Page 39 of Reclaim (Deadly Hearts 3)

ChapterTwenty

Ruby

After a while, we pull up into a driveway, somewhere in between Manchester and Liverpool. I’ve lost track where. We’ve gone around in circles, but it seems that this fairly large house is our final destination. I climb out of the car in silence, followed by Ramsey and Layton. Declan and Cillian join us, along with David and Adam.

“Do you know this place?” I ask Adam.

He shakes his head.

“Someone needs to stay here to make sure the asshole doesn’t escape,” I say.

“I’ll do it,” Cillian says.

I nod and turn from him, as David joins him. I walk up to the front door. Turning the handle, on the off chance it’s open, I find that it is…which means there’s going to be people inside. Possibly with guns.

Looking back over my shoulder at the men behind me, I nod and push the door open, stepping quietly forward, knives in hands.

It’s quiet.

Too quiet.

I indicate to Layton and Adam to go upstairs, while Ramsey and Declan split off to go either side and I keep moving forward.

After a few seconds, I find myself in the kitchen. It’s empty.

Or so I thought.

As I turn to leave again, I hear a soft murmur.

Tilting my head, I walk around the huge kitchen island and then pull up short, a sharp breath leaving my lungs and the bile rising in my throat.

Tiff is in a large, padlocked dog cage, blindfolded and naked, her hands tied behind her back.

“Tiff,” I say softly, sliding my knives back into the tops of my boots. “It’s Ruby. We met at Adam’s earlier. Do you remember me?”

She makes a noise of fear which slices through me.

I kneel down next to the cage and wrinkle my nose up at the strong smell. I balk when I see the bowl of dog food left in there with a matching bowl of water.

“I’m not here to hurt you. I’m here to save you.”

God, it sounds so fucking lame, but what else am I supposed to say?

“P-p-please, help me,” she stammers quietly, her voice hoarse.

I can see the bruises around her throat where Vinnie has throttled her.

“I will. I need a minute to get this lock open, but I will be quick, Tiff. I promise. I have to look around to see what I can use to get it open. I’m not leaving you, okay?”

She nods, tears seeping out from behind the blindfold. She shifts uncomfortably.

I stand up, just as Layton enters the kitchen. He stops dead, his face ashen and angry.

“Help me find something to get the lock off,” I say quietly, calmly.

He nods and disappears, hopefully to find some bolt cutters or something. I look around quickly for a key, searching through drawers, but I come up empty.

Luckily Layton returns with Ramsey, with precisely what I’d hoped he would find.

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