May butters up the guard

Just as May finished untying Amelia, the door creaked open, and the man with the accent reappeared. His brow furrowed when he saw Amelia free from the chair, rubbing her wrists, and May beside her. “What the hell is this?” he said.

May had started all of this. She had to be the one to speak. “This is all a misunderstanding, really,” she said.

The man stepped forward. “A misunderstanding?” he growled.

Amelia quickly raised her hands. “We promise we won’t cause any trouble.”

“Elliott who got us into this,” May interrupted. “I told him he was going way too far, but he didn’t listen.” She hoped that Amelia would believe it too. It felt wrong to throw him under the bus, but if she was **** to choose between him and her best friend, she would make the same decision every time.

The man narrowed his eyes. “What stops me from taking you back to boss?”

May felt a surge of desperation. “Maybe you’re right, but think about it—what good does that do? There’s no reason we can’t be friends.”

He glanced back toward the door as he weighed his options. May noticed that Elliott was nowhere to be seen. She didn’t like thinking about where he might be. “Let’s just find a quiet place to talk. We can all get to know each other better.” She rested her weight on one hip, trying to look casual. Not all her skills of seduction had abandoned her in the last ten years.

The man shifted in place. For a moment she thought she saw a flicker of interest in his eyes. “Maybe so,” he said. “But if you trying anything—”

“We won’t,” Amelia promised quickly, sensing the fragile opening May had created.

He took a long hard look at them both. May thought she would crack under his glare. “Any bullshit, this gets worse for you,” he grumbled.

“Understood,” May replied. She didn’t know if this was a smart move or if they were dooming themselves.

With a slight nod, he turned on his heel, leading them back through the warehouse and into the maze of shadows. May and Amelia exchanged a nervous glance. They walked as quickly as Amelia could manage in her bare feet. “Stay close,” he cautioned.