Page 67 of Hunting for her Heart
He starts to turn away as I yell, “This isn’t right!” He looks back at me with an eyebrow raised in question. “These three are my fated mates. You can’t rip us apart.” I see a small look of surprise cross his face before it’s gone again. He looks at my guys, then back at me.
“Fated mates are a myth.”
“They’re not,” Ronan tells him.
“It doesn’t matter. I don’t go back on my deals. Sleep tight. Soon, I will send one of my men to get them. They will be here tomorrow.” And with that, he walks away.
I look at Ronan with worry. “We’ll figure something out,” he says as I press my lips together with doubt. I have no idea how we’re supposed to get out of this. But right now, while everyone is still awake and watching us, is not the time to try.
Maybe there’s enough give in my rope then I can pull myself free. I decide that’s my best bet, but I need to wait for them to go to sleep before I try it.
It takes a few hours before all but one man lies down to sleep. I realize he must be staying up to guard the camp. Now is as good a time as any to try to escape.
I glance at my guys and see they’re all still awake, each looking at me when they feel my gaze on them. I start to shimmy my body, trying to see if I can make the ropes move, but they’re so tight, I can’t get them to move up at all. My hands are stuck to my sides, and I try to use my fingers to move the ropes, but it doesn’t work.
My fingertips on my right hand touch something hard at my side, and I freeze, realizing I still have a dagger strapped to my thigh under my dress.
My wide eyes turn to meet Hawk’s. He’s the one who placed it there for me. I don’t dare whisper that I have it out loud, as my mind searches for an idea. As much as I try, I can’t move my hand close enough to get it, even if my dress wasn’t in the way.
No, the only way I’m going to be able to get it is if I get that man to untie me. An idea comes to me, and as gently as I can, so as not to wake anyone else, I say, “Excuse me?”
The man’s head snaps in my direction, then he stands from his post and walks over to me.
“I need to go to the washroom.”
He raises an eyebrow and looks around in amusement. “There ain’t no washroom out here, lady.”
I try not to roll my eyes at him. “You know what I mean. I need to relieve myself.”
He sighs, then comes around to untie my ropes.
“I need to go too,” Bo chimes in, but the man just narrows his eyes at him.
“You can piss your pants for all I care. The men who paid us to capture her want her in good shape, so I’d rather we don’t hand her over with a piss-covered dress.”
The ropes loosen and drop, and I slowly stand. I contemplate reaching for my knife now, but this man is much bigger than I am. I need to plan this out carefully, because I’ll only get one attempt.
He gestures for me to step ahead of him, into the trees, and I do so silently, my eyes flicking to Ronan’s before we step out of sight.
I already tried stabbing the leader, and although I know I’d hurt him, he seems fine. So I won’t risk that again. I could try slitting the man’s throat, but honestly, I think he’d see my swing coming a mile away. He’s a lot taller than me, so I’d have to be really close to reach.
What other option does that leave me?
“You can go behind this tree,” he says, pointing to a tree that looks too small to be completely hidden behind, telling me I don’t stand a chance at running. Not that I would leave my guys here, anyway.
I decide to pee since I do need to go, and while I’m squatting, I pull my knife free from my thigh and slip it into thelong sleeve of my dress so the handle is near the base of my palm.
I make a plan to let him tie me back up, then I can pull it free and try to cut the ropes.But then what?It’s not like I can fight them off. And they’ll probably notice if I start to cut one of my guys free.
But if one of my Vikings had the knife and could free themself first… the idea forms in my head as the man escorts me back to the edge of the clearing.
Right before we reach my tree, I stop and turn to face him as I ask, “Can I kiss them goodbye?” I gesture down at Ronan, and when the man narrows his eyes at me, I let my eyes tear up a little. “Please? You guys are ripping me away from them. Please, just let me say goodbye?”
I sniffle for good measure, and he rolls his eyes but nods. I immediately sink down, straddling Ronan’s legs as I grab his face and kiss him. I don’t hold back either, pushing all of my love for him into that kiss.
I gasp in realization as I lean back, staring at him with wide eyes.I love him.I love all three of them. Slower this time, I lean forward and kiss him, letting my right hand lower to find his fingertips then I press the base of the handle into them.
He catches on quickly, kissing me a little harder as his fingers wrap around the handle, and I slowly pull my hand back, letting him pull it from my sleeve and tuck it out of sight under his leg.
