Page 251 of Wild Mustang Security Firm

Christian tied her to the chair, even wrapping several loops of rope around her waist, effectively securing her in place. Given enough time, she might be able to get herself free, but likely not without breaking the chair and definitely not without making noise.

“Not too uncomfortable, I hope,” he mocked, withdrawing a small wallet out of his pocket and removing a syringe. “This will only hurt for a minute and will wear off in a few hours. It should have no lasting side effects. Once you wake up and get free, don’t call the cops. We just need Thom’s help here for a day or two. Call in sick or do whatever you have to do to keep the boys at Wild Mustang off our back. As long as Thom cooperates, we’ll return him to you unharmed and everyone can get back to their spank-happy lives.”

Stuck to the chair, Avery had no way of yanking her arm out of his or that needle’s reach. She saw Thom’s stricken face just before the sharp needle stuck her. Within seconds, her head started to swim as the tranquilizer sped through her system.

Turning to Thom, he said, “We’ll let you call her on a secure line later today so you know she’s all right and we haven’t harmed her… except for maybe that little pinch. Sorry about that; I just couldn’t resist.”

Shaking her head, trying to fight off the drowsing effect of the drug, she seethed, “If you hurt him, I will hunt you down and kill you. I’ll never stop, and I will destroy you, Fariq, and anyone else who helps you.”

“I’m sure you will, there’s a good baby girl,” Christian soothed, patting her knee. To Thom, he said, “That’s one feisty little girl you’ve got yourself, Lyndon. I’ll bet you have to spank her ass on a regular basis.” The last thing Avery heard before she succumbed to the sedative was Christian saying, “In a situation like this, though, you might want to teach her to stick to her little girl routine. She threatens me again, and I’ll not only clamp hernipples and welt her ass, but I’ll fuck her right here in front of you.”

Chapter

Ten

Avery woke to the sound of her landline ringing beside her bed. Her mouth tasted like cotton and the ache in her stiff muscles said she’d probably been slumped in that chair for at least two hours. By the time the phone started ringing again several minutes later, she had managed to squeeze out of one zip tie, break through another, and she was well on her way to loosening the rope around her middle. She didn’t even have to break the chair.

“Avery? What the fuck?” Noah snapped angrily once she made it to the phone. “I thought you and Thom were going to get the team together so we could go over what Zara and I picked up about Fariq and Christian. I get that the two of you want some time, I do, but it’s going to have to wait or at least get interrupted.”

Glad as she was to hear his voice, Avery could have done without the yelling. Her muscles ached; her head hurt. She had no idea if she was going to follow Christian’s orders yet, but she needed her head to clear long enough for her to at least know what she was doing… and the consequences that would inevitably follow.

“Right, I know,” she said as soon as he was done yelling at her. It was all she could do not to sound as drugged as she still felt. “But Thom said you said it could wait and so we thought what’s one more day. I mean it’s not like this is a paying gig. Besides, you and Croft can keep Finn and Zara safe.”

“You may have a point,” Noah said grudgingly. “I gotta hand it to Thom, he seems to have gotten a handle on your attitude about me more quickly than I thought he would.”

“Don’t kid yourself, Taylor… you won’t know when and you won’t know how, but when it happens, you’ll know why.”

Noah laughed out loud. “Careful, Avery, your daddy might not approve of you talking to me like that.”

“That is so not fair,” she said, forcing herself to laugh so she would sound normal. “You guys can’t gang up on me.”

“Sure we can, sweetheart. In all seriousness, I think Thom could be the best thing that ever happened to you. You are happy about it, aren’t you?”

“Yeah,” she said softly, and she didn’t even have to fake the sincerity. “I love him, and for reasons I’ll never understand, he loves me too.”

In that moment, her head cleared. She didn’t care what Fariq wanted with Thom’s expertise, Zara had said that Fariq was first and foremost a businessman and Christian seemed to think this was a straight up business deal. Avery didn’t care if whatever Thom did meant that Fariq could get a stranglehold on the international arms dealing industry. As long as she got Thom back, relatively unharmed, she didn’t care.

Avery knew before she made any final decisions, she needed to talk privately with Finn and Zara. She and Finn had become good friends since Finn had moved in with Croft. And if Noah loved and trusted Zara, which he had to if he was marrying her, then she felt she could trust her too. Besides Zara and Finn had been close friends for years.

“Thom’s in the shower, do you want me to give him a message?”

“Yeah, tell him I told him it’s a lot more fun to shower with your woman than alone. Damn it, Zara, don’t kick me. Careful, woman, or your ass is going to be as red as I suspect Avery’s is.”

“You’re an asshole, Noah,” said Avery.

“I love you too, Avery. Zara says hello.”

“Tell Zara I said hi and that Finn and I will call her about five our time to discuss the final plans for the color scheme… or I could have you relay what I found out to Finn and Zara.”

“Good God, leave me out of it. All I need to know is when and where and that Zara’s not planning anything that’ll get her ass beat on our wedding night.”

“Are you freaking kidding me?” Zara half laughed, half shrieked just as the phone disconnected. With any luck, as soon as Noah relayed what she’d said his soon-to-bride would figure out that something was up. The color scheme for their wedding had been decided months ago. The two women had teased Avery that she and Thom could have her wedding that evening. If things went right, there might be a chance of that happening. In some ways Thom was very traditional. In fact, if one didn’t think too hard about his rodeo riding, he was probably the most traditional of the lot.

Hoping Christian knew enough about whatever he’d given her to time how long she’d be out, she ran to get her phone from her cellphone charger. After that, all she could do was sit and wait, and will the phone to ring. It was the longest wait of her life, but eventually it did.

“Look, you sonofabitch,” Avery snapped, answering on the first ring. “I meant what I said, if you’ve hurt him…”

“Princess? I thought we already talked once about your language.”

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