For the Taking

Gunshots fired out, and she couldn’t even duck or throw herself to the floor to protect herself.

Shit! Fuck!

She tried to pull on the rope, but the pain only increased. Her arm that he’d broken was killing her. Spots appeared in front of her good eye.

“No. Please. No. I’ll do anything you want. Please.”

She jumped as the gunshot sounded right in front of her.

Someone else was in the warehouse, and it was so quiet.

She tensed up as she heard footsteps and became aware of someone standing in front of her.

“I can’t see,” she said. “I normally can, but they wanted to take out an eye, and well, I think I’m going into shock.”

“Who are you?”

The person’s voice sounded rough, as if he wasn’t used to using it.

“Erm, I … a woman.”

“I can see that you’re a woman. You do know they have slashed off the shirt you’re wearing? I can see your tits.”

“I know they like to use knives. I’m no one.”

“You must be someone if you’ve got Peace’s men hurting you,” he said.

He stepped closer to her.

“I turned him down.” Right now, what would it matter her telling this stranger the reason she was tied to a chair and probably looking a little worse for wear? He was either going to kill her or let her loose.

“Turned who down?”

“David Peace. It would appear he doesn’t like being told no. I told him no.”

“You seriously expect me to believe that?”

“You can believe what you want. Do you really think I would be here otherwise? I know what kind of man he is, and I like to keep on breathing. I bet he doesn’t allow women to live long past their use by date, if you know what I mean.” This guy had a gun, and she couldn’t stop her smart mouth from working.

What was wrong with her? Did she have a freaking death wish?

There was no way she should be talking like this in front of a complete stranger, and not one with a gun.

The man didn’t move. He kept on staring at her.

At least, she believed he was staring at her.

Nothing made any sense to her right now.

Gritting her teeth, she felt a wave of emotions crushing down on her, and she couldn’t think of what to do.

“Please,” she said. She hated to beg so damn much. So far for not sleeping with David Peace, she’d had to beg a couple of times.

If there was ever a chance to kill that son of a bitch, she was going to take it, consequences be damned.

Gritting her teeth, she tried not to cry, but it was pretty much hopeless. Her tears were already falling. She didn’t know if anything was coming out of the bad eye, but what did it matter? She was hurting all over and just wanted to get out.

“This isn’t some kind of trick. You’ve stopped them from killing me. Please, let me go.”

“Why should I believe you?” he asked.

“What? Because I’m a woman I can’t resist any man? Is that what you’re going to go with?” She didn’t know why she was giving this man attitude, but the last twenty-four hours were finally catching up with her. “Not every woman is going to fall for the first cock that looks her way, and I want nothing to do with a guy who’d even think of doing this to a woman just because she said no.”

“I get it, and you know what, I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt.” Before she knew what was happening, something hard pierced her flesh.

“You drugged me.”

“I don’t like overly emotional women, and from the state of your face, you’re going to be in a lot of pain by the time the adrenaline wears off, and I don’t want to deal with it.”

She didn’t have much time to argue.

The drugs took immediate effect.

****

“I did not see this coming,” Stephen said, as he looked over the woman on the table.

“What?”

“You bringing anyone in but yourself. Do I even want to know?”

“All I need you to do is fix her up and leave me to deal with the rest.” Riley rubbed at his eyes. He shouldn’t have brought this woman here. The bag that was in the warehouse identified her as Meghan Short. The picture on her driver’s license didn’t look like the badly beaten woman, but he’d seen a lot of messed-up faces during his time of working for David. This woman, if she was telling the truth, had really gotten on David’s bad side.

Anyone against that piece of shit, Riley couldn’t exactly walk away from.

After holding his dead wife in his arms before incinerating the building, he had vowed to make David pay.

For ten years he’d been getting stronger, learning everything he needed to know, training, preparing to take out his enemy.