In Bed With Her Shithead Boss (By Ellie Wynters) novel Chapter 168

Nightfall brought a chill that seeped through the warehouse walls. Alexei's eyes had closed again, his body's desperate attempt to heal itself stealing his consciousness in waves. Hours passed with nothing but silence beyond their prison.

Keira wrapped her arms around herself, shivering slightly as she watched the square of night sky through the high window. The room had darkened to the point where Alexei's face was just a pale oval in the gloom. She had turned out the light which hadn't been great in this room and turned on the bathroom light. Giving them just enough light to get to the bathroom to use the toilet if needed.

Her stomach growled, reminding her that the meager dinner they'd been provided hadn't been nearly enough. They now had more water at least.

A metallic clank outside their door made her jump. She held her breath, listening as footsteps approached, then receded again. The kidnappers were still there, patrolling perhaps, but not interested in checking on their captives.

When Alexei finally stirred again, it was well past midnight.

"How long was I out?" he asked, his voice rough from sleep.

"A few hours." Keira moved closer to him on the cot. "How's your head?"

He pressed his fingers gingerly to his temple. "Better. Still hurts, but I'm thinking clearer and my head isn't pounding now."

"That's something at least."

Silence settled between them again, comfortable despite their circumstances. The distant sound of a door opening and closing echoed through the warehouse, why was everything so much louder at night?

"They're still here," Alexei observed.

"Some of them. I've heard movement a few times." She pulled her knees to her chest. "I think they're taking shifts, because cars have come and gone."

"Smart." He sat up straighter, wincing slightly. "We should wait until morning."

"For what?"

"To try anything. If we're going to attempt an escape, we need to be at our best. And more people might be around."

Keira nodded, relieved by his decision. "I was thinking the same thing. By morning you'll be stronger, and we'll have a better chance of seeing what we're doing."

"And by then, if no one's found us..." He let the implication hang in the air.

"They're looking for us," she said firmly. "Blair, Sutton, Roman, Luca—they won't stop until they find us."

"I know." His hand found hers in the darkness, squeezing gently. "My father, too. Between all of them, there's a good chance they're close already."

"But we can't count on it."

"No." His thumb traced small circles on her palm. "We need to be ready to help ourselves."

They fell silent again, planning silently, each lost in their own thoughts. Eventually, Alexei shifted on the narrow cot, making space.

"You should try to sleep too," he said. "We both need rest."

"I'm going to use the bathroom first," she said.

She slipped off the cot and padded across the concrete floor to the small bathroom. Inside, she took care of business quickly, then stood at the sink, staring at her reflection in the cracked mirror. Her face still looked dirty, her makeup long gone.

Making a decision, she stripped off and took a shower, scrubbing away the grime as best she could with just water.

Once done she used some paper towel to dry herself as best she could.

Then she looked at her underwear, grimacing. The thought of putting the same pair back on after all they'd been through made her skin crawl.

She just couldn't do it, taking them to the sink, she washed them thoroughly, wringing them out before draping them over the edge to dry on some paper towels. It wasn't like Alexei hadn't seen women's underwear before…just not hers. The thought made her cheeks warm despite their situation.

When she returned to the main room, wearing only her dirty dress because the dress didn't allow for a bra, Alexei had stretched out on the cot, his long frame taking up most of the space. He shifted when he heard her approach, making room without a word.

"Better?" he asked as she hesitated beside the cot.

"As good as it gets in this place." She gestured vaguely toward the bathroom. "I, uh, washed out my underwear. They're drying."

If he was surprised or amused, he didn't show it. He simply nodded. "Why Miss Warner."

Keira lowered herself carefully onto the edge of the cot, suddenly hyper-aware of the lack of fabric between her and the dress. Alexei reached for her, pulling her down to rest against him. She tensed momentarily, then relaxed as he settled her head on his shoulder, his arm wrapping around her.

"Is this okay?" he asked, his voice low in her ear.

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