Page 16 of Short, Lethal & Claimed

“There’s no new buyer for the children.”

“Meaning?” Logan asked as he stepped away so that he could take another look around the facility.

“That he’s going to cut his losses if Pierce doesn’t buy them tonight,” the shifter said as Logan took his time walking past the cells, absently noting the way the little girl and boy held each other’s hands as they cowered in the corner.

“And the other adults?” Logan asked, glancing back at the shifters that were permanently disfigured as he made his way around the room again.

“They’re too far gone. Their blood’s dangerous,” the shifter explained as his gaze flickered to the third shifter that was losing his fucking mind.

“And that’s your reward?” Logan murmured as he watched the shifter nod once.

“How much is Pierce willing to pay Magnus to bypass the auction and get his hands on them?” Logan asked, taking his time walking around the room while he debated his next move.

“Enough to make Magnus violate a treaty with the Boston Packs,” the shifter said, letting him know everything that he needed to know.

With a nod, Logan headed for the door as he gestured to his right. “Take them.”

“What do we do with the rest?” one of his men called after him.

“Kill them.”

CHAPTER 9

Manhattan, New York

Jill didn’t bother looking up from her book as she climbed off the incredibly comfortable leather couch and made her way to her room while the chain that followed her everywhere slowly retracted and the soft hum of the shades preparing to rise filled the large penthouse. A moment later, she was turning on the Christmas lights she strung up in her cell as the thick security door slid into place behind her, trapping her inside.

With a heavy sigh, Jill dropped down on the mattress that she’d dragged in here and settled back against the pillows to get comfortable as she turned on the battery-powered lantern that she kept by the mattress. That was followed by absently reaching down to adjust the dress that she was forced to wear to accommodate her chain while she continued reading.

It took some time, but she’d eventually managed to get herself into a routine. It was either that or lose her mind. For the first few weeks, she’d stayed in her cell, staring up at the ceiling, only leaving when she couldn’t ignore the hunger painsany longer while she tried to figure out what she was supposed to do now.

Besides escape, that is.

For the past…

She wasn’t even sure how long she’d been here anymore, but every day, she explored the penthouse, hoping that she’d missed something the day before. She took in the cameras, figured out their blind spots, looked for anything that she could use to pry her cuff off, and even considered cutting her foot off, but she couldn’t make herself go through with it even knowing that her foot would grow back.

So, she’d focused on the closet in Logan’s bedroom, looking for a way to reach it and get her hands on whatever was inside. She tried pulling the chain free from the wall, tried breaking it, and when that didn’t work, she tried hacking into one of the many security panels installed throughout the penthouse only to end up having her chain immediately retract, dragging her back into her cell so that she could seethe in total darkness while she waited to be released.

That left her with a lot of downtime, something that she’d never been able to handle. So, she found new ways to stay busy by putting that notepad that Logan left on the counter for her to good use. First, she asked for new clothes so that she didn’t have to wear the silk nightgowns that Logan left for her every day. That was followed by trying to find new ways to pass the time. She asked for puzzles, books, magazines, crafts, and just to test the waters, she asked for a laptop and an iPad.

She wasn’t exactly surprised when she didn’t get the laptop or the iPad. So, she took a different approach and focused on the penthouse. She asked for everything from beds for the extra rooms to matching towels for Logan’s bathroom, turning this penthouse into a home. At least, that’s what it looked like to the asshole watching her every move.

She asked for a huge flatscreen television for the living room along with every game console known to man and every game that she could think of, a DVD player, new appliances to replace the insanely expensive ones that just wouldn’t do, a Kindle, an iPod, and a smartwatch. Everything that she could think of that needed a wi-fi connection and waited until everything was set up before she made her move.

She started with the Kindle since it was easier to hide what she was doing. She scrolled through the online store, debating how she was going to do this. She decided to test the waters. She used the generous gift card that Logan applied to a new account for her and selected a new Kindle cover, hoping that the address would automatically fill in so that she would at least know where she was.

It didn’t.

Fill it in, that is, because Logan’s men were one step ahead of her. She never even got past adding it to her cart before she was asked for her login information. So, she tried a different tactic. She ordered an eBook and then returned it so that she could select “Something Else” for the reason that she was returning it so that she could send a message only to have the site bypass that option and give her the credit without an interrogation.

She tried contacting customer support only to get blocked with a request for her account password. She made several attempts to bypass the email only to find herself locked out of her account until one of Logan’s men took pity on her and reset the password so that she could use the account. So, she shifted her focus to the iPod and went to open the internet browser app only to realize that there wasn’t one. That led to her trying to download one only to get blocked every step of the way.

So, she searched through the apps already downloaded on the iPod to find something that she could use to send a message out, but there was nothing that she could use. So, she turnedher attention to the television and video game consoles, where she discovered that they were once again one step ahead of her. She couldn’t access the internet, download apps, games, or even an update. The same thing happened when she tried to access the internet through the television. That left her to try accessing the internet through the smartwatch only to realize that she had absolutely no idea what she was doing.

It didn’t stop her from trying.

The excruciating pain that tore through her leg anytime she tried did that. After she tried to order that Kindle cover, she was hit with a surge of electricity while she was in the shower that dropped her to knees and kept her there until a scream was torn from her lips. When she tried hacking into the security panel, the pain started as soon as her cell door slid shut behind her and it kept going long after her throat was raw and she couldn’t breathe without praying that someone put her out of her misery.

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