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“Yeah, especially since these guys are crazy enough to think they’re vampires or something,” Bec agreed. “That’s an M2 machine gun mounted on the back of the truck over there. That thing fires .50 BMG rounds!”

Mila stopped watching the men long enough to roll her eyes at Bec. “That tells me nothing.”

“That kind of round goes through brick walls and engine blocks,” Bec explained. “It’s overkill for a couple of men coming to the rescue. This group is certifiable!"

Worry for Carter and Gio made Mila’s breath catch. “What can we do?”

“I think one of the guys is going to try and drag me into the office soon,” Bec said, nodding her head at one of the men checking something on a laptop. “He keeps looking at me.”

“I won’t let him,” Mila promised.

Bec met her gaze, mouth set in a grim line. “You will let him. It’ll be him and me. I’ll have a chance.”

Mila didn’t like this plan. It hinged on Bec being able to subdue a man bigger than her while her hands were restrained.

Suddenly Dave was in front of them. They both went silent and watched him. He was holding Mila’s purse. He crouched down in front of her and dumped the contents of her purse on the floor. Pulling her phone from the mess, he held it up.

“Passcode?”

“Please don’t—”

He casually slapped her, cutting off her plea. “Passcode,” he repeated. “Say anything else, and I’ll punch instead of slap.”

Mila’s cheek throbbed, and she could taste blood in her mouth. “1747.”

Dave tapped her screen. “What’s the contact name for the vampire?”

Mila ignored Bec’s derisive snort at Dave’s question. “Gio.”

Dave scrolled through her contacts, then hit Gio’s name. His image popped up as the phone rang. Dave put the phone on speaker.

“Who is this?” Gio demanded. His words told Mila everyone knew she and Bec had been taken. It didn’t make her any less afraid for Gio and Carter.

“Don’t you recognize your pet human’s number?” Dave asked.

“I want to talk to Mila,” Gio demanded.

Dave gave her a warning look before speaking again. “I have demands.”

“Let me speak to Mila, then you can list your demands,” Gio responded. Mila could hear the fear and worry in his voice.

“Tell him you’re alive,” Dave said.

“Don’t come near here!” Mila screamed into the phone. “It’s a trap. They’re tooth—”

Dave’s punch knocked her back. She lay dazed and then the pain hit, making her moan. Her face felt like it was on fire. Blood filled her mouth from the tooth he’d loosened, and her jaw didn’tfeel right. She opened and closed it slowly, afraid he might’ve broken something.

“I warned you,” he said in the same tone he might use to tell someone not to drink some spoiled milk.

“You’re a dead man,” Gio screamed into the phone.

“If that’s true, then why should I bother keeping Mila and this other bitch alive?” Dave taunted. “I’ve got her parents here too. I could end them all in only a few seconds. Would you like to threaten me again?”

There was a moment of silence. “What do you want?”

“Money,” Dave said. He named a figure that Mila had only heard in movies and the news. “You have until midnight to get here with the cash, or I start cutting parts off Mila. I’ll be nice and start with her left hand. I’ll even use a tourniquet so she doesn’t bleed out right away.”

Mila had no doubt Dave would carry through with his threat.