The File

The File ~ Chap. 28

Cole

Whoa, I had certainly not expected that!  What I had gone through just a few minutes before had totally been worth the risk.

As I had walked down the hallway with the guard, I had come up with a plan to get away.  Of course, due to the short amount of time I had to think of it, there were a lot of holes that were annoying to fill in.

When the guard opened the door and we stepped inside the room, I took my chance.  From behind, I flung the chain holding together the handcuffs that bound my wrists around the man’s neck.  I began to choke him.  It wasn’t my plan to kill him, and I was absolutely sure that I hadn’t.  I only waited until he passed out.  Obviously, he fought, but with the luck that I hadn’t had for the past few weeks, I somehow managed to keep a good enough grip on him to win the fight.

Once he was down, I searched him for keys.  I found a huge ring of them, and it took a little longer than preferred to find the right one.  Of course, I was just fortunate that luck was still on my side and he had the one that would unlock me in the first place.  Then when I unlocked my cuffs, I saw a telephone hung on the wall.  I took the cord and bound the guard’s wrists with it.

Then I had run.

I was careful to stay away from any noisy and crowded areas, only determined to find Tate.  I knew that her room was above the workout courtyard, so I tried to see if I could make my way back to that section of the building.

It was easier said than done, and I hadn’t been able to get to it—or at least I didn’t think I had.  I didn’t recall seeing the jail wing or anything I recognized around that area.

Then, as I ran blindly, I had seen Tate.  I called out to her and, well, the rest was obvious.

The kiss took me by surprise.  I had never realized that she had felt like that about me.  I suddenly understood why Conwell had had the look on his face when I had told him that Tate and I weren’t a couple.  Even though he had never met her—and had just met me—what I had said had clued him in to her feelings—and mine—even when I had been clueless.

For the first moment of the kiss, I stood there, taken aback and stiff.  My arms were out but not around her, and my eyes were open, showing the shock I felt.  But then I relaxed and went with it.

I wrapped my arms around her waist tightly and brought her in to me.  I closed my eyes and kissed her back fervently.  I hadn’t realized that I wanted this so much until I finally had it.  I didn’t want to move—ever.  In the back of my mind, I still remembered the danger we were in, but I couldn’t seem to keep my thoughts on that subject for more than a second before remembering my feelings for Tate.  They just took over my entire being.

I had no idea how long we kissed, but by the end, there was wetness on my cheeks.  The tears weren’t mine.  When Tate pulled out of the kiss, I saw the tear stains down her cheeks.  I gently brushed them away.

Tate’s hands were in my hair, on my face.  “I thought you were dead,” she whispered shakily.

I shook my head.  “I’m okay,” I breathed, struggling to speak.

She nodded in a half-minded way, as though she really couldn’t believe it was true. Her gaze looked glassy, but not because of the tears.  I wondered how long she thought I was dead if it was so hard for her to believe.

She held my head in her hands and her eyes roamed the planes of my face, as though she was memorizing every inch.  “How is it possible?” she asked.  “I saw that guy—Mac—put the knife up to your neck.  He slit your throat!”  She closed her eyes for the spilt second that she shuddered.