Anger replaced fear as Nina realized what his words meant. “You destroyed the only thing I have from my parents!”
“You lying little bitch!” he slapped her. I fought against my restraints and kicked at my attackers, trying to take his attention off Nina. “You just admitted they left you jewelry.”
“Costume jewelry that I just found out about yesterday. The teddy bear is, was, the only thing I have from my childhood.” Tears streamed down Nina’s face as she cried through her explanation.
If they knew about her cherry covered blanket, they didn’t mention it.
“Miss Singer—”
“It’s Novak,” Nina grunted out, bracing for the expected slap.
Kane laughed. “Have it your way. Miss Novak, if you don’t tell us where the money is, we’ll shoot out your boyfriend’s left kneecap.”
“Don’t.” I yelled, earning another punch to the face, this one making me see red as the asshole’s ring cut the skin near my eye.
My left eye was swollen shut, my nose was broken, and if I had a mirror, I wouldn’t recognize the black and blue face staring back at me.
Nina screamed, “Stop!”
Officer Gable held up his hand to stop the assault.
She sucked in a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and said, “If you hit him again, I won’t tell you anything.”
She’s so much stronger than she knows.Would I live long enough to tell her?
“Miss Singer, I don’t think you understand who’s in charge here.”
“It’s. Novak! And I. Don’t. Have. Any. Money!” she screamed again, annunciating every word so that they echoed off the cement walls.
Office Kane gave the emotionless order, “Shoot him.”
The guy standing to my left didn’t hesitate; he drew his gun, pointed at my left kneecap, and pulled the trigger.
The reverberating echoes of the gunshot drowned out Nina’s screams, but not mine as I roared at the ceiling. White hot pain shot through my leg. Every nerve in my knee felt like it was on fire. Tears mixed with blood, adding salt to the copper taste in my mouth.
When I lowered my head to look at Nina, Gable had his hand in her hair.
“Open your eyes and look at him, or we’ll shoot his other knee.”
Nina’s tear-filled, bloodshot eyes shot open.
The lower half of my left leg dangled, and I used my right toes to support my body weight as best I could. Too weak to hold myself up with my hands, my body pulled against the cuffs, causing them to cut even deeper into my wrists as I swayed.
Nina sobbed, “Please don’t. I’ll do whatever you want.” Her breaths came too fast, and within seconds, she was hyperventilating.
I wanted to say something to comfort her, but my voice wouldn't work.
Officer Kane grabbed Nina’s face, crushing her jaw in his hand, and told her to calm down.
When in the history of the world has that ever worked?
I might’ve laughed if we weren’t fighting for our lives.
“They left me money, but I don’t have access to it,” Nina said between sobs.
Fuck. They’d kill me for sure and keep Nina alive long enough to access the funds.
Drawing on a reserve of strength I didn’t know I had, I mumbled around swollen lips, “It's true, CIA froze accounts.”
