Page 84 of While He Breathes

We approach the front door, our weapons trained on the space ahead of us as we move carefully over the worn decking.

Killian checks our six before nodding to his right, indicating he’s going to check out the windows down the side.

I keep my body on high alert, trying not to let hope creep into my mind.

Because hope is a dangerous thing, and one I can’t afford to buy into right now.

He returns after a minute, shaking his head. “There’s no one here.”

“Are you sure?”

“The dust patterns indicate no one has been here in at least a week, probably longer. It’s another dead end.”

I sigh and reach for the door handle, surprised when it turns without any resistance, and alarms start blaring in my head.

Why would you have a derelict house in a bad part of town that you’ve never stepped foot in?

To set a trap.

I meet Killian’s eyes, and a smile drags the corners of my lips up.

For the first time since we realized Ember was missing, I have a plan, and it might actually work.

CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

EMBER

Oh my god, I’m so bored.

Now that the drugs are out of my system, and I’ve slept more than a human has any right to, I’m stuck staring at blank walls and ignoring my rumbling stomach.

It seems I really scared Lucas off with my period chat, because he’s been gone for at least twelve hours, probably longer, if I’m honest.

I can’t keep track of time, and if I wasn’t so fucking bored, I’d probably have given up by now.

I really hope this isn’t how he plans to keep me forever, because I’ll die of boredom before he can play out this fantasy of his.

Groaning, I reposition my legs, shaking out the pins and needles that are almost constant at this point. I’m not sure if it’s possible to do permanent nerve damage from sitting on hard concrete for long periods of time, but I’m having trouble remembering the last time one of my legs wasn’t dead.

I eye the cot and sigh. It’s not much better, but it’ll start getting cold in here again soon, and I don’t know if I can handle another night of shivering my ass off.

The door swings open, startling me from my thoughts.

I didn’t even hear them coming, which makes me question if I’m also beginning to lose my mind.

Lucas and Cain stand in the doorway, and I swallow heavily.

As much as I would like to think I could, there’s no way I can fight them both off. One, yes. Both, no. Even with all the extra training I did when I was in Las Vegas, I know my abilities, and two huge, hulking men are far past them. Add in the fact that my body is fatigued, and I haven’t eaten or drunk anything in close to twenty-four hours, and there’s no way I’d be any match for them.

“Get up,” Lucas barks, and I quickly move to comply.

I almost topple over from the lack of feeling in my left leg, but catch myself on the wall.

“Pathetic,” Cain rumbles, amusement clear in his tone.

God, I hate this motherfucker.

He’s never been my favorite one of Lucas’s cronies, but he really just hit rock bottom in my books.