Page 182 of Bishop

He jolts, rolling away with a groan.

I need a taser. A knife. Some rope or cable ties.

I can’t continue this close proximity fight. I’m losing strength. I can barely breathe.

“Tell me.” This time it’s an exhausted plea. “Please, Aaron. Just fucking tell me where my daughter is.”

He begins to laugh, the sound choked and haunting.

He’s going to kill me. As soon as he gets the chance, I’m dead.

What will that mean for Tilly?

“Please.” My heart thuds in my chest, the sound so loud I almost mistake it for the footsteps that carry from outside.

I freeze, pure panic draining the blood from my face.

Geppet set me up. He has reinforcements.

I glance around the room, frantically trying to figure out how to escape, how to protect myself against more than one attacker when a loud crack splits the air. The front door swings open and slams into the adjoining wall.

A man stalks inside, face full of fury, fists clenched at his sides.

“Bishop,” I gasp, slumping in relief.

I fall back onto my ass as he strides for me, those angry eyes pinning me in place. But I don’t care. He’s here. He found me.

He barely spares Geppet a glance as he passes, planting his foot on the guy’s shoulder to shove him to the ground before continuing toward me. “Are you hurt?”

I shake my head, too overwhelmed with gratitude to complain.

“How did you find me?” I croak. “You weren’t following.”

“I was always following.” Calloused fingers grab my chin in a delicate hold. “My men placed a tracker on his car. We kept a few miles behind. But I never should’ve let you fucking leave.”

“I…” I don’t know how to excuse my foolishness. Don’t know what to say.

“Tell me you’re okay,” he demands.

“I am now that you’re here.” The vulnerable admission sears my throat, but it’s the truth.

His gaze falls to my throbbing cheek, his eyes turning feral as his thumb strokes the swollen flesh.

“I’m okay,” I repeat. “He’s in worse shape.”

“What else did he do?” His touch continues to lovingly stroke. So gentle. So sweet. “Where else are you hurt?”

I slide my palm over his hand and lean into his affection with my entire soul. “It doesn’t matter. Not now. He knows where Tilly is. He said Adena is preparing to take her out of the country.”

“Where else are you hurt?” he barks.

“That doesn’t matter. What’s important is getting the information he has on Tilly.”

“The information will come. But not before I understand what happened here.”

I glance around his hips, seeing Geppet crawling toward the door. “Bishop, please. He’s going to run. Then all this will be for nothing.”

“He’s not going anywhere. Just tell me what he did.”

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