“Longer.”
She’d sighed but hadn’t complained.
At that point he hadn’t known whether or not his partners were still in the house or perhaps had returned to the garage apartment. They could have posted the two young cops to stand guard duty inside. He’d felt it prudent to stay put.
Then Rudkowski had made his grand entrance. Drex had sensed his arrival even before he could be heard chewing out the patrolmen for letting Mike and Gif leave. Learning that they had gotten clear before Rudkowski descended on them had made Drex smile.
Talia and he had tensed when Rudkowski and Locke came into the study. It had put additional strain on their already strained muscles, but Drex was glad he had gotten to hear the game plan.
Of course he’d wanted to rip out Rudkowski’s jugular with his teeth over the crude comment, not because it was an insult to him, but to Talia. It had made him feel better, knowing that Locke and Menundez had accurately sized him up. They hadn’t even wanted to share a meal with him.
After their footsteps had faded to nothingness, Talia whispered. “Have they gone?”
“Let’
s give them a few more minutes before chancing it.”
“Chance sneaking out?”
“Chance searching the house before they return with the warrant.”
“Oh. Then what?”
“Then we chance sneaking out.”
“Will we be able to?”
“That’s the hope. We’re not out of the woods yet.”
When she gave a small nod, her hair brushed against his cheek. He thought strands of it got caught in his scruff.
“I was afraid my stomach was going to growl,” she said.
“You should have eaten your doughnut.”
“It was a matter of principle not to touch it.”
“Because I’d given it to you?”
“Exactly.”
“Next time, you’ll know better than to let pride get in your way.”
“Next time.” With those words, she drooped, as though the prospect of what they still faced sapped her strength. “I’m scared, Drex.”
“Fear is healthy.”
“It’s draining. Exhausting. I’m so tired.”
“Lean against me.”
She did.
God, he was going to die. “Just a few more minutes, then you can stretch.”
“No, I meant I’m so tired of living the way I have been.”
“How’s that?”