The guys are going to hate this.
I release my hold on Theo’s jacket and turn my hands, squeezing Alex's and Theo’s hands, hoping to relay just how much I love these guys. I’d do the same for Rhys, but I don’t want to draw attention to myself. At least not yet.
Alex’s gaze meets mine, and he must see something on my face because the muscle in his jaw jumps and his eyes narrow. His hand tightens on mine. Theo glances at me as well, but instead of frustration like with Alex, he offers me a small, resigned smile, squeezes my hand back and then releases it. He understands what I need to do.
Alex holds onto my hand a moment longer before he too releases it.
I suck in a breath and steel my spine before turning and stepping towards Luke and Mark. “Is there any room for me to talk in this negotiation?” I ask, causing Luke to stop mid-tirade as everyone snaps their attention to me.
Rhys’s eyes tighten, almost like he’s in pain when he sees me while Anthony and Colin are looking at me like I’ve lost my mind. The two security guys on either side of Anthony have their full attention on me, and from the crawling sensation on my spine, the guards at Alex and Theo’s backs are focused on me, too.
Good. This is exactly what I wanted.
Luke’s eyes narrow, and he takes a step towards me, only to be stopped by Mark, who tilts his head to the side.
“What do you have in mind?” he says, intrigued.
Well shit. I hadn’t really thought this far, but at least I have everyone’s attention. Time to see how good my acting skills are. Not that it takes much effort to look nervous and intimidated when my heart is slamming against my rib cage and my hands are sweating.
“What if I take Rhys’s place with Luke and he goes with you? I’d be of much more value since hurting me—” Iron-tasting saliva floods my mouth and I have to swallow “—would be more painful for him in the long run. Even more with him knowing that he can’t stop it.”
Luke grins, and his eyes brighten with a look so psychotic it makes me want to run screaming for the hills. “Well, isn’t that an interesting offer? I’m—”
“No.”
The smile drops from Luke’s face at Mark’s voice, and he whirls around to face the older man. “Are we not even discussing this?” he spits out as he gets in his face. “You’re just going to answer for the both of us?”
Mark stares down the other man, unfazed by the venom in his voice. “I am. Remember who’s in charge here, Luke, and who has the power because it’s not you. You lost that the moment you fucked up and let two captives runfree onyourwatch.”
Luke doesn’t back down. He stabs his finger into Mark’s chest and gets right into his face as he snarls, “I haven’t lostshit.I’mthe one who has the numbers,I’mthe one who set this entire thing up! You don’t get to dictate everything, not when you’re only standing here because ofme.”
He then whirls around to face me, his dark eyes simmering with rage and a dark madness that has the hair on the back of my neck standing on end. “You want to save yourboyfriend?” he sneers. “Come here.” He crooks his finger, his expression down right sinister.
That look spells trouble and pain for me. I swallow hard around the lump in my throat, my pulse thundering in my ears as some of my earlier rage freezes into fear.
Luke’s lips curl into a dark grin at my expression. “Maybe you don’t want to save him that badly then,” he taunts. “Pity. Guess I’ll have to take my disappointment out on Rhys instead.”
I can already see the guards losing interest in whatever’s happening between us, their attention moving back to their captives.Fuck. I can’t let this opportunity to distract them go to waste, no matter how painful it might be. Gritting my teeth, I take a bold step towards Luke, that has his smile faltering and everyone zeroing in on me.
I half-expect Mark to tell Luke to knock it off and let it go, that nothing I do will change his plans. But he’s watching me with his head tilted to the side, arms crossed over his chest, and a calculating gleam in his eyes. He’s apparently curious enough to let whatever this is go ahead.
Not sure if that’s a good thing or not. Probably not if the psychotic grin spreading across Luke’s lips is anything to go by.
I take another step until I’m standing right in front of the psycho.
“Well, well, well,” Luke says as his hand drops to rest on the hilt of his knife at his waist. “You surprise me, freebie. I thought for sure you’d chicken out.” He tightens that hand and draws the knife from its sheath, the blade glinting in the fading sunlight.
I eye the knife warily, my body tensing as I try and fail to stop myself from trembling. My earlier rage is almost completely gone, replaced with ice-cold fear that trickles down my spine and clamps around my chest like a vise.
Luke brings said knife up and presses the flat of the blade against my cheek. If I were into knife play before, I’m definitely not now.
“Such a willing sacrifice,” he murmurs, his eyes intent on watching the blade as he moves it down my face and neck to rest against my chest. “But how far will you go, hm? Are you willing to let me cut you? Brand you so every time your boyfriend looks at you, he sees exactly who you belong to?”
Rhys sucks in a sharp breath from where he stands behind Luke as Theo and Alex growl behind me. Luke chuckles, the sound edged with insanity as his dark eyes light up with delight.
“Have you been opening your legs to more than one man, freebie?” He tuts and shakes his head in mock disappointment. “It’s a good thing Ethan isn’t alive to see this, otherwise he’d be crushed and hisbetrayalwill have been for nothing.” There’s a bite of anger in his voice.
Bile burns my throat as nausea swirls in my stomach. Everything inside me is screaming for me to back away, torunfrom this monster, but I hold my ground. Even as my skin crawls as that knife slides back up to my cheek, the sharp edge resting threateningly against my flesh.
