Page 30 of Reclaim (Deadly Hearts 3)

ChapterFourteen

Declan

I shift uncomfortably in the back seat of the Range Rover. I knew something was up and kept my guard up, but when you suddenly have a gun pointed directly at your head, you tend to go along with what your captor wants. In this case, it was to zip tie my wrists together.

Good move on their part, or I’d have smashed their faces in by now.

“What is it you really want from me?” I ask, once Vinnie has finally removed his phone from his ear.

“Have you heard of Faulkner’s Auction?”

“I have. You have another thing coming if you think I will stand there willing while you auction me off,” I inform him with as much disgust as is humanly possible. The black-market auction is renowned for its slavery, both sex and otherwise.

“Ah, you see, it’s not you that will be going on the block,” he replies, a vicious smile on his face.

“Ruby?” I spit out.

“Oh, yes. She will come for you and when she does, she will swap your place for her. I will get a lot of money for her. There are many men I know that will want to see her on her knees, especially with their dick in her mouth."

I growl and reach out, hands clasped to, well, I don’t know what, but the gun pressed against my temple stops me. I’m no good to her dead. But there isn’t a chance in hell she is taking my place. I would sooner die than see that happen.

“You’re a pig,” I hiss. “And there is no way she will give up her own life for mine. You’ve got it all wrong.”

“No, don’t think I do. Loyal to a fault, that one. Such a shame. She could be so much more if she just didn’t give a crap about anyone.”

“Like you?”

“Yeah, like me.”

“Why don’t you just kill her?” I ask, not wanting to give him ideas, but this all seems a bit elaborate just to get rid of her. The more I learn, the better I can help her.

“Nah, too easy,” he says. “I like a challenge. She was tested when I sent her after Adam. She is a big asset in the right hands. She can adapt to any circumstance and that will pay big bucks. I knew he would either kill her or try to get in her pants. I know he chose the latter and now they have rendezvoused with those other wankers and will be figuring out a way to get to you.”

“I still don’t get why you sent her there to begin with.”

“I wanted my girl back. The little bitch didn’t know her place. She does now. I have her back in my possession and Ruby led me straight to her.”

I bite my tongue. By the sounds of it, this girl of Vinnie’s sounds more like a prisoner and Ruby would blame herself if she knew she’d sent her back to her captor. I’m not sure I will tell her if I get free from here.

WhenI get free from here.

I don’t plan on sitting with my hands tied and a gun to my head for much longer. We pulled off at Junction 7 a while back and are heading back towards Manchester, where Faulkner’s must have a pop-up auction planned.

“So let me get this straight. You were hoping Adam would take her out, but seeing as he didn’t, you’ve gone for plan B?”

“Yep. And she will be bringing Adam along with her for the ride. Two birds, one stone. That little shit has been the thorn in my side for years.”

I wonder why he is being so talkative. That usually doesn’t bode well for the captive. I have to make a move to destroy these idiots soon, or Ruby is definitely going to be walking into a trap because I know my woman, and she will not just leave me to get out of this myself. She is stubborn and, yes, loyal to a fault.

I sigh and rub my hands over my face, the zip tie digging into my skin when I move.

At least I know she is with the other men. That is some comfort that she isn’t alone. Hopefully they will talk her out of attempting to come for me.

Doubtful

Very, very doubtful.

I know I can get myself out of this situation, it is just a case of waiting for the right moment. The fact that I’ve been placed in this situation because of Ruby in the first place, does not escape my notice. I’ve gone over a decade living and working in the shadows. A ghost.

Now, it seems everyone knows who I am, what I look like, where to find me and knows that they can use Ruby to get to me, as well as using me to get to her.

This is a shitshow.

A complete and utter clusterfuck.

It fires up the simmering rage that boils far under the surface of my skin. It lights up the deep, dark place in what is left of my soul and has unleashed the demons that live there. No one, and I mean no one uses me. Not again. Not anymore.

And if that wasn’t enough to bring out the monster that lurks, threatening Ruby, the only woman who understands me and despite my sins, loves me, is. The only woman I am capable of loving in return, brings out the ice-cold killer inside me. Not the one who can disassociate from the job, but the one who will murder anyone who hurts her.

I sit back, silent and deadly. Knowing that Ruby brought me back from the brink of losing my soul after she was abducted and raped, I know she can do it again. I will need it, because right now, I have lost all the ability to feel, and now I will just act.

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