Page 49 of His Virgin Angel

Ronald slapped her across the face twice until she went completely silent.

“You can scream all you want, but I don’t like the noise. I prefer silence when I’m talking, Piper.”

“What do you want?” she asked. Tears shone in her eyes, and Marshall hated himself. He should have done what he could to protect this young woman. Instead, he’d helped his brother bring her to hell.

“I want Jack Sosa.”

“I don’t understand.” Her lip quivered.

“You see, Jack has something of mine, and I believe you can help me get that back.”

“I don’t—”

Ronald pressed a finger against her lips, and Marshall watched her flinch away. This was a nightmare, plain and simple, and he’d helped.

He was going to hell no matter what.

Piper was a sweet woman, pure at heart, and he’d helped to taint that.

****

Jack was going to kill Ronald, and the fucking teacher that had lured her there in the form of tutoring. He should have listened to his instincts and killed Marshall when he had the chance.

“We’ll find her, boss,” Drake said.

“Take me to Louisa now!”

Grabbing his cell phone, he dialed Eric’s—his contact—number. “I want everything you can find on that asshole, Ronald. Also, find out what connects Marshall Rivers to him. I want this info in the next hour. Got it.”

“Yes.”

Hanging up the phone, he slammed his fist against the car, yelling as he did. Piper was in danger, and it was all his fault. Fuck! He didn’t even protect her. There was no way he was going to allow her to be hurt, yet he couldn’t stop it. He didn’t know where she was, or when she was taken, and that annoyed him.

Drake didn’t say anything, and slowly, he started to calm down. Actually, he didn’t calm down. He was fucking angry, and ready to kill. Whoever stepped in front of him today was going to get hurt.

“We’ll find her.”

“Yeah, and when we do, what would they have done to her? We know what Ronald is capable of. I’ve seen the shit he can do first fucking hand, and that doesn’t fill me with a whole lot of confidence.” Gritting his teeth, Jack counted to ten, then to twenty, hoping at any point that he’d calm down. Nothing worked. “What would he want?”

“We’re here at Louisa’s,” Drake said.

He didn’t wait around. Climbing out of the car, he pulled out his gun, taking off the safety, and charging into Louisa’s building.

Knocking on her door, he was aware of Drake following up behind him.

Louisa opened the door with a smirk on her face. He saw she’d found some way to dope up. Wrapping his fingers around her neck, Jack pressed the gun against her temple. “Where the fuck is she?”

“Jack!”

Slamming her against the wall, he shoved the gun against her head.

The door slammed closed behind him.

“Where is she?”

“I don’t know.”

Tightening his hold on her neck, he cut off her air supply. “I’m not in the mood for your bullshit right about now. Where the fuck is Ronald?”