“What’s the rush? You don’t work until later.”
What do I even say? My boss kidnapped the guy whom I know nothing about, and now I have to rush in there and try to save him, even though I have no clue why Declan wants him dead.
“Okay, don’t freak out or anything. But Declan kidnapped Myles.”
“Your boss kidnapped a dude who you barely know, and now you want to go save him? Is that what you’re saying?”His words are coated in sarcasm.
“Yes! Now, can you please hurry up!”
“Mina…If Declan's involved, you know the guy must be bad news. You see the kind of shit Declan does on the side. Why the fuck would you even think about getting involved?!”
“Forget it!” I hang up and toss my phone into my bag. I grab a pair of running shoes out of my back seat. Thank God I practically live out of my truck with how often I work. I quickly swap from my boots to the runners and get out. I throw my backpack over my shoulders, click the lock twice, then take off running toward town. It’s only a couple of miles away.
As I get closer to town, the little voice in my head starts nagging me and making me question the whole situation. I don’t know why the fuck I’m even doing this. I don’t know this man. He could be a drug trafficker or murderer for all I know. This is so fucking stupid. And risky. He’s just some guy…
No. I know I felt the connection between us. First in the room when he kissed me, then at the diner when he held my hand. He can’t be a murderer…Maybe a drug trafficker, but definitely not a murderer…I hope.
Damnit, Mina. Why the hell do you always end up in fucking weird ass situations? After this is all said and done, and I move to Vegas, I need to start fresh. I need to bury this old life. No more strip clubs. No more shady bosses.
The town is quiet. I'm out of breath as I finally turn onto Main Street. My chest is burning, and my feet feel like they’re going to fall off. Noted, if I haven’t run in over a year, running more than two miles might kill me.
I glance around the empty street, then pull my phone out of my bag. I try Declan one last time. The phone still goes straight to voicemail.
“God Damnit!” I shout as I shove the phone into my backpack before tossing it back onto my shoulders.
I stretch, feeling the burn in my muscles before taking off again. Badlands is only a ten-minute walk from here, so I should be able to run it in five.
I practically collapse on the sidewalk outside of Badlands. I feel like I’m going to throw up. After all this is over with, I need to start going back to the gym for cardio, not just muscle strengthening.
I take a moment to walk around the building. There are only two cars in the side lot, one of them is Myles's and the other might be Tony's. I walk over to Myles’s car and check the handle. It’s unlocked. I toss my backpack into the back seat before heading towards the back door of the club. Out back is only Declan’s Range Rover. No one else is here.
When I take a few steps closer to the Range Rover, my heart drops into my stomach. Deep red blood streaks are leading from the car to the back door. It looks like he's bleeding badly, and they dragged him inside. I pause at the back door before walking inside. He has to still be alive.
It’s silent in the club. No lights are on except the glow behind the bar and the rope light surrounding the stage. The scent of fresh cleaner mixed with blood hits my nose and makes my throat burn.
I keep checking over my shoulder. I feel like someone is watching me. I can feel their eyes following my movements…Or maybe I’m just paranoid. There aren’t any cameras set up in this club, so it’s not like that would be the cause of the sensation. Declan had them all removed when he took over after Jocko was murdered.
I head down the back hall to the employee area. The hall is dark, nearly pitch black. If it weren’t for the line ofred LED lights running along the floor, I wouldn’t even be able to see where I was going.
“Mina,” a whisper comes from behind me in the darkness. But the second I turn around, something metal connects with the side of my face. Hitting the floor is the last thing I feel before my world turns black.
CHAPTER 10
Myles
“Wake up!”
My body jolts.
I try to reach and wipe my eyes, but I can’t move. My body jolts again as someone kicks the chair that I’m apparently strapped to. My wrists are bound tightly to the rungs behind my back. My ankles are bound to the legs of the chair as well. I can feel dried blood crusted to the side of my face and in my hair. What the fuck just happened?
“I said, wake up, Langston! I want a God Damn answer!”
My eyes crack open. The lights are blinding as I blink. There’s a ringing in my ears as I gently shake my head, trying to wake myself up.
“Well, well, well. Mina may have fucked up at securing you the first time, but you made it too easy this time.”
Mina? Oh God…The memories of this morning come flooding back.
