“Just hold on, Red,” he muttered through gritted teeth. “I’m coming for you.”
* * *
Penny’s headthrobbed as two men hauled her down a dim corridor. Adrenaline shook through her veins. She had to get free. But the men’s grip on her arms was viselike, their faces rigid.
She desperately twisted in her captors’ hold, but their fingers only dug in harder. “Let me go, you bastards,” she gritted out.
“Shut the fuck up,” the one on her left growled.
They turned a corner and met a nondescript door. As it swung open, Penny smelled musty concrete and rust. Her breath quickened. Wherever they were taking her, she knew it was nowhere good.
With a shove, the men propelled her inside. She stumbled, barely keeping her feet under her. The room was small and windowless, lit by a single harsh bulb. A chair sat in the middle with ropes.
Before she could fully grasp the situation, the men had already dragged her to the chair and securely tied her to it, the coarse rope digging into her skin.
The other man glared her way with intense hatred. “Make any trouble in here and you’ll regret it.”
With a loud slam, they exited the room, leaving her alone with her thoughts.
Her heart hammered against her ribs as she took in the cell around her. The cold, damp air enveloped her, raising goosebumps on her bare arms. She tried to move but her hands were tightly bound behind her back. Blinking in the dim light, she took in her surroundings—a small cell with concrete walls, with what appeared to be blood stains on the floor.
Fear stole her breath away as the reality of her situation sank in. She was trapped, at the mercy of Victor Romano. She strained against the restraints, the rough rope biting into her wrists, but it was useless. She was well and truly stuck.
Drawing in a shaky breath, she steadied her nerves. She had to keep it together, had to think. She closed her eyes, retreating into her mind, blocking out the discomfort and panic. She was a fighter, a survivor. And Hawke would come. But even she knew he wouldn’t ignore Hunt’s demand to keep this clean. He wouldn’t be coming in shooting to rescue her—
Scratch that, she realized,yeah, he would do just that.The fact he hadn’t yet done that, told her that he knew she was presently not about to die.
Penny’s eyelids fluttered opened and she scanned her surroundings again. Her gaze landed on a small light mounted on the concrete wall, indicating the presence of a camera. She held the camera’s stare, feeling as though she could sense Hawke’s reassuring gaze on her from behind it. The relief in that had her slowing her breathing, calming the racing of her heart.
Many,manyminutes later, the heavy metal door suddenly swung open with an ear-piercing creak, and her pulse quickened all over again.
A hulking silhouette filled the doorway, then stepped inside. Victor Romano. His expensive Italian suit seemed out of place in the dingy surroundings.
Victor’s mouth curled into a smug grin as he eyed her helpless form. “Well, well... look what we have here,” he purred, his voice smooth yet sinister.
Penny met his icy gaze unflinchingly, determined not to show any weakness.
“Did you really think you could infiltrate my organization and I wouldn’t find out?” Victor tsked, shaking his head. “This has truly been fun, but the game is over.”
He crouched down in front of her, his face inches from hers. She recoiled instinctively from his hot breath.
“Thanks to you, everything is falling perfectly into place,” he whispered. “Soon all of this city will be mine. I don’t need Julia. Rhys Harrington brought you right to me.” He cupped her cheek, and she yanked her face away from him. “I will trade your life for a partnership with the club to gain some photographs and audio clips that I need; sounds like a fair trade, don’t you think?”
Penny held Victor’s icy gaze, refusing to be intimidated.
Victor leaned in closer, his eyes glinting with malice. “And once I have total control, anyone who has crossed me will pay the price,” he purred.
His words sent a spike of fear through her heart. But she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing her panic.
“I’m not afraid of you,” she said coldly.
Victor let out a dark chuckle. “Oh, but you should be.”
13
Hawke’s gaze was fixed on the screen, his heart pounding as he watched Romano talk to Penny in the cell. Though he couldn’t hear the words, Romano’s predatory gaze and Penny’s tense expression told him everything he needed to know. She was being threatened, and he had to get to her. Fast.
The next course of action was being debated in the van as Archer parked a block away from the mansion, and while the team was finalizing the plan, Hawke knew enough to ensure Penny’s safe escape.
