Page 26 of Guarded By the SEAL

“Anyone is worth saving,” I reply coldly. “Especially when they haven’t done anything wrong.”

“You think the whore is innocent?” He cocks a knowing eyebrow at me, trying to wind me up. I’m not going to rise to the bait, though. “You think she isn’t a bossy slut? A crazy bitch who doesn’t deserve everything that’s happening to her? And even if you do think all those things, it doesn’t matter. She is owned by her husband, isn’t she? She chose to marry him, so whatever he wants to do to her is up to him.”

I’m shocked at what I’m hearing. I can’t believe that this is even being said in this day and age. Aren’t we far beyond a time when men ‘own’ women? This is so messed up that I don’t even know what to say.

“Right, I can see that you’re finally starting to get it.” The boss nods, pleased with himself. The rage inside me builds and floods me, but I refuse to let it show. “You’re getting my point of view.So, how would you like to walk away from this with your life intact? You can if you want to.”

“With Petra,” I shoot back. “She needs to walk away from this as well.”

This is met with more laughter. “She really has gotten under your skin, hasn’t she? She really has gotten to you. Yeah, she will do that. She’s manipulative, isn’t she? Really good at seducing men and making them do what she wants. It’s what she’s been doing for years. You are just the latest victim.”

I don’t buy it. I won’t. I refuse to listen to that. It’s absolute bullshit. I don’t think that Petra is that way at all. I do know her. I know that she’s a much better person than this man is describing. He’s the one who doesn’t know her at all. He probably hasn’t even met Petra, has he? Asshole.

“Okay, well I’m not an unreasonable man.” The boss shrugs his shoulders. “I can strike a deal with you. In fact, I have a really good plan. I have someone I need to get rid of, and you can take your slut.”

I grit my teeth together in anger. I really fucking hate him calling Petra names, but I just can’t give him what he wants. I can’t explode because it gives them a reason to kill me and Petra as well.

“Get him out.” The boss nods toward one of the guys who brought me in. As I glance behind me, I see that there were actually five of them who got me. No wonder I couldn’t fight them off. “Now.”

A door is unlocked and a man is brought through into the room. He’s tossed to the floor, making blood from previous injuries splatter everywhere. This man has been beaten so badly I don’tknow if he’ll survive. I’m surprised that he’s made it this long. I can hardly stand to look at him in this state.

“Gag him,” the boss growls. “I don’t want to listen to him screaming. I can’t stand it.”

I avert my eyes as this man is put through more torment, more humiliation. It’s a show for me, probably to let me know what might happen to me, but I don’t want to see it. I don’t have to, so I refuse.

“Now, hero.” I look back at the boss. “This is Jake, Petra’s husband. Someone I should be able to trust as part of my organization, but he fucked up. He messed up bad. He lost our gold mine, a woman I would have been able to sell for a lot of money. A woman who was linked to a very wealthy family, who could have gotten us a lot of cash, but he lost her. He let her run away, can you believe it?” I say nothing. I have absolutely nothing to say to that. “He fucked up, and now I want him gone. He’s a mess.”

I try to see the man through his injuries, to see who Petra married. I have to admit that he looks a little older than I was expecting, but then she never really described him, did she? So, I suppose I don’t know. He might look worse because of the way he’s been beaten. He shakes his head hard and fast at me, but I won’t feel any sympathy for him. No way. He married Petra with the intention of stealing from her and selling her off to a sex trafficking ring. I can’t feel sorry for him just because his criminal lifestyle has now been turned around on him. This is fucking karma. It’s what he deserves.

“So, here is your gun.” The guy who took it from me hands it back to me. “You kill Jake, and you and Petra can leave. No worries. You go your way, never speak of this, and we will goours. Our paths will never pass again.” He can clearly see that I don’t believe him. “Come on. Why would I give you your gun if I didn’t mean this? I could just shoot you right here. Right now, you could kill me, not that I would recommend it. I’m surrounded by men who would have you dead in a heartbeat. Petra too. But him.” He points back to Jake, and my eyes follow. “Think about all the things he did to Petra. I’m sure she told you.”

I lift my hand, shaking desperately as I do so. I don’t want to do this, much as I hate this fucking man and I want him dead to free Petra, but I don’t want to be a killer in this goddamn dirty warehouse.

“You have to do it,” the boss continues. “For Petra. She will thank you for it. You’ll be freeing her, and then the pair of you can walk away free. Skip off into the fucking sunset for all I care.”

“I kill this man and that’s the end of it?” I’m a stickler for the finer details when it comes to asshole criminals because I don’t know what I can and can’t trust. “There will be no more.”

“Sure, that’s what I said, isn’t it?” The boss rolls his eyes. “Just do it already, will you?”

I stare at the man, the idiot who wanted to sell off Petra like she was nothing, even though she’s worth the fucking world, and I point the gun at him. After only one short breath, I do what the boss wants me to. I pull the trigger and watch as the bullet slams into his skull and ends his life in a heartbeat.

It sucks. I didn’t come here wanting to do that, but it’s over now. If it frees Petra, then it will be worth it. She’ll understand why I had to do it and I’m sure she won’t be upset that he’s gone. Butstill, it makes me feel heavy. I don’t like when a situation comes to this. I don’t like the death in my life.

“Right.” The boss looks so pleased with himself, his shit eating grin turns my stomach. “Let’s get Petra out here now. See what her little hero has done. I’m sure she’s going to be so fucking happy.”

My gut tells me that I’ve been tricked somehow, that this is all about to go to shit, and I’m terrified. If they bring Petra out and she’s already been killed, then I will lose my fucking mind. I don’t even know what I will do, but it won’t be good for any of these people. I don’t think that anyone will make it out alive.

21

PETRA

Each sound makes me flinch. The sound of what I assume is a gunshot makes me sick. My dad is out there. Some assholes just came in and dragged him out, and now Jake… I’m guessing it’s Jake… is trying to frighten him with gunshots. I don’t know what they want my dad to tell them, but I hope he doesn’t.

I’m trembling so hard the pole I’m attached to shakes with me. I can’t keep still. Especially when the shot is followed by a moment of silence. That quiet pierces through me and leaves me chilly to the bone. I can’t stand this. I hate being in this room alone more than with my dad. I need to know what’s happening.

“Hey,” I yell out, desperate for attention now. Unfortunately, the fear has my voice shaking and not loud at all. A racket has resumed on the other side of that door, so I don’t even think they can hear me. “Hey!”

I suck in a breath, preparing myself to yell louder, but the air slips out from me as the door swings open and a little trickle of light floods the room. Maybe someone did hear me, after all…

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