AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Never mind that, where’s Michaelson?” Sarksi asked as the men reappeared in the doorway. He cast a nervous glance around. “You think he’s awake?”
“No way,” Jock said and I was unnerved by how he’d calmed himself down. His intense mood swings were freaky. “We saw someone in the window, the blinds are open, and the bed isn't made. Intel says it has to be the woman, since Michaelson never opens them.”
“So, she’s awake?” Sarksi asked, and a slow grin crept over his face, causing my skin to crawl. “We going hunting?”
“Yeah,” Jock said and frowned, glancing back and forth. “You go down that way.” He pointed toward me, and I pulled back. “I’ll go this way. Keep quiet. She’s probably hiding and thinks it’s just a robbery or somethin’. Though, she might’ve called the cops. We gotta hurry.”
“What about Michaelson?” Sarksi asked.
Jock barked out a short laugh. “If he were awake, we’d be dead.”
With that, Jock stalked away down the hall and entered another room. Meanwhile, Sarksi muttered something to himself, tugged at his unkempt beard a few times, and began to prowl towards me.
When he went into the first room, I crept across the hall and darted into my guest room. Ripping a pillowcase off one of the pillows, I held it with my teeth as I messed up the bed and shoved pillows under it, making it look like someone was sleeping there. All the while, I pretended I didn’t notice how badly I was shaking, how badly this would go if I fucked up.
Once that was done, I quickly backtracked, closing the door and hiding in the room across from it just as Jock reemerged. Biting my lip, hoping he didn't realize that a closed door was now open, I pressed myself flat against the wall next to it.
Holding my breath, I listened as Sarksi took measured steps down the hall then paused. His flashlight briefly cut through the room I was in, but then it was gone. I heard the doorknob twist in the hall.
The second I heard Sarksi step inside, my body moved, and it was as though I was detached from the action. In slow motion, I cut across the hallway, my bare toes barely scraping the wood and carpet, and I slunk into the guest room — where Sarksi had tucked the gun into his belt as he reached for the blankets, yanking them off.
He let out a frustrated sound, then glanced at the mirror across the bed, probably seeing movement out of the corner of his eye.
But it was too late; I was already on his back and had the pillowcase over his head. Twisting it into a hard knot at the back of his head, I dodged his fists with ease. He tried to yank at me, but I sank my teeth into his hand.
Sarksi let out a muffled yelp then seemed to remember he had a gun and fumbled for it, but I expertly kicked out, connecting with his wrist, and heard the satisfying sound of bone breaking. Now he let out a muffled roar, swaying and trying to walk backward, trying to throw me off by crashing us into the wall, but I just pulled the knot tighter.
Please pass out, please pass out, please pass out,I chanted in my head, my arms shaking with exertion and my brain half-wild with terror that Jock would hear the noise.
Sarksi flailed and tried to go for the gun with his other hand, crashing silently onto the bed and almost knocking me off. Taking a chance, I twisted my body and pressed him into the bed, keeping my knee in the center of his back while letting go of the knot with one hand and grabbing for his gun.
His body lurched from side to side as he tried to escape or get his gun, but I got to it first. I clicked off the safety, and he stilled. Before he could react, I brought the butt of the gun down on his temple.
Between the lack of oxygen and the sharp blow, he immediately went limp and slithered off the bed to the floor. I caught his jacket before he hit the floor and lowered him down. This time, I didn’t bother with the gag. I just tied the ends of the pillowcase the best I could behind his neck and then clipped the zip ties around his wrists.
When I stood up, I shook from head to toe and stumbled over to the vanity, pressing a hand to the top of it. Breathing in and out, I rubbed at my side and then winced at the ache in my jaw where Jock's elbow had clipped me.
But overall, I thought I was doing Marina “Fierce” Fioreno pretty damn proud, even if I couldn’t quite get my breathing under the control, and my steps were erratic as I stumbled to the door, just wanting to get as far away from that room as possible.
I stepped out into the hallway at the same that Jock appeared at the top of the stairs, a ferocious frown marring his face. Weboth started, standing frozen for several seconds, and then Jock brought his gun up and aimed it at me.
Swallowing hard, cursing myself for forgetting to grab Sarksi’s gun, I held up my hands and tried to look terrified.
But really, I was more sopissed, all the while hoping I didn’t actually pee myself.
This is bad.I swallowed hard and tried to keep my head up, tried to ignore how my knees were shaking.I didn’t want to even try and take him out head-on. And now I have to.
“What happened to Joe… Was that your handiwork?” Jock asked and gestured with his head behind him. I couldn’t school my face, and he nodded. “Fierce Fioreno’s kid, right?”
I jolted at the mention of my mother’s name out of a stranger’s mouth. This close, I could see that Jock was all mean, hard lines and gang tattoos. There were several faded teardrops under his right eye, an artful dagger plunging into his thick throat, along with knuckle tattoos that I couldn’t read from here.
“Didn’t mommy teach you any better, bitch?” Jock mocked as he got to the top step, and my fists clenched. This guy was huge and muscled, a snarl lifting his lip. “You should’ve stayed far, far away from our world. There are a lot of dudes like me that Fiercey put away, plenty of men who’d be happy to take you as revenge or to fuck over your shithead daddy who owes a lot of my friends money, not that he probably cares about you, huh?”
I’d never hated anyone more than I’d hated this ugly, vicious man. Grabbing onto that anger felt shaky, but it was better than trying to hold my bladder.
“My boss even kicked a bunch of my friends out of his club to incentivize the underworld to track you down, pretty kitty.” He grinned. “And the winner gets whatever the fuck he wants.” Jock's eyes raked over me, and I shivered. “Or whoever he wants to fuck.”
I said nothing, though, just glared at him and told myself to use his anger and arrogance to my advantage.I have to do this. I have to protect Ty.
