Page 28 of Trick's Trap

A thump sounded. The man jumped the fence, clearing the garbage she’d fallen into easily.

Please, God. After so many months successfully evading capture, it couldn’t end like this.

She didn’t know if anyone up there heard her or not, but her prayer was answered in the form of an open doorway on her left.

The upper stories of this building were lit. Praying she’d find an occupied office or a security guard, Tahlia shot through the door, only to find herself at the top of a dimly lit wooden staircase. The bottom disappeared into complete darkness.

There was no time to second-guess her choice with pursuit so close behind. She started running down the stairs.

“Hey!” the man shouted, careening after her.

Ignoring him, she jumped down.

It was a huge mistake. Tahlia landed on her bad foot. It folded underneath her. She lost her balance, coming down too hard on the next step. The brittle board under her splintered, throwing her against the rail.

The rickety structure was too weak to withstand the impact. Her body plowed through the flimsy barrier. Unable to catch herself, she sailed over the edge and to the floor below.

Tahlia’s scream was cut off when her head rapped on the concrete twice, despite an effort to brace herself. Winded and racked with pain, she lay there, stunned.

Get up.Ears ringing, she tried to get up, only to collapse back down on the ground. Dizzy and unable to see, she crawled under the stairs, her entire body blazing in pain.

The last thing she heard was the pounding of feet on the stairs over her head.

He was coming.

Chapter 14

Trick rechecked every inch of the casino twice over. Tahlia was gone.

“They came for her,” he repeated, pacing the kitchen. Ethan and Jason were on the phone. He didn’t know who they were talking to, but whoever it was, they were too late.

Fuck. He’d had his arm around her and then boom! Someone literally snatched her from his grasp.

Ethan looked up. “The locals are setting up a search grid. We’ll go building to building if we have to.”

Trick shook his head. His instincts were screaming. “It won’t do any good. Whoever took her was a pro. He knew enough to take out the lights with us unawares and to come prepared for the dark.”

They found a pair of night-vision goggles under a stool at the bar. That more than anything sent a chill through him. He couldn’t decide whether it was a fear or an icy cold rage. Either way, he refused to let it overwhelm him. Now was the time to think and plan.

I’ll contact every criminal I know and make them spread the word. A million dollars for Tahlia’s safe return, no questions asked. It would probably fail, but at least it was him doing something.

“Damn it,” he hissed aloud, trying to come up with other ideas.

I need Liam.His brother was an overbearing ass sometimes, but he was also a mover. Liam made things happen. No one had ever been able to stop him from getting what he wanted.

Trick reached into his pocket to make the call. His phone wasn’t there. He patted down his suit and swore. It must have slipped out of his pocket when he got knocked to the ground.

He stuck his head in the main room. The only people left were the waiters and dealers. The rest of the guests had left already, each one cleared by Ethan before they let them go.

“Did anyone see a phone?”

The staff shook their heads in turn, one offering to help him search.

“Hey, man,” Ethan interrupted.

Trick held out his hand. “Where did you find it?”

“Find what?”

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