Page 83 of Too Lethal to Love

A heartbeat later, recognition flashed in Evangeline’s eyes. With a grunt, she headbutted Beth and reared up her hips.

Beth went with the movement and rolled off. She allowed Evangeline to straddle her chest. Panting, she called her ex-friend every nasty name she could think of and meant every one as she pulled her hair and scratched her face.

Loud shouts and hoarse whistles sounded over the name-calling and grunts of pain. The more the thugs encouraged violence, the harder Beth fought to entertain.

“Enough.”

Somebody pulled them apart. Beth wiped blood from her cheek where Evangeline had sunk her claws. She was sure her forehead had the impression of Evangeline’s skull, along with the imprint of the enforcer’s hand on her cheek. She’d endure more pain if it bought time for Kane to find her.

The enforcer yanked her to him and glared at the thugs. “This one isn’t here for your amusement, but have a merry time with the one I gave you.”

Beth struggled in his grip. As much as she wanted to drive a knife through Evangeline’s dark heart, she deserved to face justice for her sins, not die. “No. Don’t kill her. I’ll tell you everything you want to know.” She’d figure out how to avoid that last part later.

Chavez dragged her to one of the metal doors set in the dingy white wall. “She’s not the one whose life hinges on your cooperation. I have men standing by to make your boyfriend number four at my command. Shooting at him at the cemetery was fun, but this time, my bullet will find his flesh.”

Beth’s jaw dropped. Kane had been right. Someone had known exactly where to shoot him.

The enforcer snickered. “Surprised I know about his bionic leg? Henry Richardson was more than happy to share his firsthand knowledge about VIPER. And we learned a lot more about what your boyfriend’s capable of last night. He took out six of my men without raising a gun, according to my driver, who witnessed the fiasco going down.”

No.If they knew VIPER’s secrets, they could exploit them. She quickly masked her bone-deep worry with false bravado. “I shot two of your men, you know.”

Fury darkened the enforcer’s eyes. “I underestimated both of you. That won’t happen again. You have five minutes to tell us every Triple X secret you know, or Kane Darren will be the next member of your Dead Boyfriends Society.”

Beth kicked and clawed the entire way through the door and down a long hall to the back of the building. Her actions cost her another slap across the face, but it bought Kane and the VIPER team another thirty seconds. The enforcer wouldn’t kill her until he got the formula, and he wouldn’t kill Kane as long as he needed him for leverage.

Well, he could try to kill him. Even if he knew some of VIPER’s capabilities, he didn’t understand the full extent of their power. After the show Kane put on at headquarters, she did. He truly was invincible.

And so was her love.

Nobody with eyes as soulless as Chavez could understandthat.

Despite her impossible circumstances, the black shroud she’d been dragging around lifted as the enforcer yanked her down the hallway. She’d never been a black widow. She was just a girl who’d had the privilege of loving three wonderful men who were called to heaven way too early. She had to let Kane know she truly didn’t believe in the curse any longer. That if something happened to him, she’d grieve but wouldn’t stop living, and there wouldn’t be any guilt because it wouldn’t be her fault. She’d divulge the formula to the Diablos and risk dying to keep him safe. She loved him that much, that deeply and wished she had told him.

The enforcer shoved her through a doorway in the rear of the building. Her stalker steadied her. Blinking against the harsh overhead light, she shook off his touch and fought for balance. Her ribs screamed in pain from a hard kick Evangeline had landed.

Her stalker grabbed her hands. “That’s no way to treat your fiancé,querida.”

She tried to pull back, but he was stronger than she’d given him credit for. “I’m not anything to you.”

“Give it time,mi amor.”He tugged her to the center of the small space facing another door in the back of the room. “Soon, you will call me your love.”

“The hell I will.” Other than a scarred desk and the laptop waiting for her to betray her country, the room held nothing else besides a wooden chair too bulky to wield as an effective weapon. The laptop and the power cord plugged into the wall might be effective though.

The enforcer pressed her to sit and pushed her to the desk. He hit a key on the laptop. A screen with a blank document came up. “Type everything you know about Triple X, and don’t think about making shit up. Once you’re done, I’m going to send this tomi madre.You don’t want to know what will happen if my mother suspects you’re fucking with us.”

Crap.There went her plan to share everything she knew about ibuprofen. She’d give up the Triple X formula to save Kane’s life, but that was a last resort. She needed to stall until the VIPER boys busted in and neutralized every Diablo in the building.

She held up her hands. Blood dripped from where the zip ties cut into her flesh. “I can’t type with my circulation cut off. And I’m shaking too much because you’re scaring me.” She swiped her wrists along her cheek and let hot tears fall into the smears of blood on her skin.

The enforcer snapped a photo with his phone. “I’m happy to give you a few minutes to collect yourself.” He walked to the door in the back of the room and shoved it open with his boot. “Maybe hanging out with your friend might help.”

Thick, hot vomit erupted up her esophagus as she took in the scene. This time, she couldn’t stop it from spewing out of her mouth and onto the floor.

Kane gripped the dashboard of the SUV and stared at the photo. The text he’d received moments ago from an unidentified number hadn’t come with a taunting message. No demands. Nothing but an image of Beth’s bloody and swollen face. “Motherfucking fucker.”

Nic reached from the back and grabbed the phone from Kane’s hands. He cursed the devil in Spanish.

“We know she’s alive,” Linc said. “And we know they’re waiting for us.”

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