Free Trapped (Here Trilogy) by Ella James Page A

shrugged . “I dropped her on the bed and went into the bathroom. I saw the statue—” a statue made entirely of gold “—and had what I could only describe at the time as an out of body experience. When I came to, you were there, and she was almost dead.”
    “So you, like, brought her back to life.”
    “I corrected her heart’s rhythm using electricity.”
    “So you’re, like, a human defibrillator.”
    He shook his head, and I realized my mistake. “Well, a defibrillator masquerading as a human. A hot human,” I said, winking.
    “Masquerading,” he agreed with a wary smile.
    We passed a book shop and a hardware store before parking in front of the little general store. Firewood lined the sidewalk, sharing space with potted pines, snow plows, cedar rocking chairs, and license plate birdhouses.
    I pushed my hair back under the fedora, neatened the wig into a perfect blond ponytail, and glanced warily at the glass door, already feeling trapped.
    Nick gave my hand a little squeeze and surprised me when he pulled me close for a quick hug. “Everything is fine,” he said, passing me a credit card he’d rigged to leave no trace. “Take your time and don't be afraid to make eye contact. But don’t go out of your way to.”
    “Thanks Jason,” I teased as I reached for my door's handle.
    “Bourne?” he asked, and I nodded.
    Nick tapped his temple with a wink, and I held an image of his silly face in my head as I slid out of the truck and stepped up the curb. I passed a man in jeans and a down jacket sweeping a few feet from the door, and I flashed him a polite smile. A cheerful bell announced my arrival, and before I got all the way inside, the delicious smell of cinnamon roasted almonds hit my nose. My stomach cramped, and I let the hunger distract me from my nerves.
    When the gray-haired woman behind the counter gave me a cheery smile, I was able to smile back.
    “Hello,” she chirped.
    “Hi,” I said with a little wave.
    “Can I help you find something?”
    I almost said, 'no', but I figured asking for help wouldn’t hurt. “Just some snacks and maybe a few flashlights.”
    “Right this way, dear.” Her voice was sharp, and as she smiled, lipstick rubbed off on her teeth. For some irrational reason, this made me think she was an undercover agent. It’s okay , I reminded myself.
    The woman led me down an aisle lined with baking supplies and fix-it stuff, like nails and wrenches. Along the back wall, beside some snow blowers, was a row of flashlights.
    “Here they are. For food and drink, it's the other side of the counter,” she said, pointing to the far end of the check-out counter, which had been hidden from the doorway by a giant, painted totem pole.
    My stomach clenched when I noticed a TV back there, along with another, younger woman watching it.
    As I reached for a hot pink flashlight with rhinestones—for Vera—the woman put her hand on my shoulder, and I nearly had a seizure.
    “Are you the Bertrards' cousin? Sally, I think, from Seattle?”
    I swallowed, trying to find my breath. “Um, no. I'm not.” Sketch-yyyy!
    She laughed, sounding embarrassed. “Oh, well, I heard the Bertrards were having company. A pretty, tall, blonde girl. My daughter—” she said, pointing to the '40s-aged brunette sitting near the TV— “has a son about your age. We were doing a bit of match-making.”
    I smiled, and tried to sound laid back and friendly. “My name is Ruthie.”
    “Well nice to meet you, Ruthie. I'll leave you to your business,” she said, chuckling as she headed back to her spot behind the counter.
    “Thanks for the help.” I grabbed two flashlights, then, in a panic, two more; no news reports would mention four fugitives—although, I realized, it wouldn’t mention three, either, since I was officially an abductee.
    I snorted at that and walked back down the aisle. I found several disposable cameras at the end and grabbed the most expensive. Then I followed my nose to the