Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 108926 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 545(@200wpm)___ 436(@250wpm)___ 363(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108926 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 545(@200wpm)___ 436(@250wpm)___ 363(@300wpm)
“There ya go.” Once he had me settled, he rolled another chair a few inches from where I sat and dropped onto it. He rested his elbows on his knees while he considered me. His eyes were somehow both cunning and dead at the same time. His stare sent goosebumps racing up my arms, but they were nothing like the ones I felt whenever Nic was near. This man made me feel fear, and I began to wonder if I really was going to make it out of this alive.
“How long have ya been with himself?”
“About a month.” I forced my answer past a dry throat and stiff lips.
He nodded, as though he knew the answer already and was pleased I hadn’t tried to lie to him. Then he reached a hand into his pocket, and I stiffened in terror. When he pulled a small bottle of water out, the breath I’d been holding heaved out on a deep sigh. He cracked it open and held it to my lips, but I hesitated to take a sip, even though I was thirstier than I ever had been before.
“I don’t have ta trick ya with drugged water,” he said, bumping my lips with the bottle and tilting it up until I opened my mouth and drank from it greedily.
“There now,” he murmured, pulling the empty bottle away and dropping it onto the floor. “I’m happy ta know you’re willin’ ta see reason since I have some questions for ya.”
He seemed to be waiting for an answer, so I nodded warily.
“How much do ya know about yer man’s business?”
“Nothing.” I didn’t think about my response before I blurted it out, something I quickly came to regret.
“Ack, then, it's a shame I have ta rough ya up a bit ta prove me point. Sorry, me girl. This is goin’ ta hurt.”
Fear sliced through me as he stepped back and waved another man over. “A couple o’ digs,” Pat instructed, “but nothin’ broken or permanently damaged. She’ll fetch a fair price.”
I squeezed my eyes shut and prayed, not for myself, but for the safety of the baby I might be carrying. When I heard the soft click of the door shutting, I opened them again, just in time to see a meaty fist fly at my face. I refused to give him the satisfaction of hearing me scream, but at the feel of my lip splitting open, I couldn’t help the whimper that escaped. I swore, if I ever made it out of here, I would kill these bastards myself.
With the next hit, the world went fuzzy and turned to black.
Chapter Twenty
NIC
“If I weren’t so fucking livid, it would almost be funny that you thought you could hide from me, Darby,” I spat. “Did you really believe that you could so easily sway people away from me?”
Darby scowled at me, but didn’t speak as he sat tied to a chair at the back of my warehouse.
“If you want that kind of power, go back to Boston and join the Southies. But here in New York, the DeLucas run things, and I think it’s about fucking time to remind people of this. Finding Gianna and destroying those who took her is going to send a message not to fuck with what’s mine.”
I walked up close and bent over so I was eye to eye with him. “If you tell me where she is, I’ll consider letting you deliver the message in person.” My next words were full of deadly intent. “If you don’t, we’ll deliver the message in the form of your broken and bloody, dead body.”
Staring fixedly into his green eyes, I saw what he was trying hard to hide. Fear. I smiled smugly as I stood back up. Without warning, I bent my arm and threw a fist into his face, breaking his nose, causing him to scream and blood to spurt from his nose it. “For your little stunt with Brandon and Carly,” I explained.
“Untie him,” I instructed, without taking my eyes off the little bastard. Felix, one of my enforcers, took a pair of scissors and cut the zip ties. Getting into Darby’s space once more, I wrapped the fingers of one hand around his neck and squeezed, lifting him from his seat.
“What’s it gonna be?” I questioned.
He struggled to breathe, his hands clawing at my fingers when they weren’t swinging out, trying to strike me. I had over a foot and at least fifty pounds on him, keeping him from even reaching me, let alone doing any damage.
“Boss,” someone called from the doorway to the offices.
“Not now,” I growled.
“Boss, it’s a delivery. You’re gonna want to see it.” Something in his voice convinced me to drop the cowardly motherfucker to the ground and step away as he fell to his knees, doubling over, and trying to suck in air.