Page 29 of A Linton Scandal

Juliette

I bit down on the strap that had been roughly shoved in my mouth by the men who’d captured me had brought me to an abandoned building. The smell rotten fish in the air, caused my stomach to turn.

Struggling, I lashed out with my foot trying to kick one of my kidnappers in the stomach.

The two men holding me cussed, as the one to my right grabbed me by the throat stopping my struggles. “Stop that shit,” he growled, his expression sinister.

I cringed away from him.

He held my stare. “We can do these two ways, the nice way or—” He gave my stomach a pointed look. “Or the ugly way.”

The small bit of fight I’d had left, completely drained out of me. He snorted, as he released my neck. “That’s what I thought.”

He dragged me inside.

“Dan, and Hugh right on time,” a man cheerfully said, as the two led me inside. The room smelled of metal and something else that was close to Clorox. “I wasn’t sure you’d be able to handle this neatly.”

The one to my right, who’d grabbed me by the throat gave the cheerful man a long look, “Avery, what did I say about saying our names aloud?”

Avery waved his words off, as his bright eyes landed on me. “Does it matter, the only people who know your names or mine, are either your goons or.” He smiled at me. “Dead.”

I flinched, and immediately started fighting again. I could only guess as to what they had in mind, but Mihai’s warning rang in my head once again. I’d be damned if I went down without a fight.

“See what you did?” Dan snapped at the other man who held me. “Hugh, knock her out.”

I released a muffled scream as a heavy blow landed on the back of my head.

* * *

When I woke up again,I could feel the cold press of a metal table against my back. The world felt like it was tilting on its axis, I slowly opened my eyes but shut them once more as there was a bright light above me. I sucked in a quick breath as a small throbbing started behind my eyelids.

“You’re finally awake,” Avery said, once again cheerful. I only recognized his voice, because the minute he spoke I felt an ominous chill run down my back. “Dan and Hugh, don’t usually bring me live people to dismember but their customer seemed determined to have you suffer before the end.”

I slowly attempted opening my eyes once again, this time the light didn’t seem as bright. I tried to lift my arms but was immediately met with an obstacle, and quickly realized that I had been tied down. My head was filled with the sound of my beating heart, as I tried to think of something I could do to escape.

I wasn’t fighting only for my life, but for the life of my child as well.

Why hadn’t I been more careful? I silently cursed as Avery continued talking.

“I’m interested to see what it would be like to dismember someone who is alive.” He reached over and picked up an apron that had been laid at the feet of the table and put it on. “I know there will be a lot of blood involved. I made sure to tape down plenty of plastic.”

He reached for a small rolling table and pulled it over, I stared at the tools I could only assume were going to be used on me. “I’ve done a few torture jobs, and this is the first time that a customer requested I use the bone saw, I can only wonder at how you managed to make such a cruel person your enemy.”

I wondered the same thing. Who had I angered to the point that they wanted me dismembered while breathing? I was nothing more than a chocolatier who’d lived a pretty normal life. Had I really pissed someone off because I’d happened to sleep with Mihai? If I could go back, I would shove some other lucky lady in the room with him.

I tried to talk, but the strap in my mouth prevented me from saying anything. I could only drool. I was left to send Avery pleading looks, which he ignored.

“Darling, I know, I know but unfortunately I have my job to do,” He said, but from the grin covering his face, I was pretty sure he was more than eager to cut me up.

He pulled a pair of gloves from his back pocket and slipped them on. “Well, shall we get to work?” He wiggled his fingers over his tools, as he began to whistle as he picked up a scalpel. “Let’s first cut those fussy tendons, it would be troubling if you got it in your head to run away.”

At that moment, my mind went blank and the deepest part of myself seemed to almost accept the idea that this was the end of the road for me. Tears slipped from my eyes as I swallowed over and over silently praying that someone, anyone would save me.

Please, Save me.

I closed my eyes as if shutting them would block out the horrible act that was about to be committed on my body. Just as I prepared myself mentally for the searing pain of a knife cutting into the back of my ankle, it never came.

The sound of a man’s scream filled the room, at the same time the sound of running feet reached my ears. I opened my eyes to find Mihai standing beside me, his expression fierce and eyes cold. When he spoke, his voice was absence of any emotion.

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