Page 19 of No Escape

Saylor has anxiety, and it gets even worse when she’s in a confined space. I don’t want to cause a meltdown. I just need to ensure she understands the best ways to keep herself alive if the worst ever comes to pass.

She might not have much to do with her maternal side of the family, but they’re the kind of wealthy that makes kidnappers get ideas about how to make a quick payday.

I’ve heard from other mercenary companies that the children of movie stars, politicians, and the wealthy elite start realistic kidnapping training as early as seven or eight.

“We go over this every single month, Leo. Do you think I’ve magically forgotten?” She snorts, shaking her head.

I grab her jaw, pulling her face up toward mine. “Treat this like a joke, and we’ll go over it every week. I’m not fucking around. This is training to keep yourself alive.”

“Are they wearing a mask?” she asks in a sassy tone that betrays her annoyance as she smacks my hand away. “If not, I close my eyes and make sure they know I’m not looking at them. Calmly reassure the assailant that I haven’t seen anything and that I won’t talk. Then mention how my family will want all press of my disappearance squashed and remind them how much I’m worth as long as I’m unharmed.”

“Good.” I step back, trying to decide which scenario to go with this time. “Your captors left you alone to make the call. You think you can get out of your bindings, but you have no idea what’s on the other side of the door or what you might be walking into. Do you try to escape?”

“No.” Her head shakes dramatically. “The only time I take my escape into my own hands is if I’m sure I can get away. A failed attempt is more dangerous than staying put. If I anger them, there’s a chance they could seriously injure or even kill me in a burst of rage.”

“Is there an exception to that?” Even the thought sends a chill down my spine.

“If I hear them talking about how to kill me or if they’re actively trying to end my life…” She sighs. “Fight like hell. If I make it out, I should run and find a crowded building or flag down a car and use their phone.”

“You did great,” I acknowledge, offering her a high five. She always does well when we go over these drills, but it never quite feels like a win.

She grins and slaps my palm. “I swear you give yourself an ulcer over nothing. Hardly anyone even knows I’m related to the Radcliffes. I guess that’s the benefit of my mom taking my dad’s last name.”

I hold out a hand, and she takes it.

Pulling her out of the chair, I say, “We’ll all be happy if you never need to use that knowledge. Now, a bowl of chocolate peanut butter cup ice cream to celebrate a one hundred percent on your test?”

“Absolutely!” Saylor claps and nods, like we don’t do this after every run-through. She bumps her shoulder against my forearm as we take off for the kitchen. “I kinda like my last name. Do you think when I find a pack one day, they’ll let me keep it?” She laughs. “Would you change your last name to your omega’s, just to keep her happy?”

I shrug and toss my arm around her shoulder. “If the guy or guys you end up with won’t change their name to keep you happy, then they aren’t the ones for you. You understand?”

She laughs. “Got it, but I should probably focus on landing a boyfriend before I start daydreaming about marriage.”

I chuckle. “Yeah, steer away from bringing that up on the first date unless you want him to run the other direction.”

“Is it a good idea to take dating advice from the guy who never leaves the house, even on his nights off?” She snorts and skips out of my hold. “Maybe I should ask Shaw, but he’s as much of a homebody as you are.”

I frown.

Well, she’s not wrong about that.

Shaw and I basically never leave the house unless it’s work related. It’s been an embarrassing amount of time since I’ve gone out on a date. It just doesn’t seem right to dip out when Saylor’s here all by herself. Her dad and stepmother are gone constantly, and dating when we live on-site would be a mess of its own.

Sometimes I wonder if life is passing me by while I’m essentially married to my job, but at the same time, I’m still young. There will be time enough for all of that in a solid five or ten years.

* * *

The Present

My fists clench.

Saylor is too fucking sweet to be out there without anyone watching her back.

She could be experiencing any of the situations I tried to prep her for, or it could be none of them.

Knowing there hasn’t been a ransom call makes everything more nefarious. In a kidnapping for ransom, there’s something to be leveraged. If they want the payday, they know they need to keep the hostage alive.

I’m going to lose my fucking mind if we don’t get a break soon.

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