Gracie had been tossed into a chair in the middle of the room, her wrists and ankles tied. Then, the bastard had shoved a needle into a vein in her left arm. Some sort of truth serum, they’d told her.
Which, of course, hadn’t worked, either.You can’t divulge what you don’t know.
Yavuz, the idiot, thought she was holding out on him in hopes of being released. Gracie snorted to herself. She knew better than to think this would end with anything other than her death.
She knew her fate. Had even accepted it. She’d be murdered, just as Craig had been. And Nate.
God, Nate. I’m so sorry.
Her eyes caught a glimpse of the gold band still shining on her finger. A tear escaped the corner of her eye, trickling down her temple onto the pillow below her head.
Huh. Guess I do have a few more left in there, after all.
Blinking against them, Gracie shook her head and tried to clear her mind. The drugs were starting wear off, but she still felt a bit loopy.
Part of her wanted to just give up, but she couldn’t bring herself to. Nate wouldn’t want that. She could practically hear him yelling at her to snap out of it and keep fighting.
So, she would. For him.
The door to the room opened, but instead of Achim Akmar standing there, it was Yavuz. The bastard smiled.
“You are awake. Excellent.”
“No,” Gracie glared back at him. “Excellent would be watching your head explode right off your shoulders.”
She knew better than to provoke him, but those damn drugs made it even harder than normal for her to keep her big mouth shut.
Rather than yelling or striking out at her, as she’d thought he would, Yavuz threw his head back and laughed. The assholelaughed.
“The drugs are still working, I see. It is so refreshing to hear the truth fall from a woman’s mouth for a change.” He stepped farther inside the room. “It is not often I hear such honesty in my line of work.”
“And which work would that be?” Gracie asked the madman. “Crooked politician or cold-blooded murderer?”
Yavuz laughed again. “Both, I suppose.”
“Well, since you believe the drugs are working, that means you believe me when I say I don’t know what it is you want from me. If Craig sent me something, and I’m not so sure he actually did, I obviously have no idea what it was or where it could be.”
“You know, Miss McDaniels, I am starting to believe you. In fact, I think you’re just an innocent pawn in all this.”
Gracie laid her head back onto the pillow and muttered, “About fucking time.”
Making a clicking sound with his tongue, Yavuz shook his head and scowled. “Now, that’s no way for a lady to talk.”
Was this guy serious?
“Sorry, Edric. My manners left about the same time your buddy Akmar punched me in the face and then put a gun to my head.”
“Yes, well. He is very good at what he does. We all have certain things we have to do.”
“And what is it you think you have to do, Mr. President?” Gracie spit the title out like it had left a bad taste in her mouth. “Protect something you clearly have no real threat of losing? Craig’s secret died with him. You’re free and clear to do whatever the hell it was you’d planned to do. So, why don’t you just let me go?”
Faux sympathy crossed his face. “Oh, my dear Gracelynn. We both know it’s too late for that.”
Though, she’d known it was a ridiculous hope to carry, a tiny part of her had still held on to the idea he’d feel sorry for her and let her go back to her life. A life that no longer included Nathan Carter.
Another tear slipped from her eye. She hated the satisfaction it gave Yavuz when he saw it.
“Do not cry, Gracelynn. I have not come to kill you, yet.”
