“Get out. Bring back help!”
She wasn’t going into the darkness without him. She pressed her hands to the rocks near the hole and found that some were loose. If she shoved hard enough, the hole might open more.
Or it just might send all of the rocks tumbling down, completely sealing Kyle inside the other chamber.
Burying him.
“Come in backward,” she ordered him.
“What?”
“Put your legs through first.” His shoulders were the widest part of his body. “Put them through, and come in as far as you can.” I’ll pull you through the rest of the way.
“Cadence…”
“Do it! Dammit, just do it!”
He tossed his flashlight to her. Then he was pushing his legs through. Sliding through, inch by inch. It was tight, so very tight, near his hips, but he slid through, bringing more of his body into the space with her. More, more…
His shoulders were wedged in the opening.
It sounded like hell was falling in the other chamber.
She licked her lips and spoke quickly. “On three, I’m going to pull you. When I do, you shove back as hard as you can with me. Got it?” She was very much afraid the opening would fall when those loose rocks gave way. They would only have an instant of time to make this work.
“Got you, baby.”
She could barely hear him over the rumble in the outer room.
She prayed he could hear her as she said, “One. Two. Three!”
Cadence grabbed him and yanked back with every bit of strength she had as the caves shuddered all around them.
“They’re looking for you, Lily.”
She was shaking.
No, the bed was shaking.
Everything was shaking. The world had started to shake for her a few moments ago, but then the trembles had stopped.
They’d started again now, terrifying her. What’s happening?
“You shouldn’t have made that call when your car stopped. Curtis wasn’t going to help you, anyway. He was too far gone.”
The blindfold was still on her. No gag.
“Because of that call, they found out too much. They’re too close now.”
If someone was close, then she should scream.
But he told me what happens to girls who scream.
She kept her lips pressed tightly closed.
“I was there to help you, Lily. I was all you needed that night.”
He was touching her, lightly rubbing his fingers over her cheek, and she tried so hard not to flinch.
But she couldn’t help it.
He laughed.
“We should’ve had time to play.” He pressed a kiss to her lips.
She choked back bile.
“We would’ve had so much fun.” His fingers were over her br**sts. Lightly stroking. “I would have made you enjoy yourself.”
Then his fingers were gone, and the knife was back at her throat. “They aren’t going to find you.”
Carrie…
“You aren’t going to make a sound, do you understand? You’re going to stay in here, you won’t speak. You won’t move.” He shoved the gag back in her mouth. “Just in case.”
The gag was wet. It tasted funny. Like it had been soaked in something.
Her head began to ache.
“Lie still like a good girl, and it will be over soon.” Another kiss, this one to her temple.
Then he took off her blindfold.
Light spilled on her. She squinted against the light. It was so bright.
The light came from on top of his head. A light like hikers wore when they were in the woods. It was so bright, making her eyes hurt. She squinted, trying to see his face, but all she could see was that bright light in the darkness. It had been dark for so long. She needed that light.
“When I leave, I’ll take the light.”
Her heartbeat seemed to be slowing down. No, don’t take the light.
“You’ll stay in the dark. It will be all you have.”
It had already been all she knew. For so many hours. Days?
“You don’t make a sound, Lily. Remember that. You know what will happen if you scream.”
She knew.
“I’ll know if you scream, and I’ll make you hurt, Lily. I’ll make it hurt so much when I was going to let you have an easy end. Just the darkness.”
I won’t scream.
“Be good for me, Lily.”
The knife was gone. The light slowly backed away from her. He backed away.
Then the light was gone.
Her heartbeat, slower now, was the only sound she heard.
He’d gotten out of there. Sonofabitch, he’d gotten out.
Kyle jumped to his feet. Grabbed Cadence, and held her as tightly as he could.
He crushed her body against his. That had been a damn near thing. The hole had closed, showered by rocks, the instant his head slipped free. He was covered with cuts and scratches and bruises, but he didn’t care.
“Kyle, I—”
He kissed her. He’d wanted to kiss her from the first moment he saw her, and with death hanging so close, inches away, he wasn’t going to let this moment pass.
His tongue thrust into her mouth. She gasped in surprise, and he took the sweet breath away from her. She’d stiffened in his arms.
No, Cadence. No. Want me, need me, as much as I do you.
Her hands locked around his shoulders. Her nails bit into his skin.
She kissed him back with a wild desperation of desire and passion that matched his.
He’d thought about this first kiss a lot. Considered being suave, charming, starting gently as he learned her mouth.
There was no room for gentleness. Only desperation. They were surrounded by the dark, cut off from the outside world. She was all he knew.
All he wanted.
His kiss became even harder. His hold tightened on her. Her hold on him was just as tight and hard. Her kiss was as wild and frantic as his own. Danger had been too close. Now passion and a need denied too long—both raged out of control.
If this was the way he died, then it would be one hell of a fine way to go.
He never would have thought their first time would be in a cave.
First time, last time.
No. Not the last time. Not for her. He tasted her, savored her, then slowly lifted his head. Her taste was so good that even in hell, it was paradise. “When we get out of here, you’re mine.”
Just so they were clear.
Then he eased away from her because if he didn’t, he’d f**king try to take her there in the cave.
The glow from the flashlight hit him in the face. He hadn’t even realized she still held it. “When we get out of here,” Cadence said, her voice husky, “you’ll be mine.”