Page 58 of No Mercy
The figure knocks again, louder this time as their muffled voice pushes through the glass.
“Miss? You’re hurt. Please, let me help you.”
Help me? My pulse pounds against my skull. That’s what they want me to think. Make me trust them, get me to open the door, and then what? My chest tightens as I look around me.My eyes dart to the door handle. Locked. Good. But for how long?
My phone… I see it sitting on the passenger seat but as I turn it over, a shattered screen stares at me. Pressing the side button, a gasp escapes me as the screen lights up barely clinging to life. My fingers fumble against the shattered screen as miniature shards pierce my skin when I press the emergency call button.
Shadows move outside of the car as the figure steps back from the window, I freeze thinking they’re finally leaving but all hope is gone as they signal to someone I can’t see. One by one shadows of other figures surround the car.
A different voice speaks, deeper and more firmer. “Open the door miss. We’re not here to hurt you. We just need to talk.”
Liar.
My stomach twists, all my instincts screaming at me to do something, anything, but my body refuses to cooperate. I look towards my phone, waiting for a voice at the other end but as it connects, the call drops as the screen turns black.
No…. please.
The sound of shattering glass takes me by surprise as panic slices through my chest as the passenger window explodes inward, spraying shards of glass into my skin.
A hand reaches in, unlocking the door. I scramble backwards, pressing myself into the driver's side door to try andget away but it’s too late. The door swings open followed by rough hands as they yank me out of the car.
“Let go of me!” I thrash against their grip, kicking and clawing at them to let go, but they only hold me tighter.
“Enough!” a voice barks.
The man holding me forces me to the ground causing my knees to slam against the concert. Splintering pain runs up my legs from the impact as I try and swallow my scream.
“What do you want?” I gasp, my voice trembling.
The figure crouches in front of me, his face now clear under the street lights. His smile is slow. “It’s not whatwewant, it’s what Axel wants. Or doesn’t want, I should say.
The name hits me like a blow. “Axel?”
“You don’t know, do you?” The man's tone turns mocking as he gestures his hands towards the men around us. “Your precious Axel. The mafia prince himself. He thought he could play hero and get away with it.”
I shake my head, not wanting to believe a word he said but everything comes back.
The office meeting… They told us someone hired us to follow Carter. It can’t be them can it?
“Axel thinks he can mess with us and walk away? Let’s see how he feels when he sees what happens to people he cares about. How about… we make sure he gets this message loud and clear.”
I don’t have time to register what is about to happen as his hands lashes out, grabbing my hair and yanking my head back.
Pain flares through my scalp as I cry out, tears streaming down my face.
“Stop-please!” I gasp.
“You should be begging Axel, not us.” He sneers, pulling a knife from his pocket. The blade glints under the street lights, cold and ready.
“You don’t have to do this.” I shout, begging to be let go.
“Oh, sweetheart,” he murmurs mockingly, tilting his head to the side, “we absolutely do”
The first blow comes without warning as a fist collides with my temple. Pain explodes in my skull and I fall sideways, barely catching myself with my hands. Before I can push myself back up, a boot slams into my stomach, knocking me flat onto my back.
I cough, choking on air as agony rips through me. I try and catch my breath but another hard kick follows, this time to my ribs. The crack echoes in my ears and a scream tears from my throat as fire burns inside of me.
“Not so loud now,” Another voice says. “We don’t want to draw too much attention now do we?”
