Page 57 of Love In The Shadows

The second hit was more brutal and landed right at his temple. He slid to the floor, knocked out cold, and I silently marveled that I’d actually learned something in the self-defense classes I’d taken after moving to Vegas.

“Avery!” Paige hissed, keeping her voice low. “Oh my God!”

I bent over and tore my nails at the thick duct tape encircling my ankles. My nails slashed through the air, making me feel like a wild animal. Behind me, Paige struggled even harder to get free of her own zip tie cuffs. Finally, I got one leg free. Then the other. I kicked my heels off, launched to my feet, and jumped to help Paige break free.

“No!” Paige waved her fingers. “Go! Get out of here while you still can.”

“I’m not leaving you.”

“You have to! Go, get help! Call the police! Tell them where we are. He can’t kill me while he still has Reed on the hook. Go!”

At the fierce look in her eyes, I stopped working. The window for a chance to escape was rapidly closing. Hell, it might already be closed. For all I knew, Richie could be on the other side of the door, his hand on the knob, ready to burst in. I’d be locked up—hurt or worse—and my escape wouldn’t get us anywhere.

“Okay,” I said, my voice a throaty whisper. “I’ll go. But I’m coming back!”

Paige nodded, her eyes gleaming with unshed tears. “Go. I’ll be okay.”

I squeezed her hands and then released her just as quickly before I could change my mind. I stepped over the body of the unconscious Vinnie and then stooped over to tug the gun free from the back of his jeans. The gun felt strange in my hand, but I forced myself to carry it with a confidence I didn’t feel as I bolted across the room and lunged for the door.

I silently opened it a crack, glanced both ways and cocked an ear to listen for footsteps. For the moment, the coast was clear. I threw a final pained glance back at Paige, and she gave me a watery smile. “Give ‘em hell, girl.”

I pinched my eyes closed, pushed the door fully open, and ran like hell.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Bennett

“That fucking son of a bitch!”

Reed raised his hand, ready to chuck his phone, but I stopped him, snatching it away from his grip. “What did he say?”

My own rage simmered under the surface. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been so angry. Or terrified. Especially when Reed recapped the conversation and confirmed my darkest fear…Richie had Tori.

Reed glared straight ahead, his jaw tensing and releasing like he was chewing a stale piece of gum. “He says I have one hour to sign the contract and send it, or he’ll kill Paige.”

“What about Avery?”

“He said he’ll keep her around for…fun.”

My stomach rolled, and I drew in a sharp breath to keep myself from throwing up all over the asphalt beneath my feet.

“I’m gonna rip that motherfucker limb from limb,” I gritted out. “No, actually, that’s too good for a piece of shit like Richie Dalton.”

As a former Navy SEAL, I lived for days like this. I knew how to make people wish for death. It was a dark side of me, one I didn’t tap into often, but I’d gladly make an exception in this case.

We raced from the club to the warehouse where Richie and I made the exchange hours before. The place was a burned-out factory that had been condemned by the city a long time ago. A high fence circled the property, complete with a double layer of razor wire to keep out vandals and drug dealers.

“We’re not going to let it get that far,” I said, snapping back to the present. We parked as close as I dared, cutting the headlights long before we reached the security fence. We hoofed it to the far west corner and were overlooking the property, looking for any signs of activity. So far, we didn’t see any.

“We’ll get her back. We’ll get both of them back.”

“Poor Avery,” Reed said, shaking his head. “She’s not even a part of this, and now…”

“She’ll be fine,” I said through tightly gritted teeth.

There weren’t any other options available.

All four of us were walking out of this. And Richie—Richie was going to be missing the back half of his fucking head by the time I was done with him.

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