In Bed With Her Shithead Boss (By Ellie Wynters) novel Chapter 167

Chapter 167

The men returned sooner than Keira expected. The door swung open with a metallic groan as three men entered. Two armed guards positioned themselves near the entrance while a third walked over to them, newspaper and phone in hand. Fucking cowards.

“Time for your close–up,” the third dickhead said, all still had their faces covered, good thing right? “Your families need to see you’re still breathing.”

Keira sat up straighter and more alert. She’d been watching over Alexei for the last hour, and he had seemed fine. So maybe he didn’t have a brain bleed.

Her mind raced. They needed these photos, which meant her sister and Roman had asked for proof of life. That was good. It meant they were working on something. If anyone could save them it was her family.

Alexei stirred beside her on the cot, clearly disoriented from sleep and his concussion. She squeezed his arm in warning, silently urging him to get his bearings quickly.

“Don’t make any sudden moves,” the man said as he stepped closer. “Both of you.”

Keira helped Alexei to his feet, her hand steadying him as he swayed slightly. The short rest had done him some good, but the head injury still affected his balance. The pain killers would have started to take effect at least.

Keira positioned herself so that Alexei could lean subtly against her for support.

The man thrust the newspaper toward them. “Hold this. Make sure the date shows.”

Keira took it, noting today’s date prominently displayed on the front page. A headline about market fluctuations stared back at her, surreally mundane compared to their situation.

Then he put the newspaper in front of Alexei.

The photographer adjusted his phone, aiming it at Alexei. “Hold still, Your Highness.”

The flash went off, momentarily blinding them. Keira blinked rapidly, trying to clear her vision as the man moved to photograph her next.

She quickly scanned the room behind the photographer, desperate for any information she could communicate through the image. The window–which she had made sure was in the last photo – might show telltale signs of their location. If she could position herself to get it in the frame…

But the photographer was too fast, stepping closer and adjusting his angle to focus tightly on her face and the newspaper. “Don’t try anything clever,” he warned as if reading her thoughts. “Just look pathetic.”

The flash went off again before she could reposition herself.

Damn it, she thought. A missed opportunity. She had no idea if Sutton had been able to get anything useful from the previous photo, but this

one would offer nothing new.

“One more,” the man said, stepping back to capture them both together.

This time, Keira subtly angled herself to try getting more of the boxes and the room in the background, but the photographer noticed immediately.

“Don’t move,” he barked, gesturing with his gun for her to move back.

She complied, frustration building in her chest as another chance slipped away.

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Chapter 167

After the photos were taken, the men backed toward the door, their weapons never wavering.

“Your families are being cooperative,” the masked man said. “For now. Let’s hope they stay that way, if everything goes to plan, you shouta, be home tomorrow.”

The door clanged shut behind them, the lock engaging with a heavy click.

“What were you doing?” Alexei asked once they were alone, his voice low.

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“I tried to get something in the shot give our location away,” Keira said, frustration evident in her tone. “But they were watching too closely.”

“It’s okay,” he reassured her, though his expression remained grim. “The fact that they’re taking photos is good. It means negotiations are happening.”

Keira nodded, helping him back to the cot. “You should use the bathroom while you’re up. I’ll stand guard.”

“Such privacy,” he said with a weak attempt at humor.

“Don’t worry, Your Highness. I promise

peek at the royal jewels.”

That earned her a small smile. “You’ve already seen them in the tabloids, if I recall.”

“Those were very blurry, thankfully,” she retorted, relieved to see a flash of his usual self despite their circumstances.

While Alexei used the bathroom, Keira paced the room, her mind working overtime. The photos were a connection to the outside world, to

her sisters, to possible help. She needed to believe they were figuring something out. Blair and Sutton wouldn’t rest until they found her, and

with Roman and Luca’s resources, they had a fighting chance.

When Alexei returned, she took her turn in the bathroom, grimacing at her reflection in a small, cracked mirror above the sink. Her once-

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“It’s risky to do nothing, too,” he countered. “Every hour we spend here is another hour something could go wrong with the negotiato

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