Page 103 of King of Pride

Before Zoe could answer, the call ended.

An hour later, the thunderous sound of Maverick’s footsteps echoed through the abandoned building as he stormed inside. Silence hung heavily in the air, broken only by the hurried footsteps of his men as they spread out and surrounded the place.

Maverick didn’t slow down. The moment his men located Rose, he headed straight toward the sound of their voices.

The building wasn’t empty after all.

His men had already cleared the lower floor, and Maverick pushed past them without wasting a second. He stormed toward the stairs and took them two at a time, his expression growing darker with every step.

Then he reached the floor above.

The sight waiting for him nearly made his blood boil.

Four men surrounded Rose.

Her hands were tied tightly behind her back at an awkward, painful angle, while a blindfold covered her eyes. One of the men had a tight grip around her neck, holding her in place as he shouted something directly into her face.

Maverick didn’t even wait to hear what he was saying.

He charged forward and drove his foot into the man's back.

The man stumbled forward, caught completely off guard. Only then did the others realize they had been surrounded. Maverick’s men moved in at once, cutting off every possible escape.

Maverick grabbed the nearest man and shoved him aside before rushing toward Rose.

He tore the blindfold from her eyes and freed her from the hands holding her.

The moment she was released, Rose sucked in a shaky breath of relief.

“Maverick!” she cried, throwing her arms around him.

He caught her immediately, pulling her tightly against his chest as his gaze swept over her.

“What did they do to you?” he demanded, his voice dangerously low.

Rose was breathing heavily, still shaken from everything that had happened. Her face was flushed, and then Maverick noticed the red marks across her cheek.

Handprints.

Someone had slapped her.

His entire expression changed.

His jaw tightened, and something vicious flashed through his eyes as he looked at the marks.

“What did they do to you?”

Rose immediately shook her head, trying to calm him.

“He just hit me a few times,” she whispered. “They were threatening to ra—”

Her voice faltered.

She swallowed hard, unable to force the rest of the words past her throat.

But Maverick understood enough.

His eyes darkened dangerously.