Page 77 of Knockout

The door slammed shut behind her. Roxie flinched. Her nose started to run.

Destiny scrambled to her feet, her hands bound in front of her. Roxie frowned. Her friend said, “Let me get that tape off.”

She stood still while Destiny worked the tape off for her. When it was gone, Roxie hissed out a breath. Felt like her lip was bleeding. Her hair hung all wispy around her face. Hands bound behind her back.

Olivia had her hands bound in front of her, but her wrists were so close together there was no way she’d be able to snap them free. It took force—and a gap between the hands—the older woman might not have.

There was no way Roxie could get out of hers.

The older woman dug awkwardly in her pocket and pulled out a bundled-up tissue. She winced. “It’s not new, but it’s better than nothing.”

Roxie crouched beside her so they faced each other, and Liam’s mom wiped her nose. “Sorry, Olivia.”

“Honey, there’s nothing to apologize for. This isn’t your doing.”

She couldn’t form the words, too worried she would throw up if she talked. They’d even taken the GPS necklace. Things had not gone according to plan.

Roxie shifted to her back and worked her body and then her legs through her bound arms, bringing her hands in front of her. A lot harder than it looked. Though, from Olivia and Destiny’s expressions, they’d considered it touch and go.

She sat up and crossed her legs. Everything swam around her, and she pressed the back of her hand to her mouth, hissing out a breath. “Oof.”

“Yeah, please don’t hurl, honey,” Olivia said. She looked rumpled, but not like she’d been hurt. Just traumatized. “I’m a sympathy puker.”

Roxie whimpered again. It was supposed to be a laugh, but there was no humor in this situation. “Tell me what’s happened since you got here.” The only thing she had the energy to do was lie back and stretch out her hip flexors. She needed to be the strong one with these two civilians, so she bent her arms and tucked her bound hands behind her back so she could prop her head on them.

Olivia blinked at the change in her demeanor.

Roxie said, “Catch me up.”

Destiny stared at her like she’d grown a second head. “We’re at Hurstwhile.” She frowned. “The therapy center on the hill with the big flag outside.”

Roxie nodded. “I saw that when we drove around to the garage.”

“Me, too,” Olivia said.

“Did those two guys take both of you?”

Olivia nodded, but Destiny said, “It was two guys who spoke Russian that got me.” Her voice broke. “They hurt Conrad.”

Roxie nudged her friend with her knee since it was closest. “We found him. He’s at the hospital. He was talking to Liam.”

“And Bob?”

Roxie glanced at Olivia and nodded. “Liam called you, and he picked up, said what’d happened.”

Relief washed over Olivia’s face, and she blew out a breath through pursed lips. “He’s alive.”

Roxie did the knee nudge in the other direction, since she was essentially lying between them. She was also facing away from the door. But it wouldn’t take long for her to flip around and stand. Just as soon as someone came in.

She would stand between these two women and whoever entered.

No matter their intention.

It was what she knew Liam would ask of her. Not only that, but it was the person Roxie wanted to be. Whether she and Liam were a thing or not, she would stand up for the people she cared about. “I don’t suppose the two of you have been praying.”

“Only since we got here,” Olivia said.

Destiny nodded. “Haven’t stopped.”

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