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Shaking his head, he swooped her into a bridal carry position and stood from the well-used sofa. He was growing too tired to argue about something so trivial.

“Stop it,” he grumbled, suddenly feeling agitated. “I’m taking you upstairs and then we’re going to sleep. Got it?”

Wrapping her arm around his neck, she swallowed hard. There was no changing his mind. Although it sucked, she would just have to make do and tiptoe downstairs when he fell asleep.

“Yep. Got it,” she said, a hint of annoyance peppering her tone.

“Trust me, you’ll thank me in the morning,” he said, stepping towards the wooden staircase leading to the tiny loft above. “Now come on, let’s go to bed. You need your rest for our busy day tomorrow.”

Glancing over his shoulder, Lexi gave the kitchen one last look. She hoped he would fall asleep quickly, before she had a chance to change her conflicted mind.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Listening to Kade’s rhythmic breathing, Lexi pulled her heavy-lidded eyes to the four paned window along the far wall. There was a raging snowstorm on the other side of the frozen glass, causing the cabin to creak and groan with the wind. It only added to her growing anxiety. If she was to go through with her plan, how the hell would she get down the mountain? Her winter driving skills were poor at best, she would probably end up killing herself in the process.

Maybe this is a sign? Maybe I should just wait it out until the weather clears up some? It’s not like time is of the essence, here. And that way, maybe I can talk to him and really get to know him? Figure out what makes him tick? If I do that then I won’t drive myself crazy for the rest of my life trying to figure out the answers to the questions I never asked.

HA! Yeah, right. Do that and you’ll never be able to escape. He’ll only worm his way into your heart if you do that. Look at you...you’re already smitten. No! Fuck him! The less you know about him, the better. Now get out of bed and find the damn knife! Finish this!

Debating her racing thoughts, she listened to the aggressive voice in her head. Holding her breath, she slowly wiggled her body away from his slumbering form. Inch by inch she moved over the lumpy queen-sized mattress as quietly as she could. Halfway towards the edge of the bed, she felt her captor stir. Almost on instinct, his long arm jetted away from his torso to find her.

Freezing in place, she closed her eyes as she felt his heavy paw slap down across her hip. Holding her breath, she heard him mumble something gruff. She couldn’t quite make out the words, but it sounded possessive and dark. Even in his sleep, it seemed as if he needed her to stay by his side.

Oh well. He can’t have you! Now hurry! Before you chicken out. Dawn will be breaking soon. Don’t lose this precious opportunity!

Opening her eyes, she carefully turned her head to look at him. Watching his face soften in the filtered moonlight, she felt her confidence falter. He looked so sweet and pure as he snuggled his pillow. How could she possibly kill him?

Don’t be a dumb bitch! Just find a blade and slit his throat! Easy peasy! Stop pretending like you don’t know what the fuck to do! Now stop looking at him and MOVE YOUR ASS!

Knowing that the angry voice in her head was right, she psyched herself up. Silently counting to thirty-three, she gently eased herself from his hold. Scooting her naked body off the bed, she shivered as the cold air of the room hit her bare skin. She didn’t know what was worse, staying in bed and overthinking herself to madness, or walking around the freezing cabin completely nude.

Using the chilly temperature as motivation, she tiptoed her way around the bed towards the old staircase. Reaching for the black railing, she slowly made her way down the stairs. Remembering the way Kade’s weight had made the fourth step creak, she hopped over the broken plank and landed at the foot of the stairs with a loudthud.

Wincing from her stupid miscalculation, she hunched her shoulders and waited for him to jump out of bed. How could she be so stupid? The cabin was ancient, she needed to be careful if she wanted to be successful.

Waiting for a long minute, she sighed in relief when she realized her captor was still fast asleep. Hearing him snoring softly above her, she let out a thankful sigh. Padding her way to the back of the A-Frame, she felt a rush of confidence as she reached the kitchen.

“You’ve got this! You’ve totally got this,” she whispered to herself.

Stepping into the tiny kitchen, she began her search. Starting with the vertical row of oak drawers next to the avocado green refrigerator, she opened them one by one. Carefully inspecting the sparse contents inside each shallow drawer, she felt her frustration bubble. Just where were the fucking utensils? She would freeze to death before she found anything resembling a weapon. A metal whisk and plastic measuring cups wouldn’t do a damn thing.

Gritting her teeth, she worked her way down the line of cabinets. Still not finding anything of value, she was on the verge of giving up her search when she stumbled across a tiny drawer nestled in the corner of the kitchen. Carefully opening it, she nearly screamed with excitement when she realized what was inside.

Even in the overwhelming darkness of the room, she could make out the ragged blades of five steak knives. Feeling her heartbeat quicken, she reached into the drawer and grasped onto the wooden handle of the one closest to her. It wasn’t a very large blade, maybe only five inches long at best, but it had a decent heft to it. She had dispatched men with smaller knives before. This one would certainly work.

“Fuck yes!”she whispered.

Ecstatic with her newfound treasure, she lifted the steak knife from the plastic utensil divider. She couldn’t believe her luck, everything was finally going her way. Her confidence was short-lived, however. Just as she pulled the blade from the drawer, she heard a deep voice boom behind her.

“I know what you’re looking for, Sweetheart,”Kade bellowed, his large body draping over the side of the loft’s open railing.

Jumping in fear, Lexi dropped the knife back into the drawer and quickly pushed it closed. Turning to face her handsome abductor, she raised her chin and gave him a full smile. Putting on a demeanor of innocence, she shrugged her shoulders and stepped away from the cabinets.

Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Just act stupid! Play dumb!

“You do?” she asked sweetly, folding her arms over her pert tits.

“Mmhmm,” he hummed, raking his eyes up and down her naked form. “But you won’t find what you’re looking for in there.”

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