Avenged (Altered #2)(28)

Kitty continued to scowl for another moment before her face relaxed. Then she nodded. He exhaled. If she promised, then she would keep it, he hoped. He didn’t believe for a moment she wouldn’t do what she thought was right, but he’d asked. He only hoped she’d never be in that sort of situation.

He’d have to do his best to make sure she wasn’t.

“And Nick?” She gazed up at him, her eyes beseeching. “I do like you.” She hurried on. “You said that I didn’t even like you but I helped you. I don’t know what I feel, honestly.” She offered him a smile that broke his heart. “But I do know that I like you. You make it hard not to.”

He tried to lighten the mood, shrugging, brushing off his sleeve. “I’ve been told I’m pretty amazing.”

She rolled her eyes, but the tension seemed to be broken and he was thankful.

“Want to keep going?” he offered. “Or you have other plans?”

“I’ll check my schedule.” She glanced at the ceiling for a moment. “Nope, I’m free. Let’s go.”

She moved back into her fight stance, but the click of the door lock interrupted them.

Laundry? He raised his eyes in question. Adrenaline spiked through him. This was only the second day, and Kitty had said that laundry came every other day.

She shrugged, straightening her outfit.

As we discussed?

She nodded.

While Kitty was convinced learning to fight was the key, Nick was sure the answer to their escape was the laundry. If they could overpower the men who came for their laundry, they might have a chance to get out of this room. Then he had no idea what would happen.

They decided she would try to use her power to confuse them, planting thoughts, while he studied their workflow.

She worried about drawing too much attention to herself, though. After what happened with the orderly, she needed to be careful. So, they agreed she would try, but not take any chances.

His heart kicked up. Though he’d convinced her it wasn’t too dangerous, he didn’t delude himself. If Fields figured out what she could do…

Three guards stepped in. Two were unfamiliar, but one…

Kenny.

I know him. He’s one of Martins’ men. Keep the others busy. Hope exploded in him, filling his chest. If he could connect with Kenny, maybe they really did have a chance.

Kitty nodded. She skirted between Kenny and the other two guards, steering them away from Nick. “You need the sheets, too?” he heard her ask innocently.

“What do you have for me?” Nick asked Kenny under his breath when they both leaned over to gather the old clothes across the room.

“We took the drug,” Kenny said without preamble. “Brian and I made it. Aiden didn’t.”

Nick nodded, to show he understood. He felt a pang of loss for Aiden, though he’d only met him once.

“Fields is trying to sell the drug. Things are locked down. No phones, nothing. Security is tight.”

“Selling to the Army?”

“No. Private parties.”

Private parties. That wasn’t good. The drug on the black market? It was disastrous. “Can you help me?”

“I’ll have more.” He ducked his head. “Next time.”

Nick nodded again. “Thanks.”

Kenny’s mouth thinned. “Take care,” he muttered as he stood, gathering the linens.

Across the room, one of the guards was grumbling. “Told you it was here the whole time.” He waved the second jumpsuit. “You must be blind.”

Kitty raised her hands in an exaggerated shrug. “How about that?”

She joined him as they watched the three guards file out. When they were gone, she asked, “Well?”

“He says the security is really tight.” He glanced down at her, meeting her eyes. “Because Fields is trying to sell the drug.”

“The Army?”

“No,” he answered. “On the black market.”

“No.” She shook her head. “Just no. That can’t happen. Anyone could get it then, right?”

He nodded. “Kenny’s changed. He’s going to see if he can help us. Next time he’s back.” Saying the words filled him with optimism. They had a chance, a real chance now. Thank God.

“Two days?”

“He didn’t say.” Nick buried his hands in his pockets, hating how out of his control everything was.

“We’ll keep practicing. We’ll be ready.” She looked grim.

Staring at the locked door, he prayed it would be enough.

They were running out of time.





Chapter Nine


“You’ve got to strike faster. Like a snake.” Nick stood behind her, barking orders in her ear. “Again.”

Sweat trickled down Kitty’s spine and drenched the back of her neck. They’d been going through the movements of this attack for almost an hour. She couldn’t seem to get the positioning right. “Nick. No one is going to sneak up on me. I can hear thoughts, remember?’

“You don’t know that. You need to be prepared for anything.”

That had become the mantra over the past three days. Be prepared. Like she’d joined the Boy Scouts without anyone telling her about it.