There was a tiny wound in the back of her hand, about the size a needle would make if they’d inserted a cannula. Was the reason she had to pee so badly because they’d replenished the fluids she’d lost in their game of roast the captive alive?
Since there was no toilet paper, Rose stayed squatted above the hole until any lingering drips had stopped, then pushed herself back into a standing position so she could carefully ease her pajama pants back up.
Her backside protested the movement, and she limped back over to the blanket and pillow. There was every chance she was being watched, and she knew she had to take advantage of this opportunity while it presented itself.
One thing she knew for certain was that Ridge didn't care enough about her to be interested in these men abducting her. When they realized that, they would up their torture game. Just because they’d patched her up this time didn't mean they would next time, so this could be her only chance to be clear-headed enough to try to find a way out.
Like always, if she waited for someone else to save her, it was never going to happen.
Good thing Rose had plenty of practice being the hero of her own story.
Chapter
Six
December 27th
11:22 A.M.
While Steel couldn’t argue the fact that he was confused as hell about this entire situation he and his men had gotten themselves into, there was one thing he was certain about.
They couldn’t go on like this.
All the things they thought they’d be able to achieve by having Ridge Gardner’s little sister in their possession were now clearly not going to happen.
Yesterday, after they’d forced Rose to take the drugs, one a painkiller the other a sedative, he and Voodoo had spent a couple of hours in the basement cell with the little ladybug, cleaning her wounds, putting antibiotic cream on them, bandaging the ones on her wrists, and rehydrating her. As they were doing that, the others were getting the video ready to send.
It had now been twenty-four hours since the video had hit the doctor’s email.
The video had been watched, they knew that thanks to the tracking virus they’d hidden in it. Unfortunately, they hadn'tbeen able to get a read on the doctor’s location, though. Wherever the man was hiding, he was using protections so he couldn’t be found.
If the crazed scientist had watched a video of his sister being tortured and yet made no attempts to reach out to them despite their threats that they would escalate things, then nothing was going to work.
Personally, Steel didn't see how a man could watch a woman he was related to strung up, bleeding, and being struck with a whip, and not want to tear off the heads of the people doing it.
Hehad been the one overseeing the torture, and he wanted to rip off his own head and those of his team who were only following his orders.
They had miscalculated the doctor’s attachment to his only living family member, and because of that, they’d needlessly inflicted suffering on an innocent woman. One he knew was messing with all of their heads with her crazy behavior, refusal to cower before them, and bratty confidence.
“Still no replies?” Steel asked Dragon, who was monitoring communication for them.
The man shook his head, and as he looked around at the faces of the other men sitting around the kitchen table, he knew it was time for him to make some tough decisions. He’d promised them that he would get them retribution, and made the decision to go after Rose, even though the others had all agreed. He’d insisted on continuing with things even when his gut was nudging him to admit that what he was doing wasn't only wrong but wouldn’t get him the desired results.
That they had to change up their plans was a given, but Steel hated letting his men down again. Seemed it was all he managed to do.
“None,” Dragon replied, frustration emanating off him in angry waves.
Steel got it, he did, he felt the same way. This was supposed to work, supposed to be a slam dunk. Yet instead, all they had now was guilt over harming an innocent, and confirmation that the soulless killing machines Dr. Gardner wanted to create had finally come into existence despite them fighting against it for a decade.
Spearing his fingers through his hair, Steel prepared himself for what he had to say. Knowing he had no choice didn't make it any easier. “He doesn’t care about her,” he admitted, a hard admission to make, because really they should have been able to guess that a man who would so easily play God with other people’s lives didn't care about anyone but himself.
Angry grunts and growls came from the other men, and he knew they were all having as hard a time understanding that as he was. They had all walked away from their families to protect them. If they found out any one of their parents, siblings, nieces, nephews, grandparents, aunts, or uncles had been harmed, they would move heaven and earth to save them.
Not callously ignore the problem.
“What does that mean for your little ladybug?” Thunder asked.
Shifting uncomfortably at hearing her called his, Steel hated that he had been transparent enough with his … interest in the woman that the others had picked up on it.
