead light didn’t do much in that area. They were in Soltese’s safe, which was easily the size of Jake’s guest room, and dark gray walls surrounded them. It smelled like money and potpourri.
She sighed loudly. He was probably playing Candy Crush or something equally innocuous while she killed herself over here trying to look stumped. When he didn’t look up from his phone, she sighed even louder. Slowly, he glanced up. “Is there a problem?”
“Yeah. I want out of here. Take me to jail now. I surrender.”
His mouth tightened. “It’s been almost two hours. You’re telling me you can’t remember how you cracked the code?”
She stood and swiped her palms on her skirt. “Can we go home now?”
“No.”
“Maybe we can try tomorrow?” she asked hopefully. “Fresh minds and all that?”
“We need a solution by today, or tomorrow morning you’ll go to jail.” He strode to the door. “I know you don’t have signal, but I do. Maybe you need a little more persuasion.”
She tensed, watching him cautiously. “What are you doing?”
“Persuading you.” He tossed his iPhone through the door of the safe. “And hoping like hell that you can get us out of here.”
She stumbled after him. “No, you can’t do—” He closed their only exit with a bam. She clamped her mouth shut and scowled at him. “Seriously?”
“Seriously.” He leaned against the wall as if he didn’t have a care in the world. As if he hadn’t locked them in together, with no hope of escape. “Now get us out.”
He thought he could force her to reveal her secrets? Screw him. “I can’t. I told you that. Trying to force it out of me won’t do you any good.”
“I don’t believe you.” He crossed his arms. “You did it once, you can do it again.”
She shook her head and hooked up to the system. After randomly pushing buttons, it beeped at her and turned red. She glowered over her shoulder. “See? I don’t know what I did.”
He came up behind her. “Think harder.”
“I am.” She curled her fingers on her phone even tighter. “I’m trying.”