Chapter 72
Chapter 72
Just thinking about what happened at St. Gabriel Reform Academy made Emily feel torn.
She knew exactly how rotten that place was. The only reason she had made it out alive was because someone had risked everything for her. That was why she couldn’t stand by and watch someone else be dragged into that same hell.
A moment later, Emily hurried over to Austin, crouched, and whispered, “I got kidnapped too. I can get you out, but you have to do exactly what I say.”
Austin nodded without hesitation. He had already regained consciousness while Emily was at the door, keeping watch on their surroundings.
He had seen how calm she was and the flicker of sympathy in her eyes. That was enough to make him trust her, though he still kept his guard up.
His quick response gave Emily a bit of relief because if he had been the clueless type, she would have had to worry more about keeping herself safe than trying to help him.
Emily grabbed his arm to help him up. “Can you move?”
Austin nodded. “Yeah.” His voice was hoarse. With one hand braced on the ground and the other held by Emily, he pushed himself up.
Pain had his whole body clenched tight, and his muscles were twitching with every step. However, he stayed silent, letting Emily guide him toward the far end of the warehouse.
The farther they went, the dimmer the light grew. In the farthest corner, a sheet of fallen metal leaned against the wall, forming a small, triangular space.
Emily helped him into the tight space, her eyes landing on his jacket. “Can you take that off?”
Austin hesitated briefly before pulling off his jacket. The motion pulled at his wounds, but his face stayed calm.
He had agreed to follow her lead, so even if he didn’t understand her intentions, he asked no questions.
Emily had been ready to explain herself, but Austin’s quick reaction stunned her. She hadn’t expected a stranger to trust her like that, and yet the Bennett family, who had lived with her for eighteen years, never did.
Emily pushed down her thoughts and glanced at Austin’s shirt, which was shirt, soaked in blood with the wounds barely hidden. She said, “Just stay here. Don’t make a sound.” Then she ran back the way they came.
Leaning against the wall, Austin kept his eyes fixed on Emily.
Emily returned to the metal rack beneath the square window and smeared his bloodied jacket across the floor, the stacked boxes, even the rack itself. Then she rolled it into a bundle and ran back to him.
Austin figured out her plan instantly and shifted deeper into the corner.
Just like he thought, Emily sat beside him, pulling herself inward as much as possible, her eyes fixed on the world beyond their hiding spot.
There was nothing left to do but wait. Emily kept her eyes trained outside, unaware that Austin was watching her, eyes sharp and curious.
The silence pressed in on all sides. After a long pause, Austin broke the silence. “What’s your name? Why did they grab you?”
His voice was low, and in the tight space, it sounded as if he were whispering right in her ear.
Emily turned, meeting his clear gaze. Only then, with her nerves already on edge, did she realize how close they were. Instinctively, she pulled back a little.