Private Princess (Private 14)

Chapter 49

PETER KNIGHT WAS helping himself to coffee in the station’s cafeteria when Jack Morgan approached.

“You got the confession?” Knight asked.

“I did,” Morgan confirmed.

“Then what’s up?” Knight could read his friend’s expression.

“Something isn’t right.” Before Morgan could elaborate further, his phone began to buzz urgently in his pocket.

“FaceTime from Cook,” he told Knight, his pulse quickening at the prospect of seeing her, even just on a screen. “I’ll tell her and Lewis to stand down as soon as the police arrive.”

“OK. I’ll pour you a coffee.”

“Thanks,” Morgan replied, moving outside in the corridor and hitting answer. “Hi, Jane…” he began.

But the smile died on his lips as the picture’s quality cleared, and he found himself looking not at the face of the woman he loved, but at the figure of a masked gunman who held a pistol to her head.

Chapter 50

MICHAEL “FLEX” GIBBON had waited years for this moment, and the picture of Morgan’s anguish made every second worthwhile.

“Hello, Morgan. Shame we couldn’t do this in person, but good to see you again.”

Morgan recognized the voice of the muscle-bound maniac with his gun held to Cook’s head.

“Whatever it is you want,” Morgan tried, “you can have it. I will sell Private, and you can have every dime.”

“This isn’t about money, Jack!” Flex shouted at the phone, his rage boiling over. “This is about honor! This is about righting a wrong! You don’t walk into my town and insult me! You don’t come onto my turf and sucker-punch me in my own gym!”

“Sucker-punch?” Cook laughed at Flex’s feet. “He beat the shit out of you!”

“Shut the fuck up!” Flex snarled, pistol-whipping his captive with such force that her head snapped back and blood gushed from her nose.

“Ja

ne! Please, Flex,” Morgan pleaded, “I’ll do anything.” He meant every word.

“Anything?”

“Yes. Anything. Anything!”

“Good.” Flex lowered the pistol and ran his hand through Cook’s hair. “So shall I tell you what I want, Jack?”

“Yes! Just tell me! Tell me and you’ll have it!”

“I’ve already got it, you prick,” Flex laughed. “All I want, Jack, is for you to watch.”

Then he lifted the gun and pulled the trigger.

Chapter 51

JACK MORGAN SANK to his knees. The phone fell from his hand and bounced across the floor. As he brought his hands to his face, he could hear Lewis’s anguished screams coming from the phone’s tiny speaker.

“Jack!” Knight shouted, running to his friend’s side. “What is it?”

What was it?