Страница 187 из 349
Keira
Rope burns sear my wrists. The corners of my mouth ache from the material gag. But that pain is nothing in comparison to the heavy throb in my stomach from where I was punched.
I’d willingly followed that man through the hospital. I’d had no other choice. Either I walked with him or I screamed for help, which would either end with a bullet in my skull or a police investigation that would retrace my steps to a murdered uncle.
He told me he had Sarah. That he’d seen us both in the parking lot and would be rewarded beyond measure when he took me back to Drake.
I didn’t need to ask for clarity.
I was smart enough to figure out Drake was my hitman.
As soon as we were alone in a desolate hospital hall, I spoke in a rush, offering my captor bribes in exchange for my freedom. I promised large sums of money. Anonymity. Immunity. When those didn’t work, I vowed retribution and scathing retaliation as he dragged me out a staff exit and led me through a soulless parking lot.
I pledged to give him a death full of so much pain and suffering that my threats must have started to sink in.
That’s when he threw the punch.
He yanked me to face him and landed a blow to my stomach strong enough to cause bile to rush into my mouth.
My life went downhill from there.
He hauled me to a waiting car, the man in the backseat cradling Sarah’s limp body, her face bruised, her cheek scratched. She’d put up a fight. She battled for her freedom.
All I’d done was crumple under one hit.
The realization threw me into fight mode. I kicked. I thrashed. I screamed my fucking lungs out. And then I woke here, in an empty warehouse, my arms bound to a chair as five unfamiliar faces stare down at me plus my gray-haired captor.
“Your brother will be here soon.” A smirking man saunters closer to lower my gag. He’s young. Around his mid-thirties. His blond hair spiked. His eyes light.
He’s almost handsome. Almost beautiful.
If only I didn’t recognize his voice.
“Drake.” I force the name through my swollen throat. “Why are you doing this? I was going to get you the money. I still can.”
The smirk increases. “Don’t worry your pretty little head about it. It’s all under control.” He crouches before me and places a large hand high on my thigh. “And I actually prefer the theatrics. I’ve dreamed about this moment for weeks.”
I clamp my teeth together as his palm slides back and forth. “If you don’t remove your hand, my brother will make sure you have nightmares about this moment for years.”
He chuckles, his fingers digging through my jeans and into skin. “You’ve got a sassy mouth. Be careful or I’ll fill it with something you might not like.”
A shudder ricochets through me, hitting every nerve. It’s not a threat. This man is making a promise. But it’s more than that, too.
He’s dripping with confidence. Entirely fearless.
He plans to get something more than mere money from this exchange.
“You’re not so tough after all, are you?” He pushes to his feet. “Don’t worry, this will be over before you know it.”
He returns to his posse a few feet away, and I frantically rush to scan my surroundings.
The warehouse is bigger than a small house, the large expanse entirely empty. Fluorescent bulbs dangle from the roof, six of them, to match the six windows along the left wall, the glass missing in places and stained with dirt, cobwebs, and grime in others. But no illumination shines from outside. There are no traffic lights or street lamps. Just darkness and the eerie feel of desolation.
We’re not close to the city.
We’re away from witnesses.
Far from help.
And it’s cold in here, too. Hollow. Or maybe that’s just me.
I glance over my left shoulder and find the same expanse of emptiness. All except for the pair of feminine feet right behind me. I suck in a breath and swing my head to look over the other shoulder.
Sarah lies limp on the cement floor, her body curled in a loose fetal position, her arms and legs snuggled in front of her. She doesn’t move. I can barely make out the rise and fall of her chest. But it’s there, the slightest increments letting me know she’s still alive.
I remain still, trying not to show my attachment to this woman, while my insides wage war.
She shouldn’t be here. This has nothing to do with her.
It’s all me. All my fault.
The beep of a cell echoes through the open space, the touch of external life giving me the slightest hope. I drag my attention back to Drake, who now holds a cell in his hand.
“Ben said he’s here. And alone.” He jerks his head toward the door twenty yards away. “Liam, go out and help bring him in.”
Him—my brother.
But he wouldn’t have come on his own, would he?
“Kyle, you stay with the girls. The rest of you, follow me.” Drake leads them across the warehouse.
“Wait.” The plea escapes my lips without thought. I don’t know what to do, what to say. The only thing I can think of is distracting them while I buy Cole time to think through the poor decision to arrive alone. “Let me go, and I’ll get you the money. I’ll double what I owe.”
“It’s time for you to be quiet. Bottle that fear deep down inside and let it out once Torian gets in here.” He winks at me. “Your tears will make this perfect.”
“No, please. You need to listen.”
He walks away.
“Drake, I’ll get you the money.”
He doesn’t stop. He’s not interested in me.
He only wants my brother.
My pulse kicks up a notch as Drake reaches his team at the door, a lone man slipping outside.
“Please,” I murmur to the guard standing a few feet away. “It’s Kyle, isn’t it?”
He crosses his arms over his chest and pretends he didn’t hear me.
“You need to untie my hands. Once Cole gets here, he’s going to place a price on the head of everyone here. You could be the savior. Wouldn’t you prefer to work for us instead?”
“Shut your mouth.”
“I’m serious.” I wiggle, trying to loosen my arms from the rope. “You’re going to get hurt. Or worse.”
I’ve never seen the i
“I said shut up.”
“You’re making a mistake…”
Kyle starts toward me, his menacing steps a fair indication he isn’t interested in my caution. The hard slap across the face clinches my assumption.
My head swings with the blow, my cheek blazing.
I blink back tears, determined not to let this asshole see me cry, even though dams build in my eyes. The show of emotion isn’t from weakness. It’s from pain. From fury. Rage spreads through my veins like wildfire.
I snicker out a maniacal laugh. “You’ll regret that.”
His arm lashes out, aiming for my neck. I tense, every muscle rigid as I wait for another blow.
Instead, he chuckles and grabs the gag to yank it back in place. “Keep quiet or I’ll glue your lips shut.”
I yank at my bindings. I squirm. I throw a hissy fit, my actions hopefully disguising my attempt to jolt my chair closer and closer toward Sarah.
He doesn’t notice the inches I gain as he moves back to stand with his arms crossed over his chest, his sight fixated on the men at the door. He doesn’t even notice I spend the next few minutes staring down at my friend lying directly at my side.