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Blech.
I shimmy from the shiver that zips through me.
“What was that about?” Charly looks back at the guy. “He’s cute.”
“Ew. He’s so gross.” I rub my hands up and down my arms as if that’ll protect me from what his mind is definitely doing while he licks his lips and grins at me. “Can we get out of here? He totally gives me the creeps.”
We finally make it out of the arena, and I follow Charly as she turns left down a hallway.
“VIP parking,” she says with a wink. “Perks, you know?”
“They’re pretty awesome.” But an unsettled feeling swirls through my gut and clenches tight. I peek over my shoulder. We’re alone and still… something taunts my nerves.
“So where is this fabulous place you’re taking me?”
“Don’t get too excited. It’s a hole in the wall. Tuto’s Place. You won’t be impressed by the look of it, trust me. But they have the most amazing food.”
“Can’t wait.”
Charly pulls open a large metal door. The sound of my footsteps echoes in the massive and mostly empty space.
I dart my head left and right. “Wow, with all those people here tonight, how did this parking deck clear out so fast?”
“The VIP parking deck is private. You have to be a player, an owner, or know one to get in here.” Charly points to a black Maserati parked in the far corner. “That’s me over there.”
She pauses for a second. “There’s a reason why I asked you to meet me here tonight, Val.”
“Oh, yeah?” I pick up the pace, my leg muscles tensing, pulse throbbing against my throat.
What the heck is wrong with me? Why am I so panicked right now?
“My company is moving me away from Miami. That’s what I wanted to tell you.”
I stop, my jaw dropping. “What do you mean?”
Charly shrugs. “They want me to head up the New York office. But I think it’s better this way, better for all of you that I’m gone. Otherwise, it’d be too hard to—”
A loud noise reverberates between the walls and makes me jump. I jerk around, grabbing on to a column to steady myself. A guy with dark-rimmed glasses is crouched on the floor of the garage with a jack. “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you. I’m not an expert with this thing and it slipped. My boss is going to be pissed.”
I narrow my eyes at the guy. But his smile is sweet. Self-deprecating almost. I hesitate for a second, then smile back.
Charly flashes a tight smile of her own and grasps my wrist before pulling me next to her.
Screeching tires assault my ears. I flip around. A blacked-out Ford Expedition squeals to a stop. The back and passenger side doors fly open and two guys jump out. Charly swerves around them, holding me against her. A strong hand grips the back of my hair, the barrel of a gun cool against my cheek.
My eyes fly open wide as I catch a glimpse of the guy with the glasses holding it against my face. “Don’t speak. Don’t breathe,” he hisses.
Charly tries to scream when the guys grab her, but they smack something against her lips. Her body goes limp in a hot second. At least she fought.
I’ve never been held at gunpoint before. My family is deeply entrenched in the Russian bratva, but I’ve always been protected from that world. Until now.
Tears sting my eyes. If I fight, he might kill me.
But if I don’t, I’ll regret it forever. And hell, they may kill me anyway. I struggle against him, taking a chance and elbowing him in the gut. The gun drops from my face and I kick him in the ribs before taking my next step.
Too darn slow.
With a grunt, he pulls me back by my hair. I trip over my feet and crash onto the ground. I cringe, my knees stinging like hell once they’re dragged against the concrete. I scream as loud as I possibly can, but since we’re the only ones here, nobody makes a move to save me.
