I turned to look at her, and the second her blue eyes locked on mine, I knew I’d made a mistake. She looked so fucking beautiful with her long red hair flowing down around her delicate shoulders, and just like that, she had me thinking things I had no business thinking. Fuck. I needed to get the hell out of there. “I don’t have time for this shit, Delilah.”
I stepped out into the hall, quickly closing the door behind me and locking it. Just before I turned to leave, I heard her bang on the door and shout, “Hawk. Hawk! You can’t leave me in here like this!”
My chest tightened at the sound of her cries, but after meeting with the brothers, I knew she was safer in that room than she was anywhere else.
Delilah
The haze of adrenaline and anger had officially worn off, and I was starting to freak out. My mind was reeling with unimaginable thoughts, and with every second that passed, I felt more and more like the walls were closing in on me, smothering my every breath. I was hoping for some small reprieve when Hawk came into the room with some coffee and breakfast, but instead, he only made matters worse. He barely spoke, and when he did, it was clear that he was on edge. I had no idea what had caused his change in demeanor, but it was impossible not to take it as a bad sign. I tried to settle my nerves by watching some TV as I drank my coffee. Unfortunately, I couldn’t stay focused long enough to comprehend what was going on. My mind kept wandering to Danny and then to my mother and then to work. I had no doubt that Janet was going to be furious with me for not touching base and letting her know I wouldn’t be coming in. I liked my job and the people I worked with, and I hated the thought of losing everything I’d worked for because of something Danny had done. I’d like to say that things had gotten better over the next few hours, but they didn’t. With every hour that dragged by, I found myself glancing over to the door, hoping by some chance that Hawk would return and allow me to call into work.
When I finally heard the click of the lock, I got up, anxiously waiting for him to enter the room, but he didn’t. Instead of Hawk, a different guy—a much scarier, more intimidating man—stepped into the room. He had long dark hair and tattoos all over his arms up to his neck. His eyes were dark and cold as he charged into the room with a handful of drinks and a sack of food. I shifted to the corner of the room as I quietly asked, “Who are you?”
He placed the drinks and a bag of food on the desk. “Widow.”
“I thought Hawk was supposed to be watching over me.”
“He sent me.”
“Oh, did he mention anything about me getting in touch with my work?”
“Nope.”
“So, he didn’t say anything?”
“Nope.”
Without another word, he stalked out of the room, closed the door, and locked it behind him. Damn. I wanted to bang on the door, scream and shout for them to let me out, but something told me it was best for me to just keep my mouth shut. Feeling utterly defeated, I walked over to the desk, grabbed a bottle of water and a sandwich, then sat down on the edge of the bed. I started to take a bite of food, but with the panic that was building inside the pit of my stomach, I simply couldn’t eat. Looking for something to unlock the door, I decided to check the desk again, and found a small hairpin in the side drawer. I held it in my hand and wondered if it would be possible for me to pick the door’s lock. I’d never actually done it, but I figured it couldn’t hurt to at least try. Even though I was eager to get started, I decided it was best to wait until dark. I quickly slipped the pin back into the drawer, and for the first time since I’d been taken captive, I felt hopeful that I might actually get out of here alive.
I went over to the bed, and as I lay down, I started trying to devise a plan. I thought back to the night before when I was brought to the warehouse and tried to remember every detail of what I’d seen: the long, dark hall; the bar with the jukebox and pool tables; the parking lot with the guards posted by the tall fence and gate. Damn. It seemed as if these men were prepared for anything. Even if I managed to pick the stupid lock, my escape wouldn’t come easy. Every move I made would have to be well-thought-out, but I wasn’t going to let it deter me from trying.