“We don’t want to hurt you, but we will if you make things difficult.”
The long hallway held a number of closed doors. God, were all these rooms filled with women being held against their will?
I jerked again. “Help! I need help!”
The other man muttered under his breath. He yanked my head back. “You’ll regret?—”
Then I heard several muffledwhump,whumpsounds from downstairs.
My captors both froze.
A radio crackled to life. “Intruders. We have—” It cut off.
I heard more muffled thumps.
“Fuck, shots,” one of my captors said.
With a jolt, I realized those sounds must have been silenced gunshots. Suddenly, there was a loud crash below.
Terror choked me. I kicked the man holding me. I needed to get away.
He backhanded me and I flew sideways into the wall. Then I wasn’t sure what happened. Something in me just snapped.
I’d been through so much in the last twenty-four hours and I wasdone.
I launched myself at him and landed a punch to his jaw, followed by a cross to his gut. He staggered and grunted.
The other guy cursed, and sank a hand into my hair. I tried to kick him.
Then suddenly, he spun, looking down the hallway. He fumbled for the gun holstered at his hip.
I looked up and energy filled me.
Cole was striding down the hallway, looking like the angel of death. He was dressed in black cargo pants, a black T-shirt, and black jacket. His face was set in harsh lines, and he had a gun held in his hand, with a silencer attached.
Whump.
The man beside me collapsed.
Whump.
My other captor fell, moaning on the floor.
I stood there, frozen.
Cole got close, but didn’t say anything. His blue gaze ran down the length of my body before it came back to my face.
I didn’t stop to think. I launched myself into his arms.
His arms closed around me, holding me tight.
CHAPTER 8
COLE
Lili had just watched me kill one man and injure another, yet she’d still leaped into my arms.
Holding her tight and lifting her off her feet, I turned and headed back to the stairs. She buried her face in my neck. Alessio and Rafe stood nearby, guns in their hands.
