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“Thank Christ,” I whisper under my breath.
“Don’t thank Him yet.”
In the blink of an eye, Renee brings her hand down swinging, slamming the butt of the gun against my temple. The room spins, darkness encroaching on the edge of my vision as I fall to my side next to Taylor. A sudden rush of nausea and exhaustion overwhelms me. Try as I might, I can’t force the feeling away.
“Fucking dammit,” I think I hear Renee hiss. “Fine, I’ll just take you apart in the basement.”
Everything goes black.
Chapter 48
Tip #48: There’s no reasoning with crazies.
HUNTER
Iurge the driver to go faster, banging my fist against the backseat of the taxi I managed to hail after running a few blocks away from the premier.
I’ve already called the cops and they’re on the way, but I’m not willing to leave anything to chance. Even on the off chance that Walton’s threats were empty, I’ve never been the kind of guy to sit on his ass and let others take care of my problems. There was a reason I was one of Walton’s best enforcers. I wasn’t afraid to get my hands dirty. I got shit done.
I catapult myself out of the cab after throwing whatever bills I had in my wallet and run toward the house.
The mansion is quiet. Too quiet.
The front door has been busted open. There’s blood on the tiles, bullet holes decorating the walls. The TV’s still on. The girls must have been watching the red carpet event. Popcorn litters the sitting area, there’s a broken lamp shattered to bits in the hall.
But no trace of the women.
A muffled cry echoes from somewhere downstairs. It’s barely audible, but it’s just the clue I need to push me in the right direction. I tread lightly, descending the steps to the basement. I hear her before I see her.
“Here comes my knight in shining armor,” Renee half-giggles, half-squeals. She pops out from behind one of the many shelves down here, a few films knocked from their protective cases —signs of a struggle.
I approach slowly, unsure what sort of traps she might have set up. “Renee,” I say slowly. “Where’s Eden?”
She saunters over, rolling her eyes. I spot the knife in her hand, a knife I’m certain is from my kitchen. “Eden this, Eden that,” she mocks in a nasally tone. “Let’s not talk about her anymore, okay?”
“Is she safe? Tell me she’s okay.”
Renee huffs, throwing her arms around my neck. I feel the blade of the knife graze against the nape of my neck. I don’t move a muscle as she leans her weight against me, nuzzling her face against my chest. “She’s fine,” Renee answers bitterly. “For now.”
“I want to see her.”
She grabs my chin in her hand, her sharp nails digging into my cheeks. “IsaidI don’t want to talk about her anymore. Can’t you pay attention for me foronefucking minute?”
I put my hands up slowly in mock surrender. Renee’s officially lost it, and that makes her unpredictable. The last thing I want to do is anger her and end up getting Eden killed. “You’re right,” I say slowly, carefully. “I’m sorry, Renee. You have my full attention.”
Her demeanor relaxes a little, the corners of her lips curling up into a smile. “Thank you, honey. That’s all I wanted, don’t you see? I know you like playing hard to get, but there’s only so much a girl like me can take.”
“I’ve always admired your patience,” I tell her, playing her game. “It’s one of your best qualities.”
Renee bounces in place, pleased as punch by the compliment. It’s not even that flattering, but she’s so starved for my acknowledgement that I think she’s willing to take whatever she can get. She releases me and takes my hand, squeezing my fingers so hard it hurts. She drags me to the back of the room where my projector is set up.
That’s when I see her.
Samantha, Mei-Lee, and Taylor are duct taped together on the floor, the three of them bleeding profusely. They’re all pale and sweaty, their clothes soaked in their own blood. Taylor’s eyes are glazed over, but she is conscious, while the other two are out.
“What the hell…” I mumble as fear tightens every muscle in my body.
“Your elevator came in handy,” Renee explains, as if that’s the question I’m asking. “Thank God they’re all skinny, right?” She laughs at her own joke, a demented sound that is terrifying.
