Buttons & Hate (Buttons 2)

“Do you understand what you’re doing? You’re returning me to a madman who will beat me and rape me. As a woman, you’re okay with that?” I had to believe that the world didn’t solely function around money. There had to be some good people—even just one.

Her expression was as cold as ever. “Are you done whining?”

“Not whining. Just hoping for some good in this world.”

“Bones has a ten million dollar award for your return. I don’t give a damn if he’s going to rip off each limb one by one and feed it to a gang of dogs. I don’t give a damn if you’re a man or a woman. All I care about is that cash. Now shut up.” She slammed the gun into the back of my head.

My body winced at the collision and I felt the air leave my lungs. The metal was heavy and brutal against my scalp. My legs felt weak and I fell into the seat near the window.

She shot me a glare before she slammed the door shut.

I leaned my back against the seat and felt the migraine start to emerge. My hands were pressed against my back so I had to arch my spine in the seat to be slightly comfortable.

The woman got into the backseat beside me, her hand still on her gun. “Go.” She ordered the driver with a quick flick of her wrist.

The car pulled onto the road as the man mounted their motorcycles. When their engines roared to life they took off in the opposite direction.

I looked out the window and tried to figure out where we were and where we were going. The woman and the driver were the only two people in the car. Two against one weren’t good odds, but it was better than four against one.

The woman eyed me in my seat, watching me suffer before she turned her gaze out the window. “We’re taking you to his headquarter. We’ll drop you off and be on the way.”

“And far away is that?”

“Thirty minutes,” she answered. “I suggest you get some rest.”

The idea of returning to the man who got off to torturing me sent chills down my spine. Now that I had a taste of freedom I never wanted to go back. I hoped Crow would track me down and come to my rescue but I knew that was impossible. The men drove straight through the hills and now I was in a different vehicle in the middle of nowhere.

He would never find me.

***

We entered a major city twenty minutes later. Few cars were on the street because of the late hour and most of the stores were closed. But the streetlights were on and a few bums sat on the sidewalks.

We were almost there.

I eyed the gun sitting on her thigh and cast a glance at the driver. He didn’t seem like a military man, just a chauffeur. I could probably take him down if I had to. The woman was my only concern.

Without moving my head I eyed her body in the hope of finding another gun on her belt. If she there were one, I could snatch it and put a bullet right in her head. But I didn’t see one.

But I did notice a wallet. It was slowly falling out of her pocket when we hit bumps in the road. It was black and made of leather, looking like it belonged to man. She probably had cash and an ID inside. If I could take her out and get away, I’d have money to travel.

But how did I get it?

The rope around my wrists had softened from the sweat against my back. It leaked through my t-shirt and absorbed into the rope, making it more brittle. I never put on my safety belt when I entered the car, and the buckle lay beside my right arm. It wasn’t sharp but it did have an edge.

That gave me an idea.

I kept my gaze out the window and shifted my weight closer to the door. I managed to grab the strap and pull it closer to me, getting the buckle closer to my fingertips. When I felt the metal in my hands I rubbed it against the rope, serrating it with as much pressure as possible. It slipped a few times and didn’t make a dent. But when I took my time and slowly grinded the metal against the deteriorating rope it started to loosen.

It was actually working.

I slowly cut through the strap until it came loose. Once the rope weak enough I felt it snap in two.

My hands were free.

I released the buckle and sat still, feeling my heart slam into my chest. I was excited and terrified. All I had to do was wait for the right amount and I would make my move. With lightning speed I would snatch the gun and get the hell out of there.