Page 38 of Stone Cold Bad
“Of course.”She headed toward the bathroom.
I still wasn’t used to the sound of my phone, and it startled me at first.I picked it up.My heart nearly leapt into my throat.It was a text from Colt.“Lover boy is going to be awhile because my guys are beating the shit out of him.”My hands shook as I stared in disbelief at the screen.It beeped again.It took me a few seconds to work up the courage to look at the picture.A sob bubbled from my mouth, and I stifled the next one with my hand.A man with massive arms was throwing his fist into Colt’s face.Colt’s shirt and face were covered in blood, and his hands were tied up above his head.
My fingers shook so badly, it was nearly impossible to touch the keypad.I dialed Colt’s phone.It only took one ring.The sound of Ray’s voice made a bitter taste rise in my throat.“Hello, sweetheart, I figured you’d be calling soon.Your sparkling new lover ain’t looking so hot anymore.Boys, throw that water at him.I want him conscious.”
“You monster, I’ll see that you go to jail for life,” I cried.Amy came into the kitchen with a questioning look on her face.I nodded.Tears clouded my vision, and I took a long steadying breath.I heard water splashing and a groan of pain that I knew came from Colt.I bit my lip to keep from breaking into sobs.“What do you want?I’ll do anything.”
“See, now that’s cooperation.All I want is you to come back to me, and I’ll let Stone go.I’ll text you the location.I’ve got men all around the lot, so if you show up with anyone else or if there’s anyone following you, then he dies.Simple as that.”
“Send me the address.I’m coming right now.”I took a deep breath.“And don’t touch him anymore, you bastard!”
Amy sat down.Tears streamed down her cheeks.“What’s happening?Is Colt all right?”
I handed her the phone.She stared at the picture and despair turned to anger.“I’m sending this to Hunter.He’s going to tear that man to pieces.”
I took the phone from her.“No, you can’t.I have to show up alone or he’ll kill Colt.”I pressed my hand against my stomach to keep from throwing up.Just thinking about the picture and the idea that Colt might die because of me made me sick with anguish.“I need to borrow your car, Amy.”
“Yes, sure, but I’m coming with you.”
“You can’t.Slade and Hunter can’t show up either, or they’ll kill him.I have no doubt Ray will make good on his threat.I brought this on.I’m just going to head back to Ray.I’ll figure a way to get free of him eventually, but for now, all I care about is freeing Colt.”
“I don’t know, Jade.Maybe I could hide in the backseat.”
“Then you’d be at risk too.Please, Amy, just lend me the car.”
She pulled out her keys and handed them to me.“Colt is going to kill me for letting you go alone.”
“I’ll be fine.But I need to get there fast.Colt looks really bad.”Another cry shook me.
Amy gave me a quick hug.“Be careful.”
I raced outside.Amy watched from the porch as I started her car and took off down the unpaved road.Ray had texted the address right after I hung up with him.I knew the building.He’d purchased it six months earlier as an investment, but it had been a real estate deal gone bad.And he’d been plenty pissed about it too.Now, it seemed, he’d found a sinister use for the empty warehouse.
A twenty minute drive felt like an hour.My hands were trembling, and I still felt close to puking.I had to pull myself together.I needed to be the negotiator and actress.I had to convince Ray that I was willing to be back with him as long as I saw Colt released.
The parking lot had decayed even more.Tall weeds stuck out between the large fissures in the broken mosaic of asphalt.I turned into the deserted lot and drove to the back toward the empty warehouse.Ray’s Mercedes and a white van were parked outside the building.Two of his men, guys I didn’t recognize, were standing like sentries outside.They both kept a hand on the guns in their shoulder holsters as I stepped out of the car.
I held up my hands.“I’m alone.”
One of them opened the door for me, and I stepped inside.A small cry chirped from my lips as I caught sight of Colt standing in the center of the vast, empty room.His face was a mixture of pale white, black bruises and red blood.He had a hard time focusing as he lifted his head.I couldn’t stop myself.
I ran past Ray and the sadistic assholes who had been beating him and threw my arms around him.“I’m so sorry.This is my fault.”They’d soaked him with cold water, and his strong body was shivering in my embrace.
“Damnit, baby, why’d you come?You should have stayed away.”
I peered up.He was looking down at me through swollen lids.His lip was split open and a red stream of blood trickled from the gash and ran down his chin to his neck and shirt.
“This is very fucking touching,” Ray sneered from behind me.I hadn’t looked at his face yet, and I had to brace myself to do it.I turned to him.
His dark eyes flickered with the same hatred I was feeling.“Not sure how I feel about the new hair color, but I guess we can change that back now that you’re out of hiding.”
“Release him right now, and we can go home.I’ll do anything you ask, but let him go.”
I turned back to Colt.“I have Amy’s car.Can you drive?”
“Not leaving without you.”
“Yes, you have to.”I hugged him again.“I’ll get away from him again,” I whispered.I looked up at his bloodied and bruised face.“I need someone to run to once I get free.”My throat tightened as I said the words.The truth was I didn’t think I’d ever be free of Ray.He would kill me first.I was certain of it.
