“Help me.” Gavin went to the cot to stand beside it.
Neither of them moved.
“Help me move the cot.”
That got them moving.
Gavin lifted one end of the cot as the man lifted the other, not caring that Slate and his men would now see what he’d done. He exposed the tunnel he had been digging.
“I’ve been trying to dig as far away from the house as I can get. It’s not very far, so if they see us from the bedroom window upstairs, it’ll come to a foot race. I’ll break through the ground on the other side, make sure it’s clear, and then let you two go first. If we’re spotted, take off running into the woods across the road. Split up. That way, one of you have a better chance of making it out to get help.”
Gavin barely had enough strength to lower his body to the ground. Bending over, he was about to lower his head and shoulders into the hole when they heard, “Slate, you might want to get down here!”
Gavin closed his eyes tightly when he realized one of his “new captors” had called out for Slate. He didn’t even bother to turn when he heard the footsteps. He didn’t know how many or who had come to watch his humiliation.
“I have to give you credit, Reaper. I knew you were up to something, but I just couldn’t figure out what it was. Had to ask a few of my fans for some help. Had to promise them a show of their own. Butcher isn’t really happy about that part of it, but he’ll get over it.”
He was lifted up from under his arms to face them.
“Can we get out of here?” The woman scrunched her nose up in disgust. “It reeks down here.”
Slate mockingly waved his hands toward the steps. “Ladies first.”
Bitter, amber eyes watched her leave before he turned to the man who had been willing to dupe him. “I hope whatever Slate promised you will be worth it.”
Desire-filled eyes met his. “I think it’s going to be very worth it.”
Emotionlessly, Gavin watched him leave before turning his attention to the men left with him. Holding his arm toward Butcher, he waited for the sting of the needle that would cloud his mind.
Butcher looked at Slate with a questioning brow.
“Give it to him. He’ll be working hard for it tonight. Ink, you and Chain fill that hole in. I think you should do a couple of weeks without a bed. You’re going to have to build my trust again. From now on, we’ll move it to another position. Ready?” Slate asked Butcher once he released the tourniquet.
“Give him a couple of minutes, and he’ll be good to go.”
“You know, Reaper, you might have succeeded with that one. I thought almost talking Butcher into helping during your last escape attempt was brilliant, but I think I can appreciate the ingenuity you showed with this one.”
“You’ve done me one favor, Slate. When I die, I don’t want to go to Heaven anymore. I want to spend eternity in Hell with you.” Heaven was just a fictitious place that everyone believed in to make people feel better about dying. The only solace he had was the certainty that Slate would kill him when he was ready, and if there was just a smidgen of truth that Heaven and Hell did exist, then he preferred Hell.
God had turned His back on him. By the time justice found Slate and sent him to Hell, this Reaper would be waiting for him with open arms.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“Taylor, do you still love me?” Gavin was shaking so badly he wasn’t aware the bed he was lying on was shaking more. “I still love you.” He held out his hand to the woman floating beside him.
Rubbing his eyes to bring her into focus, his teeth snapped together as another round of chills seized him.
“I’ll love you forever. We’ll have the biggest wedding Ohio has ever seen.”
The only spark of sanity he had left was when he talked to Taylor.
“Don’t leave me alone again. I don’t like it when you stay away so long. Have you talked to Viper? Told him where I am? He doesn’t care, does he? Memphis said he didn’t. Tell him, if he helps me, I’ll stay out of his hair. That I’ll do anything he wants me to do.”
“Who’s he talking to?”
Gavin rubbed his eyes. The female voice talking didn’t sound like Taylor.
“Who cares?”
He didn’t have trouble recognizing Slate’s voice. He heard it every time he shut his eyes.
The bright light in the bedroom was burning a hole through his eyeballs. Placing an arm over his eyes, he used his free hand to keep himself steady when he felt the bed sink under someone’s weight.
“Are you sure you can make him do this?”