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CHAPTER 2
Roman
Lifting the unconscious woman into my arms, I cut across the yard to where my brother waits with the Jeep. Our other two vehicles block the road at the top and the bottom, although there’s little chance of anyone visiting the factory at this hour of the night.
Mateo stands under the lamppost next to the 4x4 when I climb up the embankment. In the light washing over him, his face is tense. When he fixes his eyes on the woman in my arms, the line of his jaw turns hard.
He gives her his attention for all of two seconds before he drags his gaze to me. “What do want us to do with Warren’s guards?”
I stop in front of him. Shifting Evie’s weight, I make a quick decision. “Round them up and bring them.”
His mouth tightens. “We should kill them.”
Bringing them is a mistake, but they can prove useful.
“Tie them up,” I say, cutting off further protests by getting into the back of the Jeep.
My brother balls his hands, but after a second, he stomps toward the car at the top of the road.
I’m careful not to bump Evie’s head on the roof as I settle into a more comfortable position with her in my lap.
Andrew, my cousin, is behind the wheel. He starts the engine and pulls off without glancing at me or asking questions. We cross under the bridge and turn right, passing the iron and leather tanning factories on our way. The industrial area on this side of Jan Smuts Avenue aren’t surveilled with traffic cameras. We chose the spot carefully when we planned our attack. Sirens blare in the distance, but we’re already on Empire Road and speeding toward the hilly side of Roodepoort.
Putting the gun on the seat next to me, I press two fingers on Evie’s wrist. Her skin feels frozen. Beneath the pads of my index and middle finger, her pulse is strong and even. She’s bleeding from her side, her torn dress soaked with blood and mud. I lay her down with her head in my lap and pull off my jacket to cover her.
Andrew finally shoots me a look in the rearview mirror, his eyes questioning, but I don’t acknowledge him with an answer. I know what he thinks. He’s wondering why I’m coddling our enemy’s daughter. I’d tell him the same answer I’d give Mateo, that she’s our most valuable bargaining chip.
Few cars pass us on the backroads via Triomf. In the light of the lampposts, I take in Evie’s face. I got a private investigator to pull up every photo of her that’s been published. There aren’t many. She doesn’t have social media accounts. From the little I’ve seen, I’ve gathered she’s a looker, but she’s much prettier in real life. The shape of her face is oval, and her features are more delicate. She’s a conservative dresser, favoring unrevealing clothes. Even so, her pictures hinted at voluptuous curves. The woman in my lap has a delicate bone structure and a small body. She weighs almost nothing.
She’s brave for her meager size. I admire her fighting spirit even if she never stood a chance. Against a man like me—hell, even against a lightweight man—she can only come second. An unwarranted surge of anger toward her father flares in my chest. He sent her out into the night with inadequate protection. A man like Warren should know better. It was too easy to overpower her guards and snatch my prize.
“We’re here,” Andrew says.
I tear my gaze from Evie’s face to spare him a quick glance. He’s studying me in the mirror, his brow furrowed. I say nothing as he stops next to the intercom and winds down his window. A blast of cold air barrels inside. He punches in the code. A second later, the double gates swing open. A guard armed with an automatic rifle nods as Andrew pulls into the property.
My cousin leans from the window. “The others are about five minutes behind.”
The guard jumps at attention, understanding the order to let them through quickly. Our vehicles have tinted windows, but in this part of the city there are anti-crime cameras. We don’t want to attract unwanted attention.
Andrew parks in front of house. The modern structure sits on a hill in the middle of a vast lawn with a pool and summer house on the side. A valley of city lights spreads out below. Andrew gets my door. He extends a hand, reaching for Evie, but I ignore the unspoken offer of his help and get out with her in my arms. He runs ahead to unlock the front door and flick on the lights.
The warm house is welcome after the cold. I take the stairs to my room, leaving Andrew in the lobby to wait for Mateo. Mateo will need help when he arrives with our hostages. Inside the bedroom, I lay Evie on the bed and head for the bathroom where I open the tap of the tub. While the water runs warm, I get a first aid kit from the cabinet and lay out the items I’ll need on the vanity. Pushing up my sleeves, I test the water before plugging the tub, and then I go back for my small, unconscious charge.
