Page 51 of What Doesn't Kill Us

“He didn’t appear to be Russian, but we didn’t really have time for a heart-to-heart, so it could be. I’m still mostly in the dark outside of recent events, and even the information he shared with us may be false.”

“But she went with him willingly?”

“No, he knocked the shit out of her, and then someone else carried her out.”

“He puts his hands on her?” he asks, his expression darkening.

“I would say yes, and often. And likely not only him.”

His expression darkens further, his hands fisting on his lap. “But she helped you rather than let you be taken?”

“Sure did. But we had little time to trade notes since we were focused on getting to Agatha before something happened to her. So, I have little information about her circumstances.”

“Why doesn’t she try to escape? She could have told you; you would have helped her get out. I know you would have.”

I nod, then explain, “She said he has her daughter.”

His jaw tightens. “I have a niece?”

“Apparently. And she will literally do anything to protect her.”

He sighs, rubbing his hands over his face before looking up and staring me in the eyes. “Can you help me get her back?”

“That depends on you. Can you help me not die upon delivery to the enemy?”

He raises his shoulders noncommittally, then half-nods. “Maybe. You know there’s no guarantee in these types of deals. I can certainly finagle delivery in your favor and come up with some contingencies once I hand you over. My men report this Vincent doesn’t have many loyal followers, and most of his operation is staffed by forced loyalty. It should be easy to find someone on the inside who’ll work for us, even if it’s trading information.”

“That’s a start. I guess we’ll have to wait and see how it pans out. If I live, you’ll have my help in locating Carolina and her daughter.”

He straightens, exhaling as he sits back in the chair. He’s giving me an odd look, his jaw clenching rhythmically as he mulls something over. “What are you thinking?”

“You know what I’m thinking.”

I eye him skeptically, then a smile forms on my lips as I say, “Really? You’re gonna go there?”

He groans but nods, and I laugh. “You’re gonna have to say it.”

He narrows his eyes at me, opening his mouth to reply, but then stops, and I laugh some more.

After a few moments of deep contemplation, he inhales sharply, then says clearly. “Let’s go fuck around and find out.”

I beam at him. “Yes, indeed.”

Chapter Nineteen

Dare

Aboutayearago

I did it. I finally made her crack, for her to show me once and for all where we stand.

It wasn’t easy, and for a few moments, I thought for sure it was going to fail, and I’d have no choice but to remove her from her current life.

I mean, I wouldn’t have killed her, but I had every intention of locking her away indefinitely to serve my every whim as punishment for her treachery.

Now, she’s in my lap, clutching me as if afraid I’ll vanish from her grasp. Tears still stream down her face, and every few breaths sounds more like a hiccup. I tighten my arms around her, and she squirms closer, her ass grinding against my dick, and I can’t stop my body’s automatic reaction to her nearness.

I shift beneath her, trying to move my hardening cock away from her, and her breath catches, a breathy giggle falling from her lips as she realizes what I’m doing. “Ignore it,” I whisper. “It’ll go away.”

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