Page 74 of Pervade London
Or perhaps that sort of thing wasn’t out of the ordinary here.
Motivated by frustration, I managed to work the blindfold off my eyes by scraping my face along my forearm.
I looked around at the sparse interrogation room.
Only minutes later, I inhaled sharply as my kidnappers filed in.
One of them lit a cigarette. He offered a drag to his gun-wielding buddy who’d bruised my lips. After inhaling the smoke, he handed it back and then swaggered over to me with a threatening, arrogant expression.
I flinched when he touched my face.
The bully blew cigarette smoke into my face. It stung my nose and left me coughing.
My terror morphed into anger. My defiant stare showed no remorse—not after they’d kidnapped me. Not after I’d done the right thing.
“Who do you work for?” he asked.
“I don’t work for anyone.”
He grabbed my chin. “Lie again and see what happens.”
“Does Xander know I’m here?”
“Who?”
I swallowed the lump in my throat.
“This will hurt. Brace yourself.” He punched my stomach.
Stars blurred my vision and agony flared in my gut as all the air left my lungs. Pitching forward, my wrists snapped in the shackles, stretching my arms painfully wide.
“I’m sorry I went to Great Missenden,” I huffed out.
He pulled his fist back, ready to punch me again.
The door opened andheappeared like a vision of intimidation in his black tuxedo, his striking features seemingly even sharper—perhaps because his fury was only barely contained.
He strode powerfully across the room toward us. “Why is she shackled?”
There came an uncomfortable exchange of glances from the others.
James snapped his attention to me. “You’re making quite a habit of defying me.”
“So you resort to kidnapping a girl,” I bit out. “Bit tacky for you.”
He straightened his back. “As far as everyone’s concerned, you’re in London.”
“I told a friend.”
“You don’t have any.”
I had Kitty. She’d report me missing. Or at least look into why I wasn’t answering my phone.
James smiled as though reading my mind. “Kitty Adair works for me.”
Might as well have been punched a second time. “I don’t believe you.”
“Well, reality seems to be a problem for you.”
