Page 79 of Becoming His Pet

“No. I want to get up there now. Who knows what he’s done to her already or what will happen when Mr. Smith gets there. Surprise attack, it’s really our only option right now. We go up and when the door opens we rush in. It didn’t sound like other people were up there. Maybe he only has the woman,” Greg pressed. Waiting meant she’d have more chances of being hurt, left alone, and scared.

“Or his guards were just not talking,” John snapped.

“What do you suggest then?” Greg asked.

John shook his head. “We don’t have time to wait for more men to get here, and they’re working cases right now too. We’ll go up, but you stay in the back, Greg. With your injuries, you’re slow, and you’ll just be more of a liability.”

Greg’s hackles raised, but he knew they were right. Marching off into battle with a fucked-up foot, shot-up arm, and broken ribs wasn’t going to get him very far. And the mission was too important to fuck it up for his pride.

After he nodded in agreement, the four men moved into action. Armed with a small arsenal, they marched through the lobby of the building, Gary taking care of the rent-a-cop sitting at the concierge desk before joining them at the elevator.

“When we get out of the elevator, the door is straight ahead,” Gary told them while adjusting the strap on his weapon.

The tension built in the small elevator as the men waited for the floor to come up. Greg gripped his gun, clenching his teeth. If anything happened to her, if they touched her, he wanted to kill Bernie his own way. Not a quick shot to the head, but he would have to get to him first.

The ding of the elevator refocused Greg to the mission at hand and he focused on the doors sliding open. The front door was right there, and it was open. The woman who’d opened the door for the pizza stood in the narrow opening, panic on her face.

“Are one of you Greg?” she whispered into the hall before checking behind her.

Greg pushed forward to the door. “I am.”

“Elenora is in the bedroom. Bernie just went in there with Mr. Smith.” She pulled the door open and waved them in. “Straight down that hall to the right.” She pointed.

“You need to get out of here, but don’t go far. Wait down in the lobby,” Gary said to the woman, but Greg was already hobbling down the hall.

John and Blake stepped up, pushing him back again.

“When we get in there, you have to stay calm,” Blake said with a hushed voice.

“You realize I’ve been on missions before,” Greg snapped.

“Yeah, I do, but not one of them was to save a woman you loved. It’s different,” Blake shot back with a shove to his shoulder.

“The two of you can work out your sibling rivalry when we’re done here.” John poked Greg in the back.

They came up to the bedroom door.

“I’m not going anywhere with you.” Nora’s stubborn cheek came through clear. Good girl; she hadn’t lost her spirit.

“She’s a bit feistier than her mother was. But she looks so much like her.” Another voice, assumedly Mr. Smith, followed.

“Yes, and I have the report from the doctor for you. Responds well to stimulus. You’ll enjoy playing with her, I think,” Bernie said.

Greg pushed John and signaled for him to get moving.

John glanced at Blake then with a nod, he pushed forward, opened the door, and then barged in, guns raised and trained on the two men.

Greg’s gaze found Nora and air finally entered his lungs. Breath came easier, his heart didn’t ache with every beat. She was safe. And appeared to be untouched.

“What is this?” Mr. Smith, an old stick figure of man with a pointed nose and white hair sputtered, putting his hands in the air.

“This is my ride,” Nora said, a smile creeping onto her lips, but Greg could see the fear still on the surface, in her eyes.

“Fucking bastard!” Bernie stuttered and spit, his face reddening as he glared at Greg.

“Where are your men?” Mr. Smith demanded. “Why don’t you have men here?”

Greg wondered the same thing, but he was too busy making his way to Nora.

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