Page 72 of Kilo's Edge

I wiggled my fingers, but there was no give in the zip tie. I grunted as I struggled to get into a sitting position. Yeah, that wasn’t a good idea. I didn’t want him to panic and shoot me. “Can I please sit up?”

He’d finally looked away, and now he was ignoring me. He swore again, cocked his hand with the phone back, then blew out a breath and managed to keep from throwing it against the wall. “Fuck off,” he snarled at me when I opened my mouth again.

Okay. He isn’t in the mood to entertain me. Clearly.

“Kruzman, it’s Ashley. I have the package. I don’t know where the fuck you are but call me back as soon as you get this.”

Package? Does this dork think he’s some kind of spy?

I twisted so I was able to see him without having to crane my neck at all. As soon as he ended the call, I snorted out a laugh. It wasn’t smart to torment my captor, but how was I supposed to resist? “Your name is Ashley?”

His eyes whipped to mine and the look in them left no doubt that he wanted to snap my neck. “It’s my last name,” he thundered.

I bit my lips, trying to keep the mirth off my face.No wonder he likes hitting women.The way his expression darkened told me I wasn’t successful. “Ashley,” I asked, “can I sit up?”

I needed to sit up before my brain leaked out my ears, but moving on my own without his permission would give him toomuch of an excuse to kill me. All the pain was centering in the area where my head was resting on the floor.

Sighing he stood and, not so gently, yanked me into an upright position. “Now shut the fuck up so I can think.”

I’d only been asking for permission. The last thing I’d needed was his hands on me, but I remained quiet. He wasn’t doing well. He was close to panicking. It was written all over his face. The last thing I wanted was to enrage him to the point where he followed through on the promise his gaze held. I didn’t want to die. Looking around the room, I tried to be discreet as I searched for something to help me escape.

He paced back and forth across the room, tapping his phone against one palm. He was back to muttering, but I kept quiet this time.

This place was barren other than the couch, a worn armchair, and a huge TV. It was obvious that this was his home. This guy wasn’t stupid enough to bring a woman he kidnapped to his home...which means he was arrogant enough to do exactly that. It was obvious he thought he was above the law.

I watched him walk back and forth for what seemed like forever as I worked my hands back and forth, trying to loosen the zip tie again. Huffing out an annoyed breath when it didn’t budge, I gave up. I jumped when his phone rang, splitting the quiet that surrounded us.

“Kruzman. Took you long enough, I-” He broke off as Kruzman went off. He jerked the phone away from his ear and I could hear screaming and gunfire.

Swallowing, I tried not to worry. It sounded like Kruzman was in a war zone. I listened closely, praying that the guys were okay.

He brought the phone back to his ear when the yelling eased off. “What the fuck are you doing way out there?’ He paused, listening, then swore. “I have her here with me.” He was cut offagain. “What do you mean she’s there?” Rolling his eyes, Ashley faced me and held his phone out. The flash blinded me as he took a photo. “Look, I’m sending- Hello?” He stared down at his phone in shocked disgust. “That motherfucker hung up on me.” He looked over at me in disbelief.

As if I was going to sympathize with him. I shrugged my shoulders. “Some people’s kids.”

His confusion deepened and he stared at me like he had no idea why the fuck I was agreeing with him.

I was mostly just trying to keep him pacified. What else was I supposed to do? I was tied up and pretty much at his mercy. Keeping on his good side meant I stayed alive. Or at least was delivered to Kruzman with less bruises.

A beep sounded and he tapped at his phone. “You’ve got to be shitting me,” he huffed, exasperated. He paused, considering his options, then sighed. “Alright.” He strode over to me and jerked me to my feet.

I gasped in pain as he wrenched my shoulder. “Ow.” Maybe I wasn’t going to have less bruises after all.

“Let’s go.”

“Where are we going?” I asked as he frog marched me out of his house.

“Gotta see a man about a girl.”

“That’s helpful,” I mumbled to myself as he stuffed me into the car and slammed the door.

This time he wasn’t stupid enough to leave it to chance. Even though I was tied up, he locked the car as he went around the front to get into the driver’s seat. Then he locked the car doors again. His face was a mask of rage and irritation rolled off him in waves as he started the engine.

I looked out the window and watched as the streetlights flashed by as we drove. I didn’t know what was going on, or where exactly we were heading. All I could hope was thatKruzman didn’t get past the guys so that he could come meet Ashley. If he did, then I was in deep shit. If only there was a way I could warn Kilo that I’d been taken. That Agent Ashley had every intention of handing me off to Kruzman as quickly as he could.

We merged onto the freeway and I almost wished it was daylight so that I could flag down another car somehow and ask for help. But there was no way they were going to notice a girl in the car next to them as they focused on the dark road. It was only lit by the streetlights and the sliver of a moon that was out tonight. It wasn’t enough to illuminate me for long. Sighing, I faced forward.

“Don’t worry, this won’t take long,” Ashley said.

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