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A sudden kick to my ribs forced the breath from me with a hoarse cry. Another kick resulted in an audible crack. Pain racked me, making my head spin with the sickening heaviness of it. After a few more kicks Neck Tattoo told my abuser to take a break.
I wanted so badly to clutch my injured side. My arms were still pulled behind my back, putting strain on my shoulders. Blood dripped from my nose, adding to the mattress stains. I did my best to curl into a ball, trying not to make eye contact with anyone.
Over the next hour the men took turns tormenting me. Punches, hair pulling, and cigarette burns left me bruised and raw. I wanted my guys to come, and I wanted them to stay away. To stay safe. Mostly, I just wanted this hell to end.
As hour two or three of abuse came to an end, a commotion from outside made its way down the stairs. The sound of gunfire was followed by shouts. Neck Tattoo jerked to attention, gun pointed at the door.
The door burst open, and two bodies poured in, hitting the floor. In the threshold stood Maddox, holding an Archer goon in front of him as a human shield. Without hesitating, Maddox fired at the closest two men, blowing their brains all over the walls. Before he could get off another shot, Neck Tattoo jerked me off the mattress and jammed his gun against my head.
“Take another shot and I put a hole in your girl’s head. Drop the gun, asshole.” Neck Tattoo shoved me down onto my knees, using a handful of my hair to jerk my head up, giving Maddox a good view of my battered face.
Maddox dropped his gun. Moving fast, he drew a blade from inside his jacket and plunged it into the neck of the man he held before him like a shield. As the guy fell forward, mouth hung open in silent agony, Mads pulled the blade free and continued into the room, fearless as fuck. Ruthless appeared in the doorway behind him, hands up to show he held no weapon. They may be unseen, but he was still armed.
“My brother and a few of our people are outside right now finishing off what’s left of the crew you sent to greet us,” Maddox said, his gaze briefly flitting over me. Despite his efforts to play it cool, I saw the rage fill him through my one eye that hadn’t swollen shut. “Unlike Archer, I show up to do my own dirty work. I’m afraid you’ve all fucked up. Nobody touches Maven Hart and lives.”
Maddox whipped the knife he held, sending it spiraling across the room to embed itself in Neck Tattoo’s eye socket. There was a split second of shocked silence before Neck Tattoo screamed and hit the floor. His gun clattered to the ground next to me. I tried and failed to pick it up with my bound hands.
The few Archer men left scrambled to react. A shot went off, missing Maddox by inches as it hit the door frame instead. He lunged at the man who took the shot, wrestling the gun from his hand and putting a bullet in his brain. At the same time Ruthless produced two throwing stars, both of which ended up in the head and neck of another Archer goon.
Wolfe and Ace burst into the room, each of them splattered in blood. Ace stayed to watch the door while Wolfe rushed to untie me.
“Holy shit, Maven. What did those sick fucks do to you? Did they touch you? How many people am I castrating?” Furiously Wolfe worked to untie my hands and get me up. When my feet failed me, he picked me up in his arms, nodding for the others to lead the way and clear a path if needed.
“They didn’t do what you’re thinking,” I managed to say between teeth clenched in pain. “They wanted to wait until Maddox showed up, to make him watch.”
“Well now I wish I’d taken my time and gutted these bastards.” Maddox swept ahead with Ruthless, gun back in hand. “It will be okay, Vixen. We’ve got you now.”
His words echoed in my head as we climbed the stairs, emerging from the musty basement. It wouldn’t be okay though. Not as long as his biggest enemy saw me as his weakness.
Two dozen Hale Syndicate members were there to flank us as we made our way to a white Escalade. The ground was littered with bodies. Archer had the manpower. This would barely put a dent in his goon count. Still, it was likely to enrage him. Would he come after me harder next time? Or take a new approach?
I clung to Wolfe even once we were safely inside the vehicle and moving through the night. On my other side sat Ace who gently checked my injuries and announced that I would need a hospital. I could have told them that.
While Ruthless drove, Maddox turned around in his seat, emotion leaking through now that we were safe. He hated himself for this. I could see it in his eyes.
“I’m so sorry this happened to you, Maven. We’re going to make Archer pay. We’re going to bring down their entire operation.” His promises were authentic. He meant every word. But I wasn’t sure they were promises he was authorized to make right then.
Everything became a blur when we arrived at the hospital. The nurse demanded to know which one of them had done this to me, refusing to listen while Maddox insisted on speaking to a specific doctor, one with Hale family ties. Once I was in a bed with some painkillers in my system, all stitched up, I spent a solid day in a blissful unconscious state.
When I woke up I found Rumer sitting at my bedside. She glanced up from her phone, finding me awake. Her face crumpled, and she sprang to her feet.
“Fuck, Mave. You scared me. I thought you were never going to wake up. Don’t freak me out like that. Do you need anything?” Worried blue eyes peered into me. Her hair was piled on her head in a messy bun, and she wore what appeared to be her PJs from the night before.
Afraid to set off a domino effect of pain in my skull, I slowly nodded. I knew what I had to do. “Yeah, I do. After I get out of here, I need you to help me pack. And then I need you to wait at least a day before you tell any of the guys that I left town.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
MADDOX
Blood sprayed, painting the off white wall crimson. I kept meaning to repaint this room but never found the time to get around to it. I’d have to get someone else to handle it.
A wail echoed in the almost empty room. The man dangling from the ceiling paused to spit a tooth onto the floor before taking up his whining and pleading again. I rolled my eyes, glancing at Ruthless for his reaction.
Mouth pressed into a hard line, he remained unimpressed. We’d been at this for an hour now, and the guy had yet to talk. I doubted he could hold out much longer. Would be a shame if we killed him before he could give us anything useful.
“I swear that I don’t know shit about those broads. I was only sent to drop them off with the buyer, man. I promise. I don’t know who runs the whole show.” Blinking furiously through the sweat and blood pouring down his face, the human trafficking piece of shit tugged on the chains holding him suspended from the ceiling.
I stepped forward to give him a kick, causing him to swing back and forth. That had to be hell on the wrists. His resulting shriek confirmed it.
