Page 72 of The Chief
“Yes.”
“Good.” I turned to the side, while Orla maneuvered awkwardly to bring her bound hands to my ankle. After what felt like hours of trying, we’d lifted the leg of my borrowed jeans and unclipped the strap on the sheath. All Orla had to do was pull the knife free.
“Can you get it?”
“My fingers keep slipping on the handle,” she said.
“Keep trying.” Breaking our restraints was the first step in getting out of here.
A few minutes later, she pulled the knife free. I turned around. “Can you cut through my bindings?”
Orla sawed at what I thought were cable ties, the pain in my wrists intensifying before they finally snapped free. I could’ve cried with relief, but we weren’t out of here yet.
I took the knife from Orla. “Turn around,” I told her, then used the blade to slice through her plastic restraint. As soon as she was free, my sister threw her arms around me, squeezing me tight.
“I thought nobody would ever find me,” she said into my neck. “I thought…”
Stroking her hair like I used to do when she was younger, I murmured, “I know. But I wouldneverwillingly leave you behind, Orla.”
She let out a little sob that shredded my heart, and I pulled her closer. I knew she was thinking about the last time I left.
“Why was I taken?”
“Because of me,” I confessed. “Because I fell in with the wrong people when I had no other choice.”
“What do you mean?”
Pulling back, I searched in the darkness for her face. “I trusted the wrong people and gave them my secrets. They used them against me. Againstyou.”
She was silent for a beat before she spoke, “Do you think we’ll get out of here?”
Cupping her face, I pressed my forehead to hers. “I swear on my life we will.”
Chapter 22
Keir
Shoving my phone back into my pocket, I stormed toward the wing Gael had let us use, hating that I wouldn’t be able to tell Molly anything of use. I’d called dozens of my contacts, and none of them had heard anything about Orla being taken or held. It was like a ghost had snatched her clean off the face of the earth.
I knew it was bullshit. Nobody can disappear like that. There wasalwaysa trail left behind, but it was as if Orla didn’t exist in the first place. Tearing through the doors of the suite, I let my gaze settle on Mila, who was stretched out on the chaise lounge, a discarded plate sitting on the edge of the table.
“Where the fuck is she?”
Mila sat up, having the fucking audacity to glare at me. “Umm, rude. I was asleep.”
“I don’t give a fuck what you were doing. The only reason you’re here is because I allowed it. Now, where the fuck is Molly?”
The Bratva princess had the audacity to laugh. “Oh, you have it bad.”
I narrowed my eyes and pulled out my gun, leveling it at her. “Where. Is. She?”
Mila held up her hands in surrender. “Calm down, I thought she went to find you.”
I took off the safety as I stepped closer; I was in no mood for games. Besides, my anger bared its teeth, sparked by the dark terror that Molly wasn’t currently within my line of sight. Fuck, the princess was right though, I had it fucking bad for Molly. I had no idea when she’d slipped between the cage of my ribs and took up residence in my soul.
Lowering my Glock, I inhaled deeply and let it out. “When did you last see her?” Maybe she was somewhere else in the compound, although I’d have hoped she wouldn’t have been so stupid as to walk around without me.
“Before I took my nap,” Mila replied sullenly.
