Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 76381 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76381 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
The lightweight material had once been the best selling feature. I’d been sure it would keep me cool even in the hottest months. And, to be fair, it had accomplished that. As best any article of clothing could when you had no way to get away from the oppressive heat.
But it was so thin and lacking material that I was already trembling in cold and it wasn’t even the coldest part of fall yet, let alone winter.
I was still rubbing my arms when I thought I heard a shuffling sound outside of the shed.
My hands froze on my upper arms, my whole body tensing, unprepared for another ‘visit’ so soon. Especially when I’d gotten my hopes up that everyone had left.
But when I heard the noise again, it was coming from the side of the shed, not the front.
An animal, maybe?
It wouldn’t be the first time.
There was no shortage of wildlife around. Deer and raccoons, for sure. Even the distant sounds of coyotes and bobcats. Even, on occasion, I’d heard the grumbling sounds that had to belong to bears.
This was the woods, after all.
So there was no reason to assume it was anything else.
Until, of course, the window at the side of the building suddenly wrenched open.
And not a minute later, the upper body of a man started to slide inside. Then the rest of him too, landing clumsily and with a few little curses before he finally stood to his full height.
There was a moment of debilitating fear, thinking it was one of my abductor’s men finally breaking orders and coming to abuse me.
But the second the man straightened and his gaze landed on me, I knew that wasn’t the case.
Because as his dark eyes moved over me to land on the chain on my ankle, all I saw was horror on his handsome face.
It seemed wrong that I was able to actually notice his looks, given the situation. But there was no denying the man was gorgeous.
Tall and fit with tattoos sneaking up one arm, black hair that looked just shy of needing a trim, a classically handsome face with a strong jaw covered in a few days’ worth of stubble, gooey dark eyes, and a somewhat stern brow, the man looked like he’d stepped off of a billboard somewhere.
“The fuck?” he hissed, his voice a shocked whisper.
The sound, so unexpected, had me jerking back, my chain rattling, as a little gasp escaped me.
“Hey, it’s okay,” he said, his hands lifting, palms out. “I’m not going to hurt you,” he added, taking a step forward.
Not toward me, but to look out of the window, but I shifted away from him regardless.
“Christ. I’m gonna get you out of here,” he declared, looking back over at me.
And, suddenly, I had the most acute surge of embarrassment that I’d felt since my dignity had been stripped from me all those months ago.
I was suddenly acutely aware of the filth covering me, of the fact that I likely smelled, that my hair was in limp, greasy strands down my face, that I was so skinny I was barely more than skin stretched over bones. That my lips were so painfully chapped that they were cracked.
“Do you understand me?” he asked, concern etched on his handsome face. “I’m gonna get you out of here.”
To that, I nodded.
“Thank fuck. Okay. I’m… Riff,” he said, pressing his hand to his chest like he was reenacting that scene in Tarzan between him and Jane.
“Vi…” I started, having to stop because my voice sounded so raspy.
“Vi?” he repeated.
“Vienna,” I said after clearing my throat.
“Vienna. Okay. I need to come over there and look at that chain on your ankle. Is that okay?”
Permission?
He was asking for permission to come close to me?
A strange, high-pitched laugh escaped me at that, making his brows pinch.
“Yes… okay,” I said, nodding, trying to get myself together.
Because this was it.
The moment I’d been dreaming of and praying for over the past several months.
My chance at freedom.
Riff moved toward me, slowly, like he was approaching an injured animal. And, I guess, that’s exactly what I was.
He came closer and I found myself holding my breath as he lowered down onto the floor, reaching for the shackle and turning it so the lock faced him.
“I think I can get this off,” he said, reaching for something at his waist, and I watched as he pulled some sort of retractable keychain away from his belt loop.
On it was a set of keys, but also what looked like a pen flashlight, a multi-purpose tool, and something else. A small circular thing with something sticking off the edge of it. A tool of some sort?
No.
No.
That was a handcuff key.
“Might want to say a silent little prayer with me here, Vienna,” he said, holding the shackle, and bringing the key toward it. “This thing is supposed to be universal. But I dunno if it works for a fucking shackle.”