Page 10 of Ruthless

“She’s more of a risk than she’s worth,” Viper growled. “I’m calling a meeting…now.”

Her eyes shifted to mine, and my heart skipped a beat as I recognized the emotion.

Defeat.

Chapter 5

Rachel

My heart hammered in my chest as Green Eyes dropped a McDonalds sack of food onto my lap. I should’ve been thankful, but the conversation with Chaz had left my appetite depleted. After five years, he still threatened to unleash Victor on me. I shuddered at the thought of his dark henchman, who was once obsessed with my every move. Chaz had promised to keep me safe from him—and it was the only promise that he had kept over the years.

I had meantLucaswhen I was talking,notVictor.

But now, based the threat of letting the sadistic psycho off the leash and revealingwhowas holding me, I was certain that whatever meeting they were having would end in my death.

“You can get up,” Green Eyes grumbled as he backed away from me, my ankles free.

I blinked a few times, processing what he said before it registered that he had freed me from the hard, uncomfortable chair. My back was aching from having been sitting there for hours, but I didn’t show it. I wasn’t sure I could stand at the moment, anyway.

“There’s a bathroom through that door,” he pointed to a solid black door. “Figure you might need that by now.”

I nodded, though I had ignored the need to use the restroom for quite some time—long enough that the sensation had dissipated. “Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it,” he muttered, spinning around and heading for the stairs. They had left their masks on, and that was the only hope I had that I might make it out alive. However, they hadn’t asked me about what Chaz meant on the phone, only mentioned that I wasn’t worth the risk.

So maybe they already knew who Victor was.

“Hey, wait,” I called out, stopping him. “Is this it?”

He frowned at the question. “What?”

A heavy sigh filled the room. “Are you going to kill me?” I clarified.

He shrugged. “I don’t know… But if we do, I guarantee it’ll be faster than Victor Sanchez would do to you.”

I gulped, nodding at the answer. Theydidknow who he was, and I couldn’t mutter a word as he disappeared up the stairs.

I’m so fucked.

My eyes drifted down to the food in my lap, and as soon as I knew the door was shut, I threw the sack across the room, the bag crunching into the black walls of the basement.

Fucking dark, decrepit basement.

I rolled my ankles, waiting until the full circulation had returned before I shakily stood on my feet. These men might offer me a quicker death, but Lucas offered me safety—if I could just get to him. He knew all about Victor, but the concerns had faded as the years had passed.

My steps were clumsy as I worked out the kinks and soreness. Slowly, I trudged across the concrete floors to the bathroom, the door creaking obnoxiously. My mouth dropped as the natural light hit my face.

A window.

It wasn’t large—and to be honest, most individuals wouldn’t be able to fit through it… But I knew I could. I had shimmied through small spaces like that when Lucas and I had meandered into the gray areas of our work. If I could get it open, I could get out. Now, what lay outside of the house, I wasn’t sure. I had no idea if I was in a neighborhood, brimming with other people, or if I was fifty miles from another person. Either way, the risk was worth it.

If I can just reach it.

The window sat a good ten feet from the floor, and the only thing I had going for me was the fact that the toilet was right underneath. However, even with the boost, I wasn’t sure if I could reach it. I slipped back out of the bathroom, looking around and listening for a few beats. I could hear muffled voices above me, and while that meant they were preoccupied, it didn’t mean that it was free and clear.

Heart pounding, I grabbed the spare chair and carried it into the bathroom, trying to be as silent as possible. If I could just get out and get a head start…

The chair was wobbly on the toilet, the four legs setting to the outside of the lid, and I knew I risked making a huge ruckus that could easily end my life. I just kept reminding myself that it was worth the risk. I carefully climbed onto the chair, balancing as I gained the height I needed.

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