Page 81 of Knockout

A note of fear flashed in Raphi’s gaze. “I gave her to him. Payment for services rendered.”

“Who?” Liam already knew, though. And every cell in his body wanted to blow but he reined in his anger.

“Brad Mills.”

Gage tapped him on the shoulder. “Step back, Sergeant.”

No. Liam planned to choke the life out of Raphi until he spilled Roxie’s actual location. Could he really come this far only to lose her now? His heart had suffered plenty without her in his life. Thinking she’d chosen someone else when it was Mark’s hateful words that had cut deep. If he’d spoken to her, he might have recognized the situation she’d been in and done what he could to save her.

They both knew it.

Perhaps it would be one of the biggest regrets they carried with them for the rest of their lives, the time they’d missed out on. But if he had saved her then, she might not be in this place where she could get into a relationship. She seemed at least closer to being ready for a relationship now.

He forced his fingers to let go of Raphi’s shirt and backed off, replaced right away by Gage. The guy knew exactly how he felt. Gage and Clare had been through plenty before they finally settled into their relationship. And quickly got married. Though, with the lives they both lived, things would never be completely peaceful, would they?

“I need to know where she is.” Gage’s tone was one Liam had never heard.

Liam leaned his shoulder against the wall and closed his eyes. He prayed in a way he never had before.Don’t let him hurt her.Begging felt odd, but there were plenty of verses that talked about asking God for things—and continuing to ask. Being persistent to the point God couldn’t help but take notice, figuratively speaking.

Psalms of request to God rolled through his mind, and he found himself whispering them. Peter’s hand squeezed his shoulder. Someone else moved.

He heard the muffled thud of a fist hitting center mass through clothes.

“Raphi, you know where he is.” Gage stood over the Russian, who glared up at him from the floor.

Liam would have killed him by now, and then they would have no shot at getting this information from him.

“Where would he take her?”

When Raphi said nothing, Gage shifted his stance. To anyone watching, it would look like the lieutenant was about to kick his stomach. Of course, his commanding officer would never do that to a man on the ground, not even in the worst of situations.

All they needed was for Raphi to believe he would.

Gage shifted his weight. “Where?”

“All right.” Raphi flinched. “He has a cabin. A place off the grid. I don’t know where it is.”

Liam nearly threw up right then.

Gage said, “Start telling me what youdoknow about it.”

Peter had his phone out and put it to his ear. “A cabin off the grid, Sie.” He paused, then said into the phone, “Brad Mills. Mark Mills.” Another pause, then, “Find it.”

THIRTY-EIGHT

The car jerked to a stop like he’d slammed on the brakes. Roxie moaned from her spot in the trunk, her stomach roiling in a way that didn’t spell anything good. She might not have eaten much recently, but it didn’t seem to matter when bile rose in her throat anyway.

She heard his door slam. Then footsteps in gravel, which matched what she’d heard when they’d pulled off the steady rumble of the blacktop.

The trunk lid lifted.

She braced, flinching so hard it shot pain through her. He’d hit her with a stun gun on her front, hitting her collar bone. She hadn’t been able to hold back the cry, and the fact it still hurt even after that drive was bad news.

“Get out.”

She opened her mouth to tell him no, just on principle, but didn’t think that would go well for her. “Might take me a minute,Brad.” She kept a tone in her voice like,Yeah, I know exactly who you are, and you don’t scare me anymore, Mark. Hopefully, pretending would cause her to believe it at least a little bit. Some of that “fake it till you make it” with some more hope—that she’d get rescued or manage to escape before she found out if it worked or not.

“You’re not going to call me that. Because I’m Mark.”

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