Page 56 of Wrapped in Silver

As fattso pulls away, Dishjav waits until he turns before pulling down the block and going the other way… towards the back streets.

“Thought the instructions were no killing the women?” the smaller one says.

“Shut yer mouth, Ruz. Had to shut up the alarm,” Dish growls.

“We might get flack for this.” Ruz shakes his head again. Seems like there’s tension between them.

“Well, we make it worth it. Few more blocks and we have our way with daughter of captain.”

My blood pressure drops to negative. It’s like I’ve died and I’m just a cold shell. If he touches me, I’ll bite it right off. My body learned how to unfreeze, now I have to grip that strength again and leap in the other direction. I have tosurvive.

I could throw these cuffs around Dish and hope he swerves the car, but I’d be the only casualty if it flipped. My ass is sliding everywhere on every turn.

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you, princess?” Dish snickers again, reaching around the driver’s seat to grab my ankle.

I kick away… then my blood runs cold.

A shadow blurs past in my periphery. There’s someone else in here.

“Don’t be shy, little princess.” Dish laughs louder, reaching for me.

Before I can register what’s happening, a black glove grab’s Dish’s finger and snaps it the wrong way.

Shhrthm!

A silenced shot goes through Ruz’ temple and leaves blood spatter all over the van ceiling. Dish’s screams are visceral and angry, but the most chilling noise is the one of Ruz’ head bobbing back and forth lifelessly.

“Stop the car,” a familiar deep voice says as the silenced pistol presses firmly to Dish’s temple.

The heat of the silencer makes Dish recoil. “Bastard Italian.Ahr—” he cries louder when Silver cracks his wrist effortlessly.

The car jerks back and forth as Silver slips into the passenger’s seat beside the corpse and stabilizes the wheel, gun still pressed to Dish’s head. He’s limber despite his size, and soundless when he wants to be.

The situation is so insane, I wonder if I’m hallucinating from being tossed every which direction.

“What’s the drop location?” Silver asks evenly.

His forearm muscle shows through his tight black shirt. Dexter Morgan… only hotter, somehow. This can’t be real. I’m mentally blocking some terrible event out right now.

Wake up, Quinn.Wake up.

“You alright, kid?” Silver glances my way, his eyes snapping me out of my disbelief.

It really is him.

He came to save me.

I shrug as if it’s any other day, and let out a muffled sigh through my gag.

Dish cackles. “Ah, I see. You want the young pussy too. Why else would old mobster go through all this trouble—”

Crack!

Silver slams the pistol against Dish’s already broken wrist. “Any words left in that smart mouth?”

The bratva soldier grits his teeth, taking long breaths in. “Nikolaj willeatyou once he finds out. What family are you, huh? Barone, Rigiano,Valentino. Eh?” He exhales audibly. “No—no matter. He will find you.”

Silver reaches into his back pocket and pulls out a set of plyers. “Pull over.There.” He points with the gun. It’s all treesand grass near some Jersey back streets. The houses are a little shabby and unlit. Of course. It must be three in the morning at this point.

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