Jenkins stood slowly, his hands raised. "Now, gentlemen, let's not be hasty. I'm sure we can come to some sort of understanding..."
Garrick laughed, a harsh, ugly sound. "Oh, I think we're well past that, Jenkins. Blackwood's not happy with you. Not happy at all."
“I-I didn’t… they just…” Jenkins stammered, but Garrick silenced him with a look.
Everything happened very quickly then. Minnie’s heart stopped as two of the men grabbed Jenkins by the collar, hauling him out from behind the desk. The leader fixed his cold eyes on Tommy.
"Looks like it's time for a little lesson in minding your own business, Ward."
Tommy tensed, throwing a punch at Garrick when he moved forward. He caught him in the jaw and stepped back, ready for a fight, but they were outnumbered and outmaneuvered as Jenkins appeared to be no help, holding his arms above his head as though to protect himself. The other two men who were not involved in fisticuffs with Tommy dragged Jenkins toward the door, the customs officerstruggling and sputtering protests as he swung his arms around in useless effort.
Tommy and Garrick were locked in battle, trading punches, and Minnie circled them, trying to determine just how she could help Tommy without getting in the way.
In the chaos, Minnie felt a rough hand close around her upper arm. One of the men who had taken Jenkins had returned. She cried out as she was yanked away, her feet stumbling over the uneven floorboards.
She tried to swing, but the man had her arms in a vise-like grip, offering her no way out.
"Tommy!" she screamed, panic clawing at her throat as she tried to wrench her arms free, to fight for her own safety.
Tommy whirled, his eyes widening in horror as he saw Minnie being pulled away. He lunged for her, but the leader intercepted him with a cruel smile.
"Ah, ah, ah," he tutted. "You took something of Blackwood's. It's only fair he takes something of yours. Something that belonged to him to start with.”
“Let her go!” Tommy roared, grappling with Garrick. “She’s got nothing to do with this.”
“Oh, but she does,” Garrick laughed, dodging Tommy’s blows. “She’s Draper’s daughter. Boss has plans for her. Plans that you tried to intercept, but we’ll fix that.”
The third man returned from behind Tommy, but before Minnie could warn him, he grabbed Tommy’s arms, giving Garrick the opportunity to slam a meaty fist into Tommy's gut. Tommy doubled over, the breath rushing from his lungs in a pained grunt.
"No!" Minnie thrashed against her captor's hold, desperate to reach her husband. But the man's grip was like iron as he hauled her toward the door.
Tommy fought like a man possessed, but he wasoutmatched by the two men in addition to already being slowed by the blows he had taken.
“Tommy!” Minnie cried both in concern for him and panic for herself, thrashing and kicking, but her captor’s hold was unyielding as he hauled her out of the office and into the maze of shipping containers beyond. She tried to dig her feet into the stones below her, but it was no use.
"Stop fighting, you little wildcat," the man grunted, giving her a rough shake. "You'll only make it worse for yourself."
Minnie barely heard him over the pounding of her own heart. This couldn't be happening. They'd been so close to exposing Blackwood, to freeing themselves from his clutches. And now...
Now she was being dragged to God only knew what fate, while Tommy lay bleeding and broken, unable to help her. Sobs tore at her throat as she stumbled along, the thug's fingers digging into her arm.
They wove through a labyrinth of crates and containers, the docks that had always felt alive and free to her now threatening and sinister. Minnie had no idea where they were going, only that each turn was taking her farther from Tommy, from safety.
After what felt like an eternity, they emerged in a clearing on the docks. A small boat sat in front of them, and Minnie’s heart sank. Once they were on that boat, there was no telling where it would take her, and it would be unlikely that Tommy would ever find her.
She looked around desperately, but it was just her and the three men, who had now reconvened. She prayed desperately that they had left Tommy alive. She needed to get to him, tears running down her face at her inability to get herself out of this situation, let alone him.
She was trapped — and there was no way out.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Tommy coughed as he finally sucked in enough air to roll to his side and push himself up to his feet.
He had failed Minnie. He had failed himself, if he was being honest.
He had promised to keep her safe, and instead, he had done the exact opposite, bringing her to the lion’s den, where she had been captured and hauled away, to God knew where and with God knew who.
He stumbled to the door, grabbing the ledger from the desk on the way, stuffing it into the bag they had brought with them and slinging it over his shoulder. When he opened the door, he found Jenkins on the other side of it, also injured, blood trickling out of a cut on the side of his head, but alive at least.
