Page 46 of Wanting the Fight

“Don’t look at it,” Ethan said. “Let’s just get in the car and get going.”

It was like pandora’s box. I knew it would only bring trouble and suffering, but I had to see who it was. Quickly, I swiped to unlock my phone and tapped on my messages. And right there was a text from an unavailable number. I clicked on it to see the fourth and final message.

Unavailable:Four . . . I’m coming to your door.

Only a split second had passed before everything took a volatile turn. A figure in black came up behind Ethan and pistol-whipped him in the back of the head. Ethan’s knees buckled, but he righted himself, jerking around quickly to attack the man behind him. He punched him so hard that the man fell to the ground.

“Get in the car, Peyton,” Ethan shouted.

I jumped in, but more figures in black were advancing toward Ethan. Five of them, to be exact, all holding guns pointed straight at him. One of them stepped forward, and all I could see were his eyes through the slits in the black ski mask. They were icy and blue but also soulless and full of danger.

“You’re not going anywhere,” the guy said to Ethan. Those icy eyes turned to me. “Get out of the car, Peyton. If you don’t, your boyfriend will pay the price.”

Blood dripped down the back of Ethan’s neck and onto his shirt. There was nowhere to run to. I stared at the blue-eyed man, and there was no hesitation in his stance. Hewouldkill Ethan if I gave him a reason to.

Ethan stood in front of me, blocking me from the man’s view. “What the fuck do you want, asshole?”

The guy’s eyes crinkled as if he was smiling underneath the black mask. “You’re going to find out soon enough. Let’s go.”

“Where?” I asked.

Three men went up to Ethan and dragged him away from the car. The man with blue eyes came to me and grabbed my wrist. “You can either come willingly, or I’ll force you. Which will it be?”

I wanted to fight, but I had to think of my twins. Ethan tried to fend off the three guys, his eyes wild as he looked at me. We didn’t stand a chance against them all. Swallowing hard, I put on a brave face and jerked my wrist out of the guy’s grasp.

“I’ll come willingly. I don’t want you touching me.”

His eyes lit with humor as I slid out of the car. Then, he stepped up to me and snatched my wrist again. “Sorry. You’re just going to have to get used to it.”

The guy pulled me away from the car and ordered one of his men to grab our things out of the trunk. No vehicles were in the driveway, so I had no clue where they planned to take us.

I was pulled around the side of the house toward the dock, and my eyes widened. There was a boat waiting for us, a nice one at that. Whoever was taking us had money and lots of it.

Ethan grunted and growled from behind, along with the other men. He wasn’t making it easy on them.

“Where are you taking us?” I hissed.

The guy chuckled and continued to pull me down the dock walkway. “Your new home. You’ll learn to like it.”

When we got to the boat, two men were onboard, wearing the same black clothing and masks. I was handed off to them and taken below deck.

“Sit,” one ordered, pointing at the plush leather couch. I sat down just as the three men with Ethan came down the stairs, pushing him onto the couch beside me. His wrists were bound behind his back, and bruises were already showing up on his face. Fear racked my entire body as I moved closer to him.

“Are you okay?”

His murderous gaze never left the men watching us. “I’m fine.” But then he turned to me. “Areyouokay?”

I didn’t know how to answer that. Physically I was fine, but I was terrified. Before I could say anything, the guy with blue eyes returned, holding a black piece of cloth in his hands. He roughly tied a blindfold around Ethan’s head and then pulled out a syringe from his back pocket.

“What is that?” I demanded.

He stuck it into Ethan’s arm quickly before Ethan could fight back. It only took a few seconds for his body to give out. The man with blue eyes turned to me.

“It was a sedative. He’ll be all right . . . for now.”

He grabbed my arm and hauled me away from Ethan. My eyes burned as I turned and watched the distance grow between us. I was led down a small hallway to a bedroom. So many thoughts ran through my mind. I was the only female on a boat with God knew how many men. The last thing I wanted was to be alone with any of them.

“Get in there,” Blue Eyes commanded.

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