Modesty had left her a long time ago, so she undid her slacks she’d worn the day she’d been taken, not that she needed to, her weight loss would have allowed them to slide right down to the ground.
Snowy ground. The wind drove icy spikes into her exposed skin. Standing on the piled material of her pants, she unfolded a pair of workout ones. With zero hesitation, she stepped into them and barely contained the moan of pleasure from escaping as they instantly provided far more protection than her light weight dress slacks.
As soon as she’d managed with her numb fingers to fumble the drawstring tight enough to keep them up, she shook out the top, barely managing to stop the second purr of anticipation from slipping free. The buttons of her top had slowed her down only a tiny bit. Still, she worked them with one hand, not willing to relinquish her hold on the clean, at least warmer, shirt.
Exchanging the thin, Miami approved top with the thicker, wool blend long sleeve shirt, she no longer had the ability to stop her groan. Was she safe?
Not in a hundred years, but she was warmer and they didn’t know what a boost of morale such a thing was to a woman like her. A proud woman. A cop. Asurvivor.
They may have thought this was something they were going to get away with, but unless they put a bullet in her head, she was going be coming after them. And exacting her revenge. Then she would turn her attention on the one who set this in motion.
First things first. Survive. Escape.
Buttoned up, she curved her fingers into her palms, keeping the skin exposure to as much of a minimum as she could accomplish.
Not even a grunt, simply a gesture with the muzzle of the AK-47. As they moved across the frozen landscape, she realized two things. One, this wasn’t the way back to her hovel. Two, she may have been to optimistic in believing she would get out of here.
A dead body would bring animals to eat, perhaps they didn’t want her close to the hole she’d been kept in because there were others there and they didn’t want to risk them in that way.
Seems pointless to give me clean clothing if they were just going to put a bullet in my heart or head.
Limbs weak, she stumbled a few times on her way to…well, wherever. No one assisted her and she struggled to breathe as they paused at the entrance to a cave. The cold air pained her lungs and they were already struggling with her weakened state. The air remained stale and carried with it wet stone and animal shit.
Past the point of working to never letting them get her to a second location, she didn’t question what they were doing here. Not true, she was questioning it, but there was no energy to fight back. If a chance came later, she would need every bit of her lacking strength to get out.
And I will. Get out.
Two grabbed her and began walking, she figured they were to ensure she didn’t slip away in the dark. Men, they were men.I’m ninety-five percent sure.
While she couldn’t see a damn thing, she allowed them to guide her. Beneath her feet, the floor was surprisingly smooth and it didn’t feel like either of the men half carrying, half dragging her were having to stoop over.
Means wherever this cave is, it’s tall.
Another cold chill took her and it all of her imagination that she was simply at the Amerant Bank Arena waiting for her men to take the ice.
Confused when they paused, she couldn’t stop her shock when they opened a door and pushed her into a room. A warm room.
The lighting wasn’t extreme so there wasn’t to much in the way of allowing her eyes to adjust. Exhausted or not, cop instincts didn’t take a day off. She scoped all she could in as short a time as possible.
Five men, faces exposed. Probably not a good thing for her. Caucasian. Eastern European. Well dressed. Somehow there was a fire along a side, sending flickers of light around and adding into the much appreciated heat.
“Dianna Levitt. Miami detective.”
She swallowed and gave a slow blink.
The man in the middle, built and handsome if she cared to think about it, built like a footballer, stroked a hand down his chin. “You are not surprised I know who you are.”
“No.”
He tipped his head to the left, sandy brown hair slipping forward over his forehead. “Why not?”
“Because I was taken and held. Obviously, you need something from me or I would have already gotten a bullet.”
“Smart.” He glanced to his right. “Not stupid like you said.” Hands in his pockets, he rocked back on his heels as he continued looking at one of the two on that side. “Didn’t you say she was stupid like all Blacks?”
Chapter2
Jeremy didn’t have the patience like some of his fellow SAR shifters. Sure, he was fine out rescuing someone but in this kind of situation, it was hard as fuck for him to sit back and let someone else handle the questioning.