Page 119 of Believe it or Knot

We cut off as the front doors open, the van rocks as bodies climb in and then the engine fires up.

“Aren’t we not supposed to let them take us to a second location?” I ask in a whisper, bouncing around in the back of the van as it accelerates. “Doesn’t that lower our chances of being found by like eighty percent?”

Sadie snorts, even though I know she doesn’t think this is funny in the least. “We’re already at a second location, Sor. The first location is where they took us from. We’re on our way to a third location.”

“Fuck,” Vee groans, rolling her neck. “I’m so tired of this bullshit.”

“Me too,” Sadie sighs.

I sink my teeth into my lower lip. “Where do you think they’re taking us?”

Vee looks at me. “We won’t let them hurt you, Sor. They can do whatever tests they want on us, but they won’t touch you.” There’s no reason for them to, lingers unspoken in the air. Because I’m a beta through and through. I’m too old to be turned into an omega, like Claudia, and besides, the cost of that procedure is too great for them to want to do it on me as a threat.

The only reason I’m here is to keep my friends in line. Which means if Sadie and Sylvie go along with whatever they want, I should be fine.

But that’s not what I want. It’s also not why I was asking where they’re taking us.

I scowl, leaning as close to them as I can while trussed up like a pig. “I was asking because if they’re taking us to one of Apex’s testing facilities, maybe we can find the smoking gun.”

Sadie’s brows jump in surprise. “You mean just go along with what they say to get into the facility, and then break ourselves out, and find information that points to them being dickheads?”

I nod. “Yeah, exactly.”

Vee tilts her head. “I mean. I’m all for it, but how are we going to do that?”

Sylvie shifts, rolling closer to me. “Maybe we can untie each other?”

I roll onto my side and fumble for her wrists, trying to reach the ropes. But the assholes have covered them in duct tape. I let out a sound of frustration, as my bound fingers scrabble against the slick surface.. “I can’t- I can’t get to them.”

Sadie huffs a noise between a groan and a growl before she stiffens. “Hang on… wait… Swift gave me these boots.”

I frown and roll onto my stomach. Twisting my head to look at her. “Okay, and that helps how?”

“Swift is a fucking psycho,” she says, like that explains everything. “He wouldn’t have given me a pair of boots just because he thought they would look nice.”

I roll my head to look at Sylvie and find her just as confused as I am. I look back at Sadie and find her forehead pinched together in concentration. “He must have… there’s a reason… Ah, there!”

I have no idea what she’s excited about, but that doesn’t really matter. If it means whatever she’s discovered will help us get out. “Sor, can you reach my feet?”

“I can try.” Sadie pulls her knees up so I don’t have as far to go, but space is limited and it’s hard wiggling around in a moving van without the use of my limbs to help. I’m sweating by the time I can touch her boots with my hands. “Carefully,” she says, looking down her body at me. “Do you feel it?”

“I don’t know what I’m looking for!” I all but hiss. The van slows down and we all tense, thinking maybe we’re at the end of our journey, but we all roll into each other as it takes a corner. Something sharp cuts into my thigh and I curse. “Shit!”

“That’s what you’re looking for,” Sadie says. “Sorry. I should have warned you.” I glance over my shoulder toward her boots and see a thin three inch stiletto-like blade sticking out of the toe.

I snort a laugh. “Of course Swift would give you footwear that includes weapons.”

“He’s such a little psycho,” she says fondly. “Fuck, I love him so much. There’s probably more if you can find them.”

I nod my understanding and carefully search her boots for more blades, trying to avoid the one already sticking out of her shoe as I do.

“Should you cut through the ropes?” Sylvie asks, her whisper just barely reaching me over the rumble of the engine.

I shake my head. “No. We want them to bring us into the facility, right?” When they’re quiet, I glance up at them. “Right? If we don’t bring them down, they’ll just keep coming after you. With Apex’s resources, it’ll be for the rest of your lives. What if they come after your kids?”

Sadie blows out a breath, while Sylvie nods. “Yeah, we want to get into the facility.”

“Then we can’t free ourselves now.”

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