Page 14 of Ruthless

“How bad is it?” Gunner peeked around Viper, eyeing me as I worked.

“Her feet aren’t that bad,” I answered, but then motioned to her abdomen and hands, which were dripping onto the comforter. “But I don’t know about all that.”

“Yeah, looks rough,” Gunner commented, taking a deep breath. “And you know you’ve really fucked shit up without the mask.”

“Guess we can just call this one what it is—botched.” I shook my head as I dipped the rag back into the bowl.

“What’s your partner’s name?” Viper asked Rachel, whose eyes hadn’t moved from her hands.

Her eyes flickered to mine, holding them for a split second before looking up at Viper. “Lucas, but I know that you already know that.”

“Yeah, but do you have his phone number memorized?” His tone was ice cold, as it always was when dealing with kidnappees, and I usually rivaled that level—but Rachel had my head a wreck.

And now I was cleaning her goddamn feet.

I missed whatever Rachel said, but Viper tossed her the phone—which she didn’t catch, the phone slipping through her grip. It thudded on the floor beside me, blood smeared across it. I picked it up and turned to Viper.

“Why the fuck are you making her call anyone when she hasn’t been treated yet? She’s losing a lot of blood right now.”

Viper chuckled darkly. “Really, Axle? Because you know, you’ve slit someone open andthenmade them call for their ransom—so I don’t want to hear it from you. You’ve apparently not only blown this by running out without your mask, but you’ve also now gone soft.”

“Fuck off,” I growled at him, tossing the rag into the bowl. I knew that he was right, and it only made the humiliation that much worse. However, obviously mentioning that I had slit someone’s throat must’ve been enough to freak out Rachel, who was looking at me with wide eyes.

“We need our money, and at this point, I’m willing to do whatever it takes,” Viper continues, ignoring my comment. “If her partner can pay us off, then we can just nix this entire fucked up operation.”

“He’ll never be able to come up with whatever amount you need,” Rachel suddenly spoke up, her voice quiet and unsteady. “And he’ll go to the cops.”

“I doubt he would,” Viper chuckled. “You clearly don’t know your partner as well as we do. I’d say he operates in the gray area quiet efficiently.”

“No, he doesn’t,” she snapped, her tone growing sharp. “He hates operating in the gray area.”

“And why do you think that?” Viper tilted his head at her. “Because I have information that tells me otherwise.”

Chapter 7

Rachel

What could Lucas possibly be involved in?

I was racking my brain while also trying to process the fact that I had thrown myself at the man who was responsible for kidnapping me—and had apparently stabbed someone too. I really needed to make smarter decisions. But also…

Fuck, this guy is hot.

I stared at Ghost Eyes, wondering what he was thinking in the moment as the other two went back and forth about my business partner. They were trying to figure out if it was a good idea to reach out, and honestly… I hoped they did. That might be my only shot at getting out of this place. Clearly, they’re not convinced that Chaz will even call back.

Or maybe it’s Victor that has them shifting gears.

I shuddered at the thought of my old stalker. I had worked so hard to forget the psycho’s existence, though Ghost Eyes might be able to give him a run for his money… My eyes trailed up his chiseled body, wondering what he looked like beneath that black hoodie. Even the sweatshirt couldn’t hide his broad shoulders and thick arms.

“Where is she?” A female voice cut through the men’s conversation, and I nearly passed out at the sound—or maybe it was the blood I was losing. I hadn’t obeyed Ghost Eyes’ order to strip, and once the other men showed up, I was glad I hadn’t.

“Right here,” Green Eyes called out to her. “No name basis.”

“I know,” she snapped, appearing at the bottom of the stairs. She didn’t have on a ski mask, instead she dawned a creepy white face mask, her dark hair pulled up behind it. She had a duffel bag of sorts, and I assumed it was some kind of medical supply bag. I wasn’t sure about her, since I couldn’t see the expression on her face, but she seemed annoyed—or maybe frustrated.

“She’s got cuts on her abdomen. I don’t know how deep they are,” Ghost Eyes said, his voice gruff and strikingly flat. I eyed him as he picked up the supplies he had been using to carefully clean my wounds, but he didn’t look at me. It would’ve been an intimate moment, him tending to me…had his associates not shown up in the middle.

“All of you need to leave,” the woman began, shooing them toward the stairs.

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