Page 124 of Hot for Hostage

I couldn’t believe it. Why did all these mafia bedroom doors lock from theoutside? That had to be against a dozen fire-safety regulations.

Circling the perimeter of the room didn’t help. The windows were boarded up, and the door was solid when I tested ramming my shoulder into it. No amount of twisting or pulling on the doorknob budged it, and I huffed.

I was stuck. The realization made me look back at the chair in the middle of the room.

Davian had told me to sit tight because he was coming for me.

… But screw that.

I stood just off to the side of the door as a plan began to form. Swinging the broom up so its bristles were above my shoulder, I adjusted my grip on the handle to hold it like a weapon. A steadying breath was the only thing that kept my heart rate from taking off like a scared rabbit’s as I waited for my opening.

Vince had called me a weakness. Adistraction. He said I’d never survive in their world.

I couldn’t wait to see the look on his face when I proved him wrong.

on the hunt

. . .

Davian

After ending the call, my gaze shot up to Vince. “We got Nasir?”

His eyes narrowed, and the look he gave me screamed paternal disappointment.

“Can we talk about that hot mess first?” he asked flatly, pointing at the laptop.

“Nasir,” I repeated.

He huffed. “I’ve got the address. He said there’s fifteen men, including both Alis, and they’re all armed. I sent the location to Malcolm and Shane, and Dante is putting a team together at the compound. It’s an eight-minute drive from here. They’ll meet us there.”

“You trust his intel?”

Vince lifted a shoulder. “Lying would be a bigger risk for him than turning, and he said it’s been a shit show since Zain took over. I trust him on this.”

Standing up, I checked my gun and reholstered it. “Good. Let’s go.”

Vince went quiet—acting like I’d personally harmed him as we headed out of the safe house. I could swear he even pouted.

Until he climbed into the driver’s seat, and I got in next to him.

After starting the car, he paused with his hand on the gearshift. “I just thought the plan was to pretend?—”

“I know what the plan was.” Pulling up the group chat Vince had texted everyone through, I sent a quick follow-up with more instructions and told them all to move their asses. “That was before he touched her.”

Seeing Zain put his hands on Sadie—let alone cut her shirt—had decimated my rational thinking. It worked in our favor that he was too scared of me to hurt her now, but he was still enough of a loose cannon that retrieving Sadie wouldn’t be as clear cut as I’d like.

Vince shifted into reverse and peeled out of the driveway. “You don’t even want to know what Nasir asked for?”

“Doesn’t matter.”

I’d give Nasir whatever he wanted if it meant getting Sadie back.

Vince snorted. “Well, he didn’t want anything more than letting him and his family live. That’s how bad it is in Ali’s camp. Nasir worked under Zain’s father since he was a kid, but he’s ready to jump ship at the slightest sign of trouble with the son.”

From the messy way Zain had handled that call, I didn’t blame Nasir. I wouldn’t want to work for a hotheaded punk who abducted women and tried to strong-arm more powerful families either. “Do all Zain’s men feel that way?”

“There’s a mix,” he said as we flew down the road. “But I’d put money on there being less than fifteen men when we get there.”

---