Raging Heart On_ Friends to Lovers Romance(104)

I watch as he wraps one of his hands around the guy’s neck. I remember reading in his files exactly how he killed the other man. My stomach rolls with the knowledge. I can tell by the way the man gasps that Max is applying pressure. I want to tell him to stop. I’m scared. I’m not sure what to do. The other man’s face is starting to turn blue.

“Max…” I whisper, starting to reach out to him and get him to stop.

He lets go and steps back. The other man holds his neck and gasps for air.

“I’ll be using that tunnel now,” Max says, and the guy doesn’t answer. I’m not sure he can. He nods and steps to the side. That seems to satisfy Max, and he grabs my arm and pulls me further into hell. I follow on weak legs.

Heaven help me, I follow.





4

Max

I don’t talk to the woman as we make our way to the tunnel. Hernandez’s crew that is on the outside bribed some guards into getting them the tools needed to make a tunnel through the back of the prison. The tunnel exits against the security fence that surrounds the prison. The men arranged it so their buddies would disable the fence’s electric charge, and the wire would be cut enough for a person to slide through.

I have no idea why Hernandez and the others aren’t already breathing fresh air instead of racking up more time and a possible death penalty to what they already have marked against them. There’s no fixing stupid; if life has taught me one thing—it would be that.

“Wait a minute,” the woman says coming to a stop in front of the tunnel opening. She has a sexy body, and her voice makes my dick want more, but she’s starting to grate on my nerves. Does she have no survival instincts? I breathe out loudly to show her my frustration.

“Lady, we have maybe three or four minutes before all hell breaks loose, and this tunnel will be filled with some of the filthiest assholes you will ever come across. I might have contained Hernandez, but if he gets his buddies with him, you have to know they will get you. Now either move your ass or prepare to be gangbanged by men who haven’t had their hands on a woman in years, let alone one that looks like you. Your choice, but I’m not sticking around for the party.”

I walk into the tunnel and hope she wises up enough to follow me. Contrary to what I just said, I won’t leave her, but I sure as hell don’t want to have to carry her out of here either. She must decide that I am serious because, after a few minutes, I hear her behind me.

“Wait up, Mr. Kincaid. Please? I…I well…you see…”

“Spit it out, lady.”

“I have a slight fear of dark, narrow places.”

I rub the back of my neck to release some of the tension gathering there. I wouldn’t even be in this situation had she not shown up. I’m starting to think I would have done better if I had taken her out through the front and let the cops waiting on the other side shoot me.

“A slight fear?”

“Okay. Gigantic. Enormous. Epic proportions. Like if you make me walk through this tunnel, I will most likely die half way through from fright. People can die from fear, you know. I watched a documentary once. In some cases do you know that even the person’s hair gained a white streak?”

“Are you telling me that your slight fear of dark, narrow places is bigger than your fear of being gang raped by ten or fifteen of this state’s worst convicted felons on record?”

She gasps and then surprises me by grabbing my hand. I stand there trying to make out her face in the darkness. “Well? Get a move on! I think it only fair to warn you, Mad Max, that if I survive this, I will be telling the parole board that you should be denied.”

I haven’t smiled in years. A small one ekes out. It feels weird, and the muscles involved haven’t been used in so long they feel stiff. Hell, so is my dick. I don’t understand my reaction to this woman. It’s probably just because I’ve been without one for so long. When I get free, I’m gonna hunt one up and get laid, before getting locked back up. I can feel Tess tremble beneath my hold, and her breathing is ragged. I know she’s terrified of the tunnel, but her reactions remind me even more of sex. This keeps up, and I’m going to have trouble walking.

We get to the outside, and I look around. The sirens are loud, and you can hear guns and shouting, but it’s in the distance and off somewhere to the right. I pull Tess the opposite direction and just like the men discussed in the cell next to me, the hole in the fence is there.

“Slide through,” I order.

She looks at me, back to the small opening, shakes her head and then slides through. I push the fence out, knowing it will be a tight fit getting through. I’ve barely started when Tess takes off, running down the small grassy area between the hill and the fence. I growl out in frustration. I should let her go, I have no use for her, and she’s the reason I’m in this mess. For some unfathomable reason, I don’t. I rush through the fence. I grimace, at the pain I feel when the fence slashes into my stomach, but don’t give it much thought. Instead, I run to catch up to Tess, before she gets away. The simple truth is; I don’t want to let her go yet.