Page 135 of Mad Love

“Did you search her?” Gary drawled.

Rough hands scrubbed over my body, and I gritted my teeth as I resisted the urge to fight back. It would only earn me another a slap.

“She’s clean,” one of the guys declared as his hands finished squeezing my ass. “Has on a vest, though.”

I winced. The bulletproof vest had been Chase’s, and when we’d first gotten to the car, he’d royally pissed off his guards by insisting I wear it under my t-shirt before berating them for not having one for me. Now I felt like an asshole, because he probably needed it.

Gary sighed. “Get it off her.”

My shirt was ripped open from the back and the vest roughly pulled off my body, leaving me in a thin camisole and my bra.

Gary grinned at me, his teeth flashing. “Perfect. Now I can shoot you in the back if you try to run.”

I glared at Gary. “I’m here, like you wanted. I’m not running, asshole, so let her go.”

He tilted his head. “No, I don’t think I will. You see, you cost me a lot of money, Madison. And I think Rebecca will help me recoup some of that.” He patted the top of her head, smirking when she tried to shrink away with nowhere to go. “I know of a shitty little brothel in Thailand that would love some fresh American cunt.”

“No—” An arm wrapped around my middle as a hand clamped across my mouth, silencing me.

Gary held up a finger with an aggrieved sigh. “I wasn’t done speaking yet, dear.” He shook his head as if disappointed. “I suppose I can’t be too surprised, considering your upbringing.”

He walked away from Bex, the heels of his shiny shoes clicking across the floors, until he was inches from me. He observed me the way someone would look at a penguin in the zoo. “I could have given you the world, you know.”

I shook my head behind the hand that muzzled me, hoping my eyes conveyed all the ways I was trying to say Fuck you.

“I considered sending you with your friend, but honestly? I’d rather lose a few million than have to deal with you any longer.” He reached behind his back and pulled out a silver gun, the lights glinting off it as he aimed it at my head.

Abruptly, I was let go, and the creep holding me moved away, probably worried he’d get blood on his suit.

“Any last words?” Gary cocked the trigger and smiled at me as Bex struggled behind him, screaming around her gag.

Everything in me wanted to panic, but I forced myself to stay calm and think.

“Killing me won’t change what’s already been set in motion,” I told him. “My sister was a lot smarter than you gave her credit for. And she hated you a lot more than I did.”

His eye twitched, the curious tick giving him away. He was intrigued and possibly… concerned?

I drew in a deep breath. “Pandora is a pretty wild place.”

His eyes widened. “What did you say?”

“Pandora?” I grinned at him. “It’s a place where my sister hid all the footage of you and your asshole friends doing all sorts of illegal things.”

“Where are the recordings?” His face was an odd combination of pale and red, like he wasn’t sure if he was furious or going to shit his pants.

I shrugged. “A friend has them.” I smirked, thinking of Tyler working on the drives at this very minute. Maybe a little lie wouldn’t hurt. “Madelaine had a lot of shit on you, you know. And if something happens to me or Bex? She’s sending everything to every major news outlet.”

Fury twisted his features into something inhuman. He lunged forward, wrapping his hands around my neck and shaking me. “Tell me where they are!”

This close, I could see the panic in his eyes. We hadn’t finished going over everything my twin had discovered, but it stood to argue she had a lot of dirt on our father. And based on his reaction, there were things he didn’t want getting out.

My nails dug into his wrists, trying to pry him off, but he was too strong. When I was close to blacking out, spots dancing across my blurry vision, he shoved me to the ground and whirled, jabbing a finger in Bex’s direction.

“Get her up,” he snapped, barking orders like a madman.

The two men jumped to do his bidding as I coughed and choked on the floor, rubbing my raw throat. I tried to protest as they cut through the ropes binding Bex to the chair and jerked her upright. She looked terrified, but she didn’t make a sound as she met my eyes.

Gary sneered. “Get rid of her gag, too. I want my daughter to hear her friend’s screams.”

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