Page 134 of Power of Shadow

I feel like throwing up but smile slightly, neither confirming nor denying.

“You must be a wild and insatiable cat. Because of your lovemaking, I had to work an extra shift on guard duty.”

Four steps separate us. With each step he takes, my heart beats faster. “I think you owe me something.”

I almost vomit in my mouth.

When he stands fully in the hallway, I notice that he’s not much taller than me, which is a plus. However, he’s heavily built, which gives him strength. I have to find his weakness. And quickly.

Then he’s standing a step away from me. In a hushed voice, he adds, “But you can easily make it up to me, though not quickly. You can do it, even though you don’t look like it in those black, shapeless clothes.”

Blood boils in my veins.

His breath wafts over my face. It reeks of cigarettes and cheap alcohol.

“Is that what you want, big boy?” I ask seductively, lowering my eyelids. “First, you’ll have to take me to James.”

The guy stares, spellbound, and smiles. I doubt he even registered what I said, but when he hears the quiet sound of a gun being cocked, he freezes.

“What the fuck?” His eyes wander down to where my gun is pointed straight at his dick.

“I wanted to introduce you to my friend. Say hello nice and pretty, or he might shoot your head off,” I taunt, my eyes now cold.

“Who are you?”

“It doesn’t matter. Take me to James, and don’t even think about any stupid ideas, or it will end badly for you. I’ll shoot your stupid head off as soon as it crosses my mind that you want your friends’ backup. Do we understand each other?”

He swallows, and his Adam’s apple bobs up and down. He nods.

Not so brave now?

“Wonderful. Turn around slowly and lead the way. And pray we don’t meet anyone on the way, because then I won’t need you anymore. You know what I mean.”

This guy doesn’t look like he has a high IQ, but he definitely understands what I’m saying.

He slowly turns on his heel and heads back the way he came. Luckily for him, we don’t meet anyone on the stairs or in the hallway, and he doesn’t try to overpower me either. The barrel of the gun pressed against his lower back must be demotivating.

In one hallway, we stop in front of a door.

“Don’t leave me now. We’re going inside,” I urge him, but he shakes his head.

I’m already prepared for him to pull some stunt, but he lifts his fist and knocks three times.

There’s silence for four long seconds, until a dissatisfied, booming voice calls for us to come in.

Pressing the gun harder against the asshole’s spine, I command, “Men first.”

We enter, and I kick the door shut behind us.

I’m prepared for two men in the office, but there are four. This complicates the situation and drastically reduces my chances of leaving the room alive.

One thing is certain; we made quite an entrance. Four pairs of eyes rest on us, and eyebrows rise in surprise.

“Ash, what the—” I hear Ryker’s angry voice.

From the corner of my eye, I glance at him, then at James standing nearby. On the other side of the room stands none other than...

...the Vice President of the United States. He’s accompanied by a man not much older than me.