Page 76 of Burning Beauty

Maria raised an eyebrow at Lucy's naiveté. "Finish your drink, little chick, and we’ll see about getting you home before they come to collect, eh?" Maria said, nudging her arm.

Five minutes later they picked up their purses, paid for the drinks and headed for the door. Lucy seemed to expect the sidewalk to contain several pissed off and armed bodyguards, and Maria had to agree it was a possibility, especially since Nic was involved. But there was no one waiting for them outside. Lucy ran her hands up and down bare, chilled arms and glanced around.

"Huh," Lucy said, turning to look at Maria, triumph tugging her lips into a smile, "they aren’t here yet."

Maria’s answering smile was filled with mischief. "Well, let the party continue then," she said, linking arms with Lucy and rubbing some of the chill from her skin. "Where to next? I haven’t seen much of the city. Nic always keeps me locked up in our hotel room."

"Have you been on the city train yet?" Lucy asked. "We can get to anywhere in the city on there, including the observation deck or the symphony. Although I don’t think they have a performance tonight since their best cellist was a bridesmaid."

Maria laughed and said, "Lead on, you’re my guide."

They set off down the sidewalk toward the entrance to the subway. Lucy and Maria chattered about how much Lucy had changed and adapted to city life and Maria told Lucy about what it was like to live in Guadalajara. She spoke of the wonderful things she'd been introduced to since coming to the US. It turned out they had many things in common when it came to their love and learning of city life.

They just made it to the subway entrance and were about to descend the stairs when screeching tires interrupted their conversation. The hairs on Maria's arm stood up in fear and she reacted quickly, shoving Lucy behind the concrete railing and crouching with her as a black car pulled up onto the sidewalk, bouncing hard before stopping.

There was no one around except Lucy and Maria, but the boldness of the action seemed so deliberate that Maria didn’t think it would have mattered if hundreds of people had been around to witness the scene.

"No!" Maria gasped as three men jumped out of the car. She dug her nails into Lucy’s arm and yelled. "Run!"

Lucy stumbled as she tried to stand and had to grip the concrete railing over top of the stairwell. Maria refused to let go and yanked her arm hard enough that Lucy’s shoulder wrenched. Maria ran, dragging Lucy with her. They made it about five steps before Lucy was grabbed from behind.

Maria wheeled around and brought her fists up, prepared to defend Lucy, despite being surrounded by two menacing men. She took a swing at one. He shoved her out of the way and punched her in the side of the head sending her spiraling into the sidewalk. Maria hit the cement with a sickening crunch, pain shooting through her limbs. Her head hurt so bad she thought the asshole might've actually cracked her skull. Seconds later she was out cold.

Maria woke up in the back of a moving vehicle, Lucy's arms wrapped tightly around her. Maria wanted to speak, wanted to demand who these men were and where they were taking the women, but her head was swimming so bad she feared if she opened her mouth she would vomit. Lucy seemed to be stroking the side of her face and moving her hair to look for a wound.

"Hey," she whispered in Maria’s ear. "You okay?"

"Do I look okay?" Maria whispered back, a tinge of humour in her voice as she echoed the same words she’d said to Lucy in the stairwell earlier.

Lucy’s lips twitched and Maria hoped she felt better. Then Maria moaned against Lucy, lolling her head into the crook of Lucy's shoulder so she could speak to her without the men knowing.

She whispered against Lucy’s ear, "They’re here for me."

"The blackmailer?" Lucy guessed.

Maria woke up enough for the truth to really hit her, exactly how much danger they were both in, but especially Lucy. These men had to be working for Franco, which meant they weren't after Lucy, they'd grabbed her because she was convenient. "They don’t need you."

Lucy stiffened against Maria as she absorbed her words. She was understanding the gravity of her own situation.

"If you get the chance to run, you fucking run, Lucy."

Chapter Forty-Two

Maria and Lucy stopped whispering after the driver of the car turned around and barked at them to shut up. They hugged each other tighter. Maria needed the support, it took everything in her to remain upright and conscious. She told herself she had to stay awake and alert for Lucy's sake. The hit she took to the side of the head seemed to have caused a concussion or something. It hurt like a bitch and every time she moved, her entire world seemed to shift and vomit rushed up her throat.

It didn't seem to take long for them to arrive at wherever they were being taken. Maria tried to blink and focus on her surroundings, but she was too dizzy and it was too dark out.

"I think we’re here," Lucy whispered.

"Wh-where?" Maria mumbled as the men opened doors and climbed out.

"Airport, I think," Lucy said, craning her head around.

"Shit," Maria hissed. "This isn't good. You need to stay close, Luce, and run if you can."

The door next to Lucy jerked open and she tumbled sideways. Maria didn't have time to protest Lucy's rough handling because seconds later she was being yanked out the other door by hard hands. Maria felt like a rag doll. She couldn't seem to get her limbs to move of their own volition. She wanted to scream and fight, she wanted to show these men that if they were going to grab a Sanchez they were going to get bloodied up. But she couldn't seem to do more than lay limply against her captor, passively accepting his kidnapping assistance.

As they approached the plane a man swung himself out the door and down the steps, landing on the ground in front of the small group. Ignoring everyone else, he stepped directly in front of Maria and took her chin in his hand, tilting her face up to his.

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