Page 45 of Wicked Obsession

Think now, feel later.

Indistinct murmuring reached her ears. Langley held her breath and strained to hear what was being said. This time, she couldn't make out the words.

Ryder never took his eyes from the men.

Some of her tension eased as the mercenaries turned the opposite direction. It would only buy them a few moments, but maybe it would be enough to get—

The control panel for the gym’s lights wereover there. Did they know that? Were they headed that direction to light up the place? Langley lightly touched Ryder on the shoulder and pointed to the ceiling. He looked confused and she pantomimed pulling a cord and used her fingers to indicate rays of light. She saw realization dawn.

Pointing off behind them, she tried to indicate there was an exit. She wasn’t sure he understood her message completely, but while the mercenaries were out of view, Ryder gestured for her to stay low and go that way.

Ignoring the pain in her thighs, calves, and feet, Langley ran in her crouched position to what she thought was a hallway.

There was a brief hum, and then the lights came on. They were dim at first, the kind of bulbs that needed to warm up before they were at full strength. It wouldn’t take long. Were the mercenaries heading this direction?

The lights helped in one way. She saw clearly now that it was a corridor ahead. They made it there without being spotted, but the bulbs were shining brightly now.

There were five doors and she had no idea if any of them led outside or not. She searched her memory, trying to come up with where they went, but damn, she’d been seven years old the last time she’d been here.

Something flashed in her brain.

Locker rooms—one for men, one for women—and a bathroom. That left two doors, but she’d never used the rear exit. To reach the cabin, she’d always gone out the front.

Ryder inclined his head, signaling her to move. He remained between her and the gym, continuing to use his body to protect her. She had to pick a door and she wasn’t sure she’d get a second chance to get it right.

She heard a new voice speak, then another. The reinforcements had arrived. Her eyes went wide and her attempt at calm went down in flames. Time to make her best guess.

Lunging down the hallway, she opted for door number four.

It was dark and she froze. They weren’t outside. Ryder nudged her deeper into the room, closing the door behind them. Now it was pitch and she whispered, “Phone?”

He turned the flashlight on, holding it up and moving it in a semi-circle. There were shelves, buckets, and a couple of barrels containing who knew what. It was storage. She’d led them into a room with pool supplies.

Her breath rasped as fear morphed into terror. Before she could clutch at Ryder, the flashlight picked up another door at the back of the room and settled there. That had to be the door out of here. Had to be. She inclined her head toward theexit before she ran to it. There was a barrel full of pool lane dividers blocking the way and she grabbed hold of it, rolling it to the side.

After handing her the phone, Ryder pulled one of the metal shelving units in front of the door to the gym, the screech loud enough to drown out a rock concert, and then rolled a couple of barrels in front of that. He was looking around, perhaps searching for something else to use as a barricade, but Langley had goose bumps on her arms. They couldn’t stay any longer, she knew it.

“Ryder,” she whispered fiercely, “let’s get out of here.”

Using his shoulder, he nudged her behind him and took a moment to check out the door. Langley almost bounced with impatience, with her body’s need to run, but she battled back the urge to push past him.

When he decided the coast was clear, he slipped the deadbolt and eased the door open a crack. Sunlight blinded her after the darkness of the storage room. Ryder waited a moment and then pulled it open farther. Taking her hand again, he stepped outside.

They were on the side of the building, with nothing except manicured lawn in front of them. Nowhere to hide if they needed it. They were completely exposed.Completely.

Her fingers tightened around Ryder’s. This was scarier than the building, than the tunnel.

He jerked his head to the left, indicating they should head for the rear of the pool house. She nodded. They’d nearly reached the corner when a man wearing tactical gear swung around from the back side, weapon up and aimed directly at them. Langley couldn’t prevent her gasp.

It was Finn Rowland.

Chapter 19

For an instant, Langley could only stare in stunned bewilderment. While she'd known that any of the three men accompanying them could be the conspirator, she'd never expected it to be Finn. He was Ryder’s best friend.

Before she could do more than process what was in front of her, Finn slowly, carefully holstered his gun. As he raised his hands over his head, he said, voice low, “It isn’t me, Ski.”

The two men stared at each other. Langley held her breath until Ryder relaxed, lowering his gun a fraction.

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