Private Royals (Private 12.50)

‘Was he medically trained?’ Morgan asked, his fingers tightly gripping the phone.

‘Sergeant Aaron Shaw was a qualified team medic for every one of his operational tours, boss.’

Morgan looked to Cook, the scent of prey thick in his nostrils.

The Major almost gasped as she came to the same conclusion. ‘Shaw knew how to draw blood,’ she whispered.

Morgan nodded. ‘Abbie was taken by her own bodyguard.’

CHAPTER 39

IT WAS THE pain beneath his ribs that brought Knight back to consciousness.

His eyes opened wide, and he wanted to scream in agony, but his lips wouldn’t move and the sound died in his throat. It took him a moment to realise that his mouth had been taped shut. Wanting to tear it away, Knight discovered with panic that his hands were tied behind his back, his ankles also bound, and his shoes removed.

He was a prisoner, he realised, dread rising from his stomach. He had no idea how, but he had an idea by whom.

He was the prisoner of a ghost.

Aaron Shaw entered the room – the bodyguard whom Private had presumed dead was still very much alive. He was looking at a phone in his hand, as if weighing up a mighty decision.

‘Will your dad pay?’ the man asked, his tone heightened by adrenaline. Knight followed Shaw’s gaze to another bound prisoner, though unlike him, Abbie Winchester had the comfort of a threadbare sofa.

‘Abbie!’ Shaw roared. ‘Will your dad pay?’

Abbie’s mouth was free from tape, but fear kept the words inside her.

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nbsp; ‘You useless little twat!’ he screamed, brandishing a knife that he pulled from inside his coat. ‘You still think you’re bloody special, don’t you? Even covered in your own piss and puke, you still think you’re special! Well you’re not!’

The man backhanded his prisoner, who let out a moan.

‘Your dad was the same! Treated his blokes like they were his bloody servants! But who did he come to when he needed the dirty work doing? What kind of man would set up his own fucking daughter to go through this?

‘Don’t you understand, you stupid little tart? Your dad would rather have you dead and out of the picture than give away the family’s money! Why do you think he got these pricks from Private involved, instead of just paying up? He wanted them to push us into a corner! If he wasn’t going to get what he wanted, then he wanted you dead!’

‘No,’ Abbie moaned, but the tone of grief in her voice led Knight to think that she believed it.

As if feeling the eyes on him, Shaw snapped his head around to face the man who had tried to stop him.

‘You probably think I’m a sick bastard, don’t you?’ he said.

Knight was gagged, so he let his eyes speak for him.

‘It wasn’t me who came up with this plan!’ Shaw shouted, slapping at his chest. ‘It was her bloody dad! And it wasn’t me who killed the girl! That was that prick Waldron. All I did was do as the Duke said, like when we were in the regiment, and now I’m the one left holding the bucket! I’m the one who’s going to go to prison!’

He seemed to sag as he realised how compromised his situation was. In an instant he became calm. Almost remorseful.

‘I’ve got no choice now,’ he told Knight. ‘I’ve got to cut my losses and extract. I’m sorry.’

Knight knew what the man’s next words would be before he said them.

‘I’ve got to kill you.’

CHAPTER 40

SHAW STALKED TOWARDS his bound prey.