Her Mating Scheme

Chapter 5

"What are we doing up here?" The wind wanted to take her words, rip them away even as she spoke them because her voice was too high and strained. But as he listened, her stomach turned over one more as his eyes met hers.

There was not enough time to enjoy the silhouette of him in the semi-darkness, or the way the moonlight and shadows framed his face, bringing him into stark contrast. since they were encircled. Captured. The building was too tall for them to safely jump from, and it looked like a man brandishing a rifle was running up the steps in their wake.

firearm.

Diane reached into her shoulder bag and took out the small revolver she had been practicing with, opening the flap with trembling hands. However, Tryson grabbed her other elbow at that very moment and pulled her in the direction of the building's edge. "Come here."

"What—what are you doing?"

"We have to get out of here."

"How?"

"I can get you out of here, Diane, you have to trust me."

He stopped short of the building's edge, where the roof protruded into a tiny square that was hanging above the alley beneath it. Did he truly believe they could descend this way?

After glancing over the edge, she clambered back. "Not at all. No way, no way!"

Diane ~

They were driven out of the apartment by a forceful knock on the front door, which led them to the locked door at the end of the hallway and a central stairs that served all floors of apartments. Tryson hurried through the door without pausing, climbing a stairway that repeatedly doubled back on itself after hitting a landing.

Her heart was thumping excessively and singing.

Tryson was present! He was also caressing her. And they were being pursued by someone. Someone he felt threatened by. Her tummy turned over as she gave him a sidelong glance while focusing on not falling down the steps.

His hair fell over his forehead in ruffled waves that bounced and waved gleefully at her, as if celebrating their emancipation from the cap. He'd pulled off the beanie and thrown it into his back pocket. However, his expression was a mask of extreme focus. Tension tugged at his eyes, creating creases at the sides of his lovely mouth. His eyes darted left and right, as if he quickly examined, evaluated, and disregarded every square inch of what he saw. His jaw also pushed forward slightly, as if he were opposing something, or someone.

With a casual elegance that would have made her gasp in an other situation, he ascended the steps two at a time.

Diane was appreciative that exercising on a daily basis had been a part of her resolve to move on from him and resume dating. She had been consistent in her gym routine, but she hadn't been able to branch out into dating just yet. However, it seemed like that would work out.

Tryson was stronger and faster than he had been five years earlier. He was also bulkier, thicker, and strangely even more graceful. Though he would object to the resemblance, he moved like a cat. He had a deep dislike for cats.

He used to, at any rate. Compared to the last time she had seen him, he had grown significantly darker and more icy. What else about him might have changed?

Grasping her elbow, he assisted her in climbing the stairs. Nevertheless, his respiration stayed steady and his forehead didn't perspire, even though she started panting rapidly.

Forgive him.

After down six flights of stairs, Diane started to feel hot and both her breath and their footfall reverberated loudly in the tall staircase, which was completely silent save for their footsteps.

Actually, her footsteps.

How did he sprint noiselessly like that? There must be unique soles on those boots.

"W-who are we running from?" As they scurried across yet another landing, she gasped.

"My colleagues," he remarked gloomily.

He leaned over the railing without pausing and swore as they started up the next flight of stairs.

"What is—"

A peculiar sound, a snap and a ping, and the wooden railing shattered precisely where he had bent just a moment before.

Diane realized that he had been shot at, but it took a step.

She held her breath to scream, but before he could stop himself, he covered her mouth with his free hand, put his lips to her ear, and whispered, "I promise not to lean over again. It's not going to happen. Continue sprinting."

She gave a short nod and continued running, but her breathing was laboring as much from dread as from exhaustion as her mouth was open. Were people shooting at each other?

"Tryson!" she let out. "Have they injured Rob? What's happening?

"Rob is doing well. He snarled as they crested the last landing and she saw the grey wall with a big door at the top that had to be the entrance to the roof. "That guy got in from somewhere else, I'll explain everything when you're safe."

Tryson let her continue on her own, and she shot forward, running straight into the door. As the door flew out and smacked against the wall outside, Diane screamed as it appeared to absorb his blow for a brief minute before flinging open and ripping one of the hinges out of the wall. When it bounced back, he easily caught it with one hand and shoved it back so that it swung, vibrating, then hung drunkenly.

Here at the top of the building, the wind is stronger and colder, so he waited for her with his hair blowing into his eyes. But he disregarded it, grabbing her hand once more as soon as she passed through and racing around the center's constructed shelter, which had a maintenance room and a ladder.

He let her go when they had circled the little, flat roof and went to the edge, where he cursed and peered down to see that there was no fire escape ladder. Twenty feet to their right, with a fall to dumpsters and cracked cement, was the closest structure. Tryson pivoted to gaze at her, seemingly gauging her readiness for the tumble.

"What are we doing up here?" The wind wanted to take her words, rip them away even as she spoke them because her voice was too high and strained. But as he listened, her stomach turned over one more as his eyes met hers.

There was not enough time to enjoy the silhouette of him in the semi-darkness, or the way the moonlight and shadows framed his face, bringing him into stark contrast. since they were encircled. Captured. The building was too tall for them to safely jump from, and it looked like a man brandishing a rifle was running up the steps in their wake.

firearm.

Diane reached into her shoulder bag and took out the small revolver she had been practicing with, opening the flap with trembling hands. However, Tryson grabbed her other elbow at that very moment and pulled her in the direction of the building's edge. "Come here."

"What—what are you doing?"

"We have to get out of here."

"How?"

"I can get you out of here, Diane, you have to trust me."

He stopped short of the building's edge, where the roof protruded into a tiny square that was hanging above the alley beneath it. Did he truly believe they could descend this way?

After glancing over the edge, she clambered back. "No. Hell no!"

Diane ~

"You don't trust me?" He sounded hurt. She looked away from the drop, her mouth hanging open in shock at the first emotion he'd displayed that went beyond simple displeasure or intensity.

They just stared at one other for a little moment.

She exhaled, "You're serious?"

He said, "Of course I'm serious," and approached her directly. He loomed over her, inches taller than he had been when they were little, his light eyes so bright they nearly seemed to gleam in the weird light of the moon that it made her breath catch. Diane, I'll get you out of here. I will, you may be sure of it. But you must have faith in me."

Believe me. His remarks brought back a plethora of memories of him in various settings, with various outfits, lights, and times. There was a time when she would have readily agreed to anything he asked of her.

"I do," even in this moment, was the last thing she wanted to say. That's correct. Like the oxygen she breathed, they desired to escape from her. She needed to seize them, yank them back, and harden her expression. "Tryson , it's been five years—"

He snarled, "You know me," and leaned in until he was fully in her line of sight. "You are familiar with me! I assured you. Diane, I kept my word."

She gave a nod. "And then you left."

A weird deep growl began to form in his throat, but he shook his head, huffing. "Right now, we don't have time for this. They'll arrive in a moment. I had to leave this place with you. Diane, please. Please. With his chin still lowered, he lifted his eyes to meet hers and begged with them. He then opened his palm and offered it to her.

It was really unjust! He was aware that it was an attack on her fragile heart!

She was drawn into the best recollections of her life by the sight of him in that same stance.

They had barely been together for a month when she was seventeen. He led her on a walking tour of the city, pointing her all the places she had always been too afraid to go. That day, the deepest section of the forest that butted up to the parkland on the southern edge of the city, the abandoned rail yards, and the culvert that ran the eastern side of the industrial sector.

As a city girl, she was. The sound of rushing traffic, the absence of steel or cement close had left her unsure of what to do.

However, he claimed to have grown up in the mountains in the nation. A few hours away. A small town with less than a thousand residents.

Someday, he promised, he would take her there.

But he was taking her somewhere he liked to go, somewhere that made him think of home, that day. Excited, he'd remarked, "It's quiet and you can't see the road, or the buildings."