He tilted his head.“All right, boss lady.I’ll see what I can do.”
In a flash he was beside her, scrunching his hand in her hair.She didn’t even have the chance to scream before she saw stars, and then the world went dark.
****
Her head was pounding.Thump, thump, thump.She opened her bleary eyes slowly.There was something coating it, coating her vision.She blinked against the sticky substance, and the room fell into a blurry view.Her mouth was dry, and she opened it, as if to finish her scream from earlier as it all came tumbling back to her like a broken jigsaw puzzle.She had been in her office; she’d been knocked out and taken by one of Max’s people.
“There she is.Welcome back to the land of the living, sleeping beauty.Play your cards right, and you might just stay in that fairy-tale realm.”Max smiled.
She willed her heart to calm, to steady.Where was she?She cast her eyes around.Night had fallen.They were in a rundown-looking bar she didn’t recognize.There were a few men sitting around the tables, drinking.She was in the center of the room, at an empty table, her hands tied behind her back.
Damn it, she couldn’t be more on show if she tried.
There was no getting out of this.Maybe if they all left the room, she could try to run.They hadn’t restrained her legs ...but then why would they need to?They were a group of killers with weapons, and she was one woman.One weak, helpless woman.
She breathed through her nose slowly, employing the breathing techniques she’d used since she was a child, when she would hear the footsteps at night, when her foster dad would come into her room stinking of booze and she would hide.She would hide, but there was nowhere to hide now.
Max smiled, taking the seat next to her like they were two old friends sharing a late-night drink.He seemed able to sense her thoughts, her fears, he was adept at this, no matter how hard she tried to calm herself down.She watched as he dipped a rag into a jug of water and then stood over her, wiping at the dry, crusted blood on her forehead.She let him.She didn’t flinch.She needed to be able to see, she needed as much of an advantage as possible.
He chucked the rag on the table.“Good girl,” he murmured, and bile rose in her throat.“I like a girl who doesn’t fight back.You’re smart.Curly shouldn’t have been so heavy handed.I did try and tell him.”He shook his head at the man like he was disappointed in one of his children.Curly hung his head.“And this will all be over soon.Your prince charming will be here to rescue you, and you will have served your purpose.”
She wasn’t thinking about herself.No.She was thinking about him.About how his childhood, his whole life, was ruined by the man in front of her, and if only she could, she would stab him and not think twice about it.She would be doing so many people a favor, saving so many by ridding him from the earth.
“So, do you know where he is, so we can deliver our message?”Max said, propping his legs up on the table.
“No, I haven’t seen him in a few days.”
He clicked his tongue.“Such pretty lies.”He snapped his fingers and Curly took a photo of her.“Looks like we will have to do this the modern way.So impersonal though, don’t you think?”He sighed.“Oh well, he’ll be here soon enough.But while we wait, let’s have a little chat, shall we?”He took a sip of his beer.“You know I’m going to have to punish all of those people you sent your little message to, right?”
Her heart hammered.She shouldn’t have sent it.What was she thinking?It was selfish.So selfish.
“Lily, lovely Lily.”He tasted her name.“Don’t worry about her, she’s been a loyal dog.No need to punish her.”
“What are you talking about?”The words tumbled from her mouth before she could stop them.She was giving him what he wanted, his pre-show before the real entertainment showed up, but she didn’t care.She needed to know if Lily was okay.
“Everyone can be bought.Not with money, no, no, but everyone has something they care about, something they can’t live without.And it turns out Lily has some adorable grandchildren.So,” he clicked his tongue, “I’ve been having her work for me, keeping tabs on you, hacking into your computer, your phone, your tablets, all that.How did you think we knew about the message before you sent it?We’ve been spying on you in real time, darling.”
“I don’t believe you.”Her voice was small.So small.
He smiled, true glee passing his features.He dialed Lily’s number.“Hello flower, I need you to do something for me.Tell me the last thing I asked you to do regarding my little problem.”
Lily’s voice came over from the other side.It was tight and quiet, like she was speaking through gritted teeth.“Tap Alana’s email.”
His smile was so wide that she could see one of his gold teeth.
“Thank you, petal, good work.”
He disconnected the call.“See?Everyone can be bought.Everyone wants to survive.And Drew is a survivor.Oh yes, he’s a survivor, is our Drewy.And he will survive this.You will not.Because it doesn’t matter how much time has passed, he is one of us and he is mine.”
He couldn’t be more wrong.It made her smile.“You’re wrong.He loves me and I love him.There’s nothing you can do to change that.”
His lip curled.“I don’t think he knows what love is, darling.I stamped it out of him long ago.”
She opened her mouth to retort when abangcame from the direction of the kitchen.Max sighed, slapping his hands on his knees as he went to check it out.He whistled to his cronies, and they followed him like the dogs they were.
She didn’t know whether to be offended that he had left no one to guard her.She struggled against her restraints, the rope burning into her skin.It was useless.A frustrated sob escaped her lips.
The only one you are allowed, she told herself.You will not give him the satisfaction.
