Page 81 of Soul Bound

“Damn right.”

* * *

I can’t help it.I hold my breath when I swipe the key card and press the button for the penthouse in the elevator. I keep waiting for someone to jump out of nowhere and stop us from going up. But the car starts climbing the levels. I tap my hand anxiously on my thigh as I watch the lights for each floor light up as we move.

“I don’t know what’s going to be waiting for us when the elevator doors open,” Ranger says. “I want you to stay behind me just in case.”

“What, so you can get hurt? That sounds like a horrible plan,” I scoff.

“But I’m the one with advanced healing.”

I open my mouth to argue, but the man’s got a point. “Fine,” I begrudgingly agree.

Ranger steps in front of me, shielding my body when the doors open to the penthouse level. I don’t know what I’m expecting, but I’m prepared for the worst. When we are greeted by silence, I peek around Ranger’s broad shoulders and find the door opens to a short hallway. Ranger holds me back when I try to move forward so I can look where it leads. He looks down the corridor quickly.

“There are two men standing guard,” he says quietly. “How do you want to play this?”

I think for a second. “Let’s just act like we’re supposed to be here, and if that doesn’t work then you can use your werewolf fight club skills on them.”

“That’sthe plan?”

“It’s all I can think of at the moment,” I hiss at him.

Before he can stop me, I step off the elevator full of false confidence.Just act like you belong, Winslow. The finish line is so fucking close.The guards at the end of the hall notice me immediately and stand up taller, each of their hands go to their right hips and I see the gleam of metal.Guns. They have guns.Fantastic. I keep my face impassive and continue to walk toward them, Ranger close on my heels. Their heavy stares flick between Ranger and me.

“Can we help you?” one of the men questions once we’re close enough.

I clear my throat. “We’re here for the…event.”

The bigger, bald goon crosses his arms. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. You’re in the wrong spot.”

I shake my head slowly. “No, I’m pretty positive I’m in the right spot,” I insist. “How else would I have a key card to get up here?” I wave the gold card at him. “I know exactly what I’m looking for and I know it’s behind those doors.” I motion to the double doors behind them.

“How exactly do you know what’s behind the doors?”

“Cyrus Montgomery,” Ranger tells them. “He told us about it. He knows we’re in themarket.”

We’re talking about infants like they’re real estate now. I’m sure we are going to go to hell for this.

“Montgomery, huh?” The blond man raises a dark brow at us. “I don’t recognize the name.”

I resist the urge to groan out of frustration.Why can’t one step of this be easy?

I square my shoulders and address each of them. “Here’s the deal. We’ve been trying to conceive for three years now and we were just told we have less than a one percent chance of getting pregnant. We’re desperate—I’mdesperate—I just want to be a mom so bad, and we are running out of options. We know all about the auctions that take place here—I know for a fact that Cyrus got his daughter at one of these things twenty-two years ago. Money isn’t an issue; we will pay whatever it costs to walk out of here with a baby tonight.” I force tears to form in my eyes to sell my story.

But they just stare at me, unmoved by my dramatics.

I huff. “Alright, I tried to play nice. Now you’re in for it.”

“Is that so?” Baldy smirks at me.

“Yup.” I bob my head at the same time I step far off to the side, so I don’t get caught in the middle.

Lightning fast, Ranger’s fist shoots out and connects with the bald man’s throat, slamming hard against his windpipe. While that guy is stunned, Ranger jumps at the other one. He punches him so hard in the face, I hear the sound of bones cracking—Either Ranger’s knuckle or the blond guy’s nose, I have no idea which. The guy stumbles back a couple of feet, clutching his face. I see blood pooling around his mouth, his lip is split open. The one who was gasping for air, fumbles for the gun on his hip, but Ranger sees this happening.

Ranger slams the bald guy’s arm into the wall and twists his wrist so hard it forces the man to drop the gun on the floor. It goes skidding across the tile floor across the way from us. Ranger turns the guy’s arm violently and the sound of an arm popping out of socket fills the space followed by a roar of pain.

I start to worry someone is going to hear the commotion outside.

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