Cara~
I keep my eyes closed and try to get Damian’s smiling face out of my head. He shouldn’t have shaved. It was easier to ignore him when he looked like a grizzly bear. Now … shit, now there’s no beard hiding his face.
Those eyes.
That smile.
The look that digs its way into the darkest corner of your soul.
He’s dangerously good looking and it’s messing with my head.
And then he goes and buys me stuff … like he cares.
A tear sneaks out of the corner of my eye and I turn my body more into the door so Damian won’t see.
My emotions are all over the place. One second I’m so thankful that Damian wants to stick around, and the next I’m swallowed whole by this black hole in my soul. It must be my hormones that are totally fucked up.
My mind doesn’t stop racing from my parents to Annie, to the baby – to the death sentence hanging over my head – to being at Damian’s mercy.
I swear, if I knew what was waiting on the other side of death I’d finish it in a heartbeat. I’d just end it.
But there’s no ending this. I’ll somehow have to face it.
My whole mid-section is aching and the pain is spreading into my hips and thighs. I wish I could get some painkillers and a bed. I just want to sleep forever.
I wrap my arms around myself. I feel nauseous with pain but I bite it back.
The car starts to slow down and I quickly use the shirt to dry my cheeks. When the car comes to a standstill I peek out the window. I see a building that looks like storage units. I frown, not sure why we’re stopping here.
“Come,” he says, his eyes already searching our surroundings. I get out of the car and lean against the door as I wait for him to get the bag out of the back.
He walks to where I’m standing and then his hand slips over my cheek and he leans down. His eyes catch mine and it’s just like in the beginning. I can’t keep eye contact and quickly look down.
“How’s the pain?” he asks, once again reading me like a book.
It doesn’t help to lie so I grimace. “I could really use some painkillers and a bed.”
He slips his arm around my shoulders and draws me into his side. “I’ll get you some as soon as we’re done here.”
I stay stuck to his side as we walk down a narrow passage. The lighting is dim as we pass a few rows of storage units.
We finally stop by one and I watch as he unlocks it. The door rolls up and he flicks on the light. I’m not sure what I expected to see but it’s not a plain cabinet. He unlocks it and when he opens the door, my eyes widen.
There are two guns, some bullets, cash, and some other items. I’ve never seen so much money before. He opens the bag and then shoves the money in. He grabs what looks like a couple of I.D. cards, passports a set of keys, and he shoves them in between the money. One gun goes in the bag and the other behind his back. When he stands up and looks at me, all I can do is swallow.
Who is this man that he’s so prepared?
Who keeps so much money, guns and I.D.’s in a storage unit?
He shrugs the bag over his left shoulder and then takes hold of my arm. “Let’s go.”
Before we can leave, voices echo down the passage. Damian pushes me back and quickly rolls the door shut. He switches the light off and my heart all but stops.
I gasp and my heart sets off racing. I open my mouth but before I can say his name, I feel his arm come around my shoulder. I don’t know how he can see anything, but he steers me to the back of the unit.
My back brushes up against the cold steel and my whole body tightens with fear. I grab for Damian and then his arms fold around me. His body curves over mine and I feel his stubble scrape against my cheek. His breath is warm on my ear as he whispers, “I know the dark and confined space scares you, but try to stay calm. We just need to wait them out.”
I nod quickly but wave after wave of fear is crashing over me. My mid-section is aching terribly. I bite at my bottom lip and then let my arms slip around Damian’s waist. I hold on to him and bury my face under his chin. His scent and presence envelops me and it soothes me some.
I hear the drone of voices as they pass by the unit we’re in. The pain becomes waves of nausea and dizziness, and all I can do is hold on to Damian.
He presses a kiss to my cheek and then another to my neck. “You’re doing good,” he whispers.
“I’m going to puke,” I whisper back. The pain and fear is becoming too much.
I listen as they roll the door open of the unit next to ours, and then a loud curse makes me flinch.
Footsteps race by our unit and then the sounds fade fast.
“Just a little longer,” Damian whispers. “They need to think we’re gone.
My legs go numb from the pain and my body sags into Damian. “I need to sit,” I whisper, feeling very weak.