Fake Boyfriend - Miley Maine Page 0,55

able to get free and warn her before they had a chance to get her.

Or did they already have her? My muddled thoughts swam together. I traced my memories back to the last thing I remembered -- not being able to find Loren, being in the woods, and then the dart in my neck.

Shit. They’d drugged me hard because I had almost no memory of anything after I felt the dart. I sat still, breathing deeply until my vision focused enough for me to look down.

God, were they stupid? They’d used actual rope instead of zip ties or handcuffs to secure my wrists, and they hadn’t done a very good job of it. If they knew I was a Ranger, either they were fucking with me, or they were complete amatuers.

I began to rotate my wrists. While I did that, I looked around to try and assess where I was.

I was inside a shed of sorts. It seemed to function as a shed, but was built with a barn-like feel to it. In the distance, I could hear voices, but I couldn’t make out the words.

I stilled as a man walked into the room. If they didn’t know I was a Ranger, then I sure as hell didn’t want to give that away. I was going to have to act like any normal person would behave, whatever that meant.

“Did you tell anyone you were going out into the woods?” he asked.

“No,” I answered.

“You sure about that?”

“Absolutely sure.”

“Because we’ve got your phone, and someone keeps calling it. Which makes us think someone wants to know where you are,” the guy said.

“Must be a coincidence,” I said. I licked my lips.

Fuck. Was it Loren? Or was it my buddy, the one I’d called for a background check on Douglas?

The rope, already loose when this goon walked in, slipped. I froze for a second and then grabbed the edges with my fingertips.

The guy didn’t notice. Nor did he think to check the knots.

“I gotta go talk to my boss and find out what to do with you,” he said. “You just sit tight.” Then he laughed like he’d said something really clever.

I was going to stay put; I wasn’t going to make a move yet. I was still sluggish, and until I could think clearly, I was going to let him walk away thinking that he was still the one in control here.

Then as soon as I could, I’d slip out. My priority was finding Loren.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Loren

On our camping trip, Jackson had taught me how to escape from several different methods of restraints. I’d lucked out with this kidnapping, because rope was one of the easiest types to get out of.

I was kind of surprised the men hadn’t returned. I could hear raised voices in the distance, so I closed my eyes and turned my wrists in the ways that Jackson had shown me.

I really wished Jackson was with me. But even though he wasn’t here, I was going to use the skills he’d taught me. And hopefully, once all this was over, I’d be able to tell him what happened.

If he was willing to listen. I wasn't sure he’d be willing to speak to me again after how I’d acted the last time we’d spoken.

After a lot of twisting and rotating of my wrists, they were almost free. The skin was bloody and raw, but I didn’t give a shit.

Oh Lord. I could add this to the growing list of things that had happened to me the second I stopped having a bodyguard. My mother was going to go insane. My father would probably hire one to follow me around, without my permission.

The ropes fell away and I stood up, holding onto the back of the chair to stay steady. Jackson would also tell me to get down low to the ground. I crouched down and crawled to the wall, shredding my dress as I went. On my hands and knees, I crept forward listening to everything that was going on around me. I wasn’t going to be caught unaware again.

I reached the door to the barn and paused, listening closely. I couldn’t hear any voices directly outside the building, so my best bet was probably to get outside, and then run. As long as I was inside, then I was trapped, but if I could get to the woods, or the mountains, then I’d have a chance of getting away and finding help.

Jackson had taught me enough about finding water and