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A snicker formed in my throat at the thought. No man was without a weakness, a dark proclivity that would ultimately spiral him straight into hell. With a little help from a bastard like me. What a shame today wasn’t the day I’d send him to his maker, at least unless he fucked with me.
I knew every inch of the compound, including where the mark was imprisoned. I’d found it curious that other than a locked door and window, the young woman had been provided with more luxury than I’d seen in a decade. Given Deangelo’s reputation, that concerned me more than if she’d been chained to a wall.
He had plans on using her for his most profitable business—human trafficking. He proffered, conditioned, and sold women from around the world to other powerful, brutal men. I’d faced dozens of enemies, some little more than animals in their treatment of prisoners of war, women and children, but there was nothing worse in my mind than someone engaging in such an offensive act.
If I could cut the man apart limb by limb, taking days doing so, that would make me happy. Perhaps one day I’d return. I gazed at my watch before scanning the area. The guards were making their rounds exactly as predetermined. There was never a variation in their actions. I had three minutes and forty-two seconds in which to acquire the mark, dragging her to safety.
From there, I’d calculated it would take two hours to make it to the safe zone where a helicopter would be waiting. I’d estimated the odds of success for both phases. All I had to say was thank God I wasn’t a betting man. I moved to the outer perimeter, my night vision goggles allowing me to see every tree, every branch, and the night creatures shifting through the dense foliage.
As I shifted along the wall, my eyes continuously scanning the area, I took several deep breaths. Then I moved under the balcony to her room. Within seconds, I’d climbed over the iron railing, instantly disarming the security on the door. The room was dark except for a glow coming from the corner. What I didn’t see troubled the fuck out of me.
Where the hell was the mark? It was three fucking o’clock in the morning. She was locked in at precisely nine like clockwork. I didn’t want to think about what she’d endured during the week since she’d been taken. Fuck. The attempt at her rescue wouldn’t be possible twice. Huffing, I followed through with my mission, able to unlock the door in less than ten seconds. Then I moved inside, never making a single sound.
The light was coming from the bathroom. I shifted closer, hissing given the moment of surprise wasn’t what I’d hoped for.
I’d studied the woman I’d been sent to acquire for several hours. I knew everything about her from her favorite color to the names of her few friends. At this point, a single scream and the shit would hit the fan.
Willow Cavanaugh stood in front of the small mirror, her knuckles white from the force used to clamp her hands around the edge of the bathroom sink. She was staring at herself, the reflection of her face shimmering in the bank of lights. She was without a doubt the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen, the photograph not doing her enough justice, but her eyes troubled me.
They were blank receptacles, as if her soul had been ripped out, torn apart by the torture she’d gone through. While I didn’t detect any immediate injuries, there were methods of torment that would never be seen by the naked eye. I knew them well. I’d inflicted and been party to them several times.
To my benefit, the girl was fully dressed except for shoes, a tactic used in order to keep a prisoner from running. Her long, dark hair was tied in a ponytail with a piece of string, tendrils cascading against her porcelain skin. Sadly, the dress she was wearing provided limited coverage from the insects that would enjoy feasting on her tender flesh. Her state of attire was troublesome, but not nearly as much as the fact I was attracted to her, which wasn’t allowed. My cock was throbbing, pressing painfully against my cargo pants. The last thing I needed was to find her desirable. I had to focus, and I was already losing time.
The moment I started to walk into the small space, I noticed two things, the first being a corner of the mirror was broken. Then my gaze was drawn to the items placed on the lid to the commode. A portion of the piece of glass had been wrapped in fabric, obviously intended for use as a weapon. There were other items including a thick piece of wood, some string, and what appeared to be a rock.
The woman had planned on attempting to escape.
I’d give her credit for ingenuity, but she had no idea about the elements of danger she’d face, including the booby traps located all throughout the property. With the wrong step, she could fall into a pit of snakes, or one filled with sharp spears.
The clock was ticking.
I stepped inside quickly, immediately slapping my hand around her mouth. The action startled her, and she started to struggle, shocking me with her agility and strength. When she managed to bite my finger in the process, I knew I had my hands full.
I lowered my head as I yanked her close to my chest, whispering harsh words, placing one hand around her throat. “You need to listen to me, Willow. I’m from the United States government. I’m here to bring you to safety but you must remain quiet and do exactly as I say. Can you do that?”
“Bullshit,” she mumbled around my hand.
“Not bullshit. The truth. You need to be compliant.”
Her dark eyes were luminescent, open wide as she glared at me in the mirror, but she nodded only once.
“If you scream or make a single sound, soldiers will arrive within seconds and there won’t be a second chance to save your life. I’m going to remove my hand. Then you’re coming with me.” I slowly pulled my hand away, keeping it close in case she disobeyed my order.
She gasped for air, swallowing several times. “Who the fuck are you?”
“Viper. That’s all you need to know. We can’t waste any time.” I grabbed her arm, yanking her into the bedroom and toward the door. When she tried to pull away once, I snarled and dragged her close for a second time, lowering my head, my anger increasing. “You’re wasting valuable time. I will explain everything later.”
“You damn well better.”
“I’m climbing over the railing first. Then you’ll do the same.”
“Fine.” Her hiss meant she was very much aware of her surroundings.
At least her spunk would prove to be helpful with the harsh conditions we’d face. After moving outside and scanning the area, I was forced to slide my weapon into the holster in order to climb over the railing. I was barely on the ground when she climbed over, dropping without needing my help.
While there was almost a full moon, which allowed me to see a shadow of her face, the light was also dangerous at this point. As soon as we were at least a hundred yards into the jungle, the thick canopy of trees would eliminate the extra danger, but we had to get there first. I’d memorized every step I had to take, the intel provided by the director in charge of the program providing details and blueprints of the estate and grounds, noting the majority of booby traps, but there was always room for error.
I’d prepared myself for a woman who’d cry and scream, terrified of her surroundings. She defied the odds, keeping pace with me as I headed into the dense foliage. I heard nothing from her, not a single sound except for her labored breathing. We made it to a point I felt comfortable turning on my flashlight.
