Blood and Kisses - By Karin Shah Page 0,50

on the front step. It would be only a matter of seconds before they forced open the door. Finally, he heard her slip on her shoes.

“Come on.” He grabbed her small hand and dragged her back through his room and into the large walk-in-closet. He pressed a piece of quarter-round molding with the toe of his shoe and a small panel opened in the back. He glanced over his shoulder at her pale, tense face. “It locks when you bar the hall door.” He answered her unspoken question.

He ducked inside, turning sideways to squeeze his broad frame into the passage without scraping his skin. He could feel the heat from Thalia’s body as she followed close behind. The door clicked shut. He peered back at her. She was watching her feet, and he realized the tunnel must be almost pitch-black to her mortal eyes.

Suddenly her head came up and her eyes widened. “Spirit!”

“He’ll be fine. They’re not after a dog.” He guided her down the tiny secret stairs and into a hidden chamber he’d had built after the initial construction of the house was completed.

“We can’t stay here.” Thalia could hear people moving up above, but the underground room was as dark as a tomb. Cool damp air moved around her, and she got the impression the chamber stretched ten to fifteen feet beyond where the stood.

“Don’t worry. This room was built during the time of the underground railroad. It’s withstood searches before.”

Which meant he’d been a stationmaster. Thalia glanced at where she thought he was.

“Don’t be too impressed,” he said, obviously able to see her, his tone dry. “Having people indebted to me was purely for self-preservation.”

“Right,” she said.

“Shhhh.” There was a long pause as if he were listening. “Shit! They found the door in my closet. It’s reinforced, but I don’t know how long we have until they find the mechanism.”

“Is there another way out of here?”

“Come on.” His warm hand folded around hers, strong and solid.

He towed her to another door and up another staircase. The sound of people through the wall grew louder. Cracks in the lathe wall allowed her to see in the narrow passageway. Dust hung heavy in the air. A burgeoning sneeze tickled Thalia’s nose and her heart slammed into overtime. She scrubbed her nose with her hand, holding her breath, trying to dispel the looming sneeze. She would survive being taken to the police department, Gideon wouldn’t. The feeling ebbed and she closed her eyes for a second. Thank you, God.

Gideon guided her down another staircase into a dark stone tunnel. The footsteps and shuffling above faded.

“Where does this let out?” Afraid her voice might travel, she spoke so softly, she almost couldn’t hear herself.

“The garage.”

“They may already be searching there, too.”

He nodded. “I heard them trigger the automatic door earlier. Probably checking for more cars, but there’s not much to see out there. So I’m sure they’re already done.”

When they got to the top of another cramped set of stairs, Thalia could hear Gideon reaching for something, but she grabbed at his hand. “If there’s a shaft of sunlight on the other side of this door, you’re toast. You’d better let me go first.”

He sighed. “Very well.”

A quick smile tugged her lips at the reluctant tone of his words, but it never really formed. Even if the sunlight didn’t smoke him, the cops had no doubt left a cop car to guard the gate.

Thalia opened the wooden panel a crack and peeked out. They were in luck, there was no one left in the garage and the overhead door was still open, but as she’d suspected, she could she the shape of a man in the squad car nearest the open gate, and it slanted at an angle to block any escape.

Worse, sunlight flooded the garage like icy arctic water filling the Titanic.

“Shit.” Gideon swore behind her, but since he couldn’t see the burning sunlight spilling between them and freedom, her already drumming pulse jolted sky high.

“They’ve broken through the door, haven’t they?” she asked, twisting to study his face, though her light-dazzled eyes saw only an echo of the bright pattern outside, overlaying shadows as thick as tar.

“Got it in one. They’ll be here shortly. I take it we’re pinned down? Illusion spell?”

A puff of air rushed from her. She shook her head. Damnit, she had to think! “Maybe if we had time to get back to the underground chamber, but when they come through this tunnel, chances are they’ll