Page 54 of Rusty's Command

“Hey.” Rusty’s breath was hot against her ear. “Listen to me. Do exactly as he says. Exactly.”

“What?” Fear made her voice crack. “What about you?”

“I will save you. I promise.” His tone was like steel wrapped in velvet. “You have to trust me. Okay?”

She managed a jerky nod as Soda nudged her nose into her hand.

“Get down here!” Wang’s command scraped up her spine like broken nails. “Now!”

Rusty’s fingers tightened around hers, anchoring her to sanity. “You can do this. I will come for you.”

She huffed out a shaky breath, then pressed her lips to his in a quick, desperate kiss. “You better.”

“You know I will.”

As she nodded, his certainty settled like lead in her stomach. Rusty would die for her. The knowledge burned like acid because she knew it wasn’t just words—it was a promise written in blood.

“Someone grab that bitch!”

“I’mcoming!” Her roar surprised even her, and as her rage threaded through her terror, she stood. Gripping the splintered banister, she faced the monsters. “I’m coming.”

Each step down the marble stairs felt like wading through quicksand. Her legs were trembling traitors that threatened to make her tumble down the stairs. Weapon lights stalked her descent, and their harsh beams cut through the darkness like predator’s eyes. Behind her, Rusty and Soda dissolved into shadow, yet she felt Rusty’s gaze burning against her skin like a brand.

He watched her every move. She just hoped he wouldn’t be too late to save her—for both their sakes.

She reached the bottom step, and rough hands seized her arms as a guard yanked her forward, half-dragging her up the timber stairs and across the stage until she stood face-to-face with Wang. His eyes were black pits of hatred, and his sick smile promised pain.

Her tech-trained brain cataloged the incongruous details of the monster before her: a jade ring worth more than her new car, knuckles showing a roadmap of scars from years of physical fights, his fancy suit with hand-stitched initials in gold thread that probably cost more than her yearly salary. His eyesweren’t just cold though—they were like shark’s eyes . . . empty, unforgiving, heartless.

The kind of eyes that ended lives without a flicker of emotion.

“Where are your asshole friends?” Wang’s question came out soft, almost conversational as his arm tightened around his hostage’s throat and he pointed the gun at her cheek. The young woman’s whimper made Sienna’s skin crawl. “The dog man. Where is he?”

“He’s dead!” The words exploded from her throat, carrying fragments of her heart with them. Even knowing it was a lie, the image of Rusty bleeding out seared her brain. “He was shot! His body is up there.”

She jerked her head toward the balcony, forcing conviction into her voice.

“I watched him bleed to death!” The lie felt so real it burned her tongue.

Wang turned to his right. “Kenji.”

A man built like a fridge emerged from the shadows and his boots stampeded up the marble stairs.

Oh God. No! Why did I say that?

The silence stretched between her and Wang, razor-thin and crackling with deadly threats. Wang’s shark eyes studied her, searching for the fatal flaw that would reveal her deception.

Two of the women whimpered with tiny, broken sounds that tore at her core. It surprised her that she wasn’t a blubbering mess herself. Wild emotions raced through her blood like poison, but rage dominated everything else, burning through her fear.

A familiar clicking sound skittered across the polished stage—tiny claws, excited movement. Her heart stopped as Pickle darted into view, his little tail wagging like this was just another day at the park.

“Pickle!” She thrashed against the guard’s grip, but his fingers dug into her arms like mechanical clamps.

Pickle pranced right up to her.

“Let me go!” Her voice cracked as she fought harder, desperate to protect Pickle from Wang.

Pickle yipped and danced in front of her, his little body wiggling with excitement, completely oblivious to the danger. Each happy bounce was like a knife in her chest. His pleading eyes gazed up at her with such pure trust it made her want to vomit.

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