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“Was sent here to assassinate Marcus Holden, like I said. He’s probably using you for information, Jayce. Looks like he had fun doing it, too.” Nick’s eyes flicked up and down, taking in our half-undressed state and the very rumpled bed things behind us. “Now, are you ready to give us your pretty toy like you should have from the beginning? Maybe you can still get away with everything attached if you cooperate — you know your dad has a soft spot for you.”
He didn’t flinch behind me, and he didn’t say anything.
But he didn’t take his hand off my shoulder, either.
Nick just stared between the two of us. “You know he’s probably armed, right?”
Of course I was armed. There was no world that existed where I wasn’t always armed. It was the reason I was only half dressed — I'd put my gun on first. Jayce’s free hand slid over my exposed hip and up along my back. He brushed his fingers against the metal, and I felt the tension in my body rise to match his own.
“Jayce, I wouldn’t hurt you,” I murmured the words as softly as I could, but we weren’t alone in the room. Nick heard the whisper.
“He lies so pretty. I’m sure he does a lot of pretty things with that mouth, but —”
“Shut the fuck up, Nick.” Jayce’s words came out as a snarl, and he started forward. Nick lifted his gun and pointed it at his head.
“Try me, big boy. I’ll blame it on your little friend here and get away with it.”
My whole body was stiff, and my fingers wrapped around his wrist before I could stop myself. I could feel his pulse thundering, the only thing that betrayed how the situation was really affecting him.
“Don’t.” My words were soft and careful.
“Oh, please do.” Nick’s were full of taunting glee. “Either that or step aside. Look at your little bitch there, all worked up and ready. Maybe I’ll play with him a little while —”
My hand on his wrist didn’t stop him from surging forward. Jayce punched Nick in the jaw, and Nick’s gun flashed in a blur of metal across his face. When he pressed it to his forehead and Jayce kept moving, I knew I couldn’t do this anymore.
“Stop,” I shouted the word and ducked to pull on my pants and shoes before they exchanged more blows… or worse. “Just fucking stop. I’ll go with you, okay? I’ll go, and I’ll give you whatever information you need. Just…” I held my hands up and fixed my eyes on Nick, and I hated the way I sounded like I was pleading. “Quit with the testosterone match already. No one needs to die today. You got me, all right? I don’t know how, but you did. So… let’s just handle this like adults. Take me to Marcus.”
“Clay, don’t —”
Nick turned his gun on me.
“Good. I was getting sick of seeing his blood. Come here, Clayton.”
“Don’t —” Jayce started, and Nick cut him off.
“If you move, I’ll shoot him. You might kill me Jayce, but I’ll kill him first. I saw what you did to Kent and Park. I won’t make the same mistake they did.”
“Clay…”
I couldn’t listen to Jayce, though. He was going to get himself killed defending a man who he had no reason to trust. And… this was what I’d wanted all along, right? To get taken to Marcus Holden? I dropped my gaze and forced a smile.
“Sorry, Jayce. But… a mission is a mission, right? We were both just doing a job, after all.” I flicked my eyes up to him, and I wondered if he could read them. He said he’d known me, dreamed of me. Could he see me now?
I moved until I was standing by Nick, until his gun pressed against my temple was impossible for Jayce to ignore.
Until I felt something tremble along my spine in apprehension. This all felt so familiar, but I was very certain I’d never been in a situation like this before. I’d never been stupid enough to let myself get into a position like this. Sure, I’d had a gun to my temple, and I’d even been taken hostage… but usually, I’d been planning it from the beginning.
This? Well, I hadn’t planned this at all.
“You’re going to die for him, Clay. Or wish you were dead.” Nick’s voice was a venomous whisper in my ear while he disarmed me and threw my gun to the side. My eyes flicked back to Jayce, who was staring between us with a mixture of rage and confusion on his face.
“If you don’t get me out of here right now, I can’t guarantee you won’t die with me.” The gun pressed harder to my head, but Jayce’s presence in the corner of the room was proof of my threat.
“Fine. Let’s go. Jayce, you better be careful. There are six more guys outside — fucking stay put until Daddy calls.”
And before I could think of what to say, think of what to do, Nick was leading me out of the room. The only thing I could manage was to flick my eyes up to Jayce’s again and smile.
Chapter 16
