Total pages in book: 55
Estimated words: 51589 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 258(@200wpm)___ 206(@250wpm)___ 172(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51589 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 258(@200wpm)___ 206(@250wpm)___ 172(@300wpm)
I waited until he took a swig of coffee.
“Then we did our job since it never reached your ears, asshole. I’m twenty-four. And it’s not pretend. The virgin thing is a reality for me.”
I held back my grin as the coffee he tried to swallow made him choke.
He deserved it.
Julian passed a hand over his face. “We’re getting off topic here.”
I sighed because he was right. Marcus had riled me up and fast.
“Anyway, they seemed to be searching for the innocent-looking type. I was wearing several monitoring chips, and I was armed. The goal was to find out where the girls were being taken.”
“And you volunteered to be kidnapped,” Marcus snapped.
“I had a partner and backup. I was only one of three decoys. The team was watching and following. It was weeks of work. Living undercover. Establishing a fake life.”
“And?”
“I knew the night I had been spotted. Targeted. I recognized a couple of the men I had seen before. I let my team know. I was ready. They were ready—” I stopped as a sudden wave of emotion hit me.
Marcus’s large hand on top of mine brought me back. His voice was no longer angry when he spoke. “And?” he prompted, gently this time.
“Something went wrong. I knew my drink was spiked, so I only pretended to drink it. To let them move in. I went to the ladies’ room since we’d determined that was when the women were taken. I was ready to signal my team if I was approached, but then the world went black, and when I woke up, I was in a trunk. I could hear the sounds of the road below me. I searched for my gun, but it was gone. So was my knife. My phone with the one tracker. My hair clip with the other. My anklet removed, the silver ring I wore on my right hand. Everything was gone. I was on my own.”
For a moment, I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t talk, remembering the terror I felt. I had been immobile for minutes as I had tried to fight the feeling. To remember my training to help myself.
“I tried to kick out the taillights, but they were reinforced. The whole trunk was. I was ready when they opened the trunk. I sprang out and attacked them. I fought, but they were stronger.” I rubbed my hand along my neck. “They injected me with something, and the next time I woke up fully, I was in the basement of that warehouse. Every time I stirred, they pumped me with more stuff.”
“What happened?” Julian asked. “Why were you separated from the rest?”
“When I became fully conscious, my first thought was to get out of there. If not me, one of the women. I rallied them, explaining what we had to do. I planned to jump one of the guards who brought us the slop they called food. Cause a distraction.”
“It didn’t work, I assume,” said Marcus.
I reached for the glass, taking a sip, unable to control the tremor in my hand. Simply talking exhausted me. “I didn’t even have a chance to try. They had the place wired. They watched and listened to us. I was beaten as an example. After that, the women stayed clear. Still, I tried. I figured out where the cameras were, stayed out of their sight. Looked for ways out. But there was nothing—nothing but concrete and walls. Nowhere to go, nothing to use.”
“But you kept trying,” Julian stated.
“Yes. Then one of the men dragged me out of the basement and upstairs. He made me sit in front of a camera. Whoever was watching informed him I was the right one—the one he’d been searching for. That they’d done a good job.”
“The right one?” Marcus asked. “For what?”
“I was to be saved for him. I was going to be transported elsewhere for this man, not where the others were being shipped to.” I swallowed. “I panicked. I knew if I disappeared again, I would never find my way out. I jumped up and lunged. Broke the camera, scratched one of the men, tried to run. But they caught me. Beat me again and tied me up. Threw me in the cage so I couldn’t cause more trouble.” I shut my eyes as I remembered the sound of the wall clicking into place and locking me in the never-ending darkness. A long tremor went through me.
“Did you hear anything, Missy? Names, dates, anything you can remember?”
“I heard snippets of conversations in the ducts if they were talking close to them. I tried to listen when I would hear voices. I heard the men referring to the big boss as Mr. X.”
They exchanged another silent glance.
“I heard one of them say the name Xander, and I assumed that was Mr. X,” I added.