CHAPTER 35
A PRISON CELL BUILT FOR TWO
LEDGER
Zoestands from where she’s crouched next to one of the guards who brought me down here and looks intently at the bars that separate us, starting from one end and going to the other.Shemust see something in the last one, because she walks over to it.Sheglances at the spaces between it and the stone wall and then it and the next one.
Shemust decide that the space between the last one and the wall is greater, because she tests it by putting her head between the bars.
“Zoe…Whatare you doing?”
Sheturns her mic off again and checks to make sure her camera is still off, puts her head between the bars all the way to the other side, and then she turns sideways and squishes her entire body between the bars.Likea cat, she somehow manages to get through it.Whenshe gets to theinside of the cell, she grins and says, “I’mgoing to be captured with you.”
Ipoint at the iron bars as she’s walking toward me. “Didyou really just—”
“Icouldn’t kiss you likeIwanted to from out there,” she says as she comes up close to me and puts her hands on my chest.
“Okay, this…ThisIcan get on board with.”
Sheruns her hands up over my shoulders and to the back of my neck, leaving a trail of something tingly and wonderful.Mymuscles no longer care at all that 1200 volts of electricity just went through them, causing them to seize.Allthey care about isZoe’stouch.Sheplays with the hair at the nape of my neck, and it sends shivers across my shoulders and down my back.Amoan escapes me at the touch.
Thenher lips are on mine, hard and urgent, and it’s like she’s trying to show me through a kiss all of the things she just told me, almost like a confirmation, andIam all for it.Icup her face with my hands, caressing her cheek with my thumb, and our kisses slow.Softand purposeful, sweet.Ourlips are moving together like this is what they were always meant to do.Herbody is pressed against mine, and nothing has ever felt more right.
Irelease her face and wrap one arm around her waist, the other at her back, andIturn us so that she’s against the wall.Withone hand on the wall, bracing myself,Imove the other to cup the back of her head and brush soft kisses down the side of her neck.Thistime, she’s the one to let out a moan, and the sound of it sends a thrillthrough me.
Mymuscles haven’t quite recovered from being tased yet, andIneed to sit beforeIcollapse.Iplace a kiss on her forehead, then touch my forehead to hers. “Ilove you,Zoe.”Hersmile lights me up because now,Iknow she believes my words.
“AndIlove you right back,Ledger.”
Beforelong, we’re both sitting on the stone floor.Myback is against the wall, and her back is against my chest, just like we were in the canoe.Myarms are around her, my hands resting on her stomach, and she’s got her arms over mine, running her fingers lazily along the backs of my hands.Idon’t care how hard this cell floor is—Icould stay like this forever.
Zoeshifts her position so she can see my face a bit, and says, “Forreal, though.I’venever been in a long-term relationship before.Ofanykind.Well,Iguess you could sayI’vehad a relationship with theCIAfor four years.ButIdon’t have any experience or know-how.Areyou really okay with that?”
Ishake my head. “Zoe, you don’t need any of that.Youare enough.”Ipause a moment. “Besides, since when have you ever let a lack of experience or know-how stop you from becoming an expert at something?”
Zoeblinks.
“Ifyou ever want something,Ihave one hundred percent faith that you can figure out how to get it.Thereis nothing out of your reach.Nomatter what it is that you’re reaching for— whether it has to do with our relationship, some life goal, or anything else at all, just know thatIwillbe there with you, supporting you in whatever way you need, cheering you on.”
“Someday,” she says. “SomedayI’llbe as good at this as you are.”Ichuckle, and she turns back around, resting her back against me again, her head at my shoulder. “So, have you ever been captured and kept in a dungeon cell before?”
“Yep.WhenIwas tracking a weapons smuggler inSudan,Iwas captured by local rebels.”Ilook around. “Thestone was a warmer color.Lesssilver and gray, more golden brown.Andthe bars weren’t far enough apart for you to sneak in.Isnuck out through an old drainage tunnel.Howabout you?”
“Once, whenIwas on an undercover operation inColombiaand captured by a drug cartel.Isnuck out by disguising myself as one of the guards.”
“Oh, nice,”Isay. “Haveyou ever escaped from somewhere using something the bad guy left you with because they thought it was harmless?”
Shenods. “Igot out of a handcuff situation using a broken sunglasses arm.Howabout you?”
“Iescaped from a zip tie restraint using a plastic straw from a juice box.”
“Wow.Really?” she asks. “You’llhave to show me what you did sometime.Haveyou ever sweet-talked your way out of captivity?”
“Ofcourse.Once,Italked a particularly vain guard into not actually locking my restraints before leaving the room by complimenting his shoes and asking wherehe got them.”
“Ishould’ve known better than to ask you such an easy one.”
“Howabout you?”
