Page 53 of Echoes of Temptation
“Sleep.”
Bitsy and Sophie are yelling at me but it doesn’t matter how hard I try, I can’t respond. I can’t stay awake. Darkness drags me under kicking and screaming for a control I no longer have.
***Bitsy***
“She can’t fall asleep,” Sophie exclaims.
“I ddon’t think she did,” I admit. “I think she ppassed out.”
“Oh, nno.”
I’ve checked this freezer from top to bottom for an emergency latch or button that will open the freezer door. There isn’t a single thing.
The only thing in this freezer are the chunks of meat hanging above us. Sophie had a mini panic attack when we were first shoved inside thinking that it was human meat. But some of the packaged meats have names like horse, dog, shark, and tiger.
I know without a single doubt that Viper and the guys are out there looking for us, but I honestly don’t think they’re going to make it. Theoretically speaking, we might have enough oxygen in here to last a day, but we’ll fall into a hypothermic coma longbefore we run out of oxygen. Already we’re starting to show signs of hypothermia.
With Maddy’s concussion, I’m not surprised that she succumbed before we did. I can only pray that we’re found in time to save her. Between a concussion and hypothermia, her mind is in for the fight of its life.
We haven’t seen Knox and we were all pretending to be passed out when he was separated so I have no idea what the person looks like that took him. I heard them say to throw us in the freezer and walk away while he takes his new pet home.
I’m terrified for my friend. He’s so sensitive and not made for this type of shit.
I try to ignore the fear coursing through my body and focus on surviving. Sophie can’t move around to keep her body active so she’s cuddled against an unconscious Maddy. I’m walking back and forth, doing jumping jacks and whatever else it takes to keep my mind focused.
With a fortified breath, I start looking around again. I know they’ve most likely locked the door from the outside, but I won’t stop trying to find a way out until I can no longer stand.
“Keep mmoveing, Sophie,” I say. “Dddo some sit-ups if you can. Is Mmaddy still breathing?”
“Yyeah,” she answers. “Shallow, but sstill breathing.”
I’m moving packs of frozen sausages to look behind the shelves when noise from outside of the door causes me to freeze.
I don’t have time to run back and pretend to be passed out before the door swings open wide. The freezer isn’t exactly dark, there are small lights along the top, but the light from the opened door blinds me and at first, all I see are two dark and imposing figures standing there.
“Fuck,” one of the angels says. “Get them out of there.”
It takes a few moments for my eyes to adjust and that’s when I see them. Ghost and Venom barge forward, quickly followed but Viper, Steel, Blaze, King, and Jax.
“Mmaddy,” I stutter. “Fffirst.”
“Baby,” King yells, rushing forward. “Fuck. She’s breathing. I fucking hate what I’m about to say. Venom and Viper, get our girls out of here. Get them to the hospital. Watch out for my woman.”
“With our lives,” Viper tells him.
“Baby,” King whispers as Viper guides me from the freezer. “I’m so sorry that I have to leave you. I need to go find Knox. Please, be okay. I love you so much, my sweet baby. I’ll be with you soon.”
“The ambulance is here,” Ghost says. “This way. They’re in here.”
“Fuck, I have to go,” King says. I can hear the agony in his voice of leaving Maddy. But he also knows that he’s Knox’s best chance. I respect the hell out of this man.
“She’ll bbe fine,” I tell him as he steps aside for the EMTs. “She’s strong.”
“She is,” he says, kissing my head.
“Go save Knox.”
With a nod, he walks over to a stretcher and kisses Sophie’s forehead before stopping at Maddy’s. Her body is as still as death itself and it has my heart skipping a beat. King leans in and whispers something in her ear before softly kissing her lips and walking away.