Page 11

Linzey

“No,” I denied, staring at Adler as we stood in the living room of the safe house.

“It’s for the best,” he said, his tone flat as he pulled his stone-faced persona around him. “They’re after me for an old vendetta—”

“Why now?”

“Maybe, they just found me. Maybe, they were rebuilding. Doesn’t matter. They’re after me, and they’ll use you to get to me if they think they can. As soon as your penthouse is deemed safe and the security is fortified, your new protection officer will take over and—”

“No!” I exclaimed, interrupting again. Hurt tears burned in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. “What? You got what you wanted and now, you’re using the first excuse to dump me off?”

“Baby—Linzey. Don’t be like that. You know that’s not what this is,” he pleaded, stepping toward me. I scrambled back, refusing to let him touch me. He froze, horror on his features, and I realized it was the first time I’d shied away from him. Ever.

“Do I?” I snapped. “Because it sure as hell seems like that’s the case. I guess I’m lucky I didn’t spread for you sooner, huh? You would have abandoned me years ago.”

His horror turned to rage, but he shut it down, going emotionless once more. His fingers flexed and released, giving away his agitation, before he spoke again, his voice deadly calm.

“Sleeping with you was not—”

“A diversion? A fun time? Your side gig?” I was all about the interrupting right now and didn’t even care. “Because it sure seems like it. Well, fine! Dump me on someone else. I’m no one’s side piece.”

“Linzey…”

I shook my head, silently stopping whatever he’d planned to say. “I thought…” Emotions made my voice crack and I struggled to speak. Adler reached for me, but I stepped away. “I thought what we had was special, that you actually cared about me. But now…you’re breaking up with me?”

“I’m not breaking up with you!” he yelled, his facade cracking.

“Well, it sure seems like it. How do you think this would even work? You’re leaving me with another bodyguard—”

“For your own safety!”

“Whatever. And what? You’ll sneak in to see me? No, you won’t, because you might be seen. And we can’t go out on dates. So what then? You’re my long distance boyfriend that I talk to over facetime once in a while? How is it different from me being alone? It’s not!” I cried. “It’s worse.”

“Calm down,” he ordered. “Little girl, so help me—”

“Don’t!” I yelled back. “You don’t get to talk to me like that. You don’t get to tell me what to do or where to go or when to eat or…” I shook with my fury and pain. “Or anything!”

I ran for the front door and yanked it open, dashing down the four steps to the sidewalk before Adler could stop me.

I heard him yell, but I kept going, all the running I’d done coming in handy.

A crowd of commuters, heading home from their subway stop surrounded me.

I thought I’d get lost in the pack, but I realized my mistake in less than a minute.

“Well, well, well, what have we here?” a man laughed, his rumbling accent, vaguely Eastern European, cutting through my anger and straight to the fear that lived in my soul.

I heard Adler yelling, but it was too late. I was tossed in a white van and we were moving.

* * * *

I stared at the blond-haired man standing across from where I sat in a straight-back chair, in a rundown apartment building. From what I could see, the dining set was the only furniture in the place, not that I wanted to check out the bedroom, the only room I hadn’t seen. No thank you.

At the moment, I wasn’t tied up, but the man I assumed was Coval had told me he’d shoot out my kneecaps if I tried to get up. The other man who’d been with him had left after he helped drag me in here.

“Shoot out my kneecaps? That’s very mobster of you,” I said dryly.

I might be terrified, but I was over all this shit.

Here I was, collateral damage again. This time because this guy had a vendetta against Adler.

Why? Why did I always have to be the victim in these assholes’ schemes to get at other people?

Maybe, it would get me killed, but enough was enough.

What reason did I have to shut up and take it? My sister, maybe. But she had Booker. And I… I was alone again. And apparently a pawn. Again.

And again and again and again. Again was the story of my pathetic life.

“Were you the one who shot at the car earlier?” I asked. “Because if you were, you’re a pretty shitty shot. I could probably make it to the door before you hit me.”

“Shut up.”

I rolled my eyes at him and crossed my arms, looking away.

“So what’s your end game here. Kill me? You think Adler will care?

He doesn’t care about me. I’m just his job.

One failed assignment isn’t going to exact the revenge you think it will.

I’m nothing to him.” I lifted my chin, hoping it didn’t quiver.

“You might as well get it over with, then come up with a new plan.”

“I told you to shut up.”

“And I told you, I don’t care what you say,” I snapped back. Okay, maybe, I hadn’t said that, but it still applied.

He stared at me, his green eyes flashing as he probably considered gagging me. Shaking his head, he spouted off something in another language then turned away. Immediately, he turned back and pointed at me with his pistol. “Don’t move.”

I held up my hands. “Nowhere to go.”

Picking at a fingernail, I considered my options. I didn’t have any other than waiting this out. My stomach growled.

“So how long do you think this will be?” I asked. “My handlers are so picky about how often I eat.” Not a lie. Since the night of the club shooting, Adler had put me on an meal schedule he personally oversaw. “Apparently, I get hangry or something.”

He pulled out his phone that looked like some sort of walkie-talkie cell. “Bring the bitch a box of granola bars and some water when you come back,” he snapped into it before glaring at me. “Happy?”

“That was rude. You don’t even know me.”

“Thankfully,” he muttered.

I fought back my smirk at the exhilaration that went through me. Winning. I might die within the hour, but in my last minutes, I’d finally found my power. And I was stronger than I thought. I was also pissed and tired of being used, whether as a pawn or a convenience or a momentary distraction.

I startled when I caught a movement on the other side of the front door, ten feet from me. The thing lolled on a single hinge, not shutting completely, which gave me a good look at the occupants of the hallway outside. My eyes went wide when I realized who it was.

I glanced back at Coval. He was so toast, no match for the irate man outside.

Neither was I, for that matter. Coval wasn’t the only one in trouble.

“This isn’t my first rodeo getting kidnapped, you know?

And as far as kidnappings go, you’re pretty shitty at it.

Man… Bad at shooting. Bad at kidnapping.

Poor guy. You should probably try another line of work,” I said to distract him.

“You didn’t even grab the right person. No one cares about me. You might as well shoot me now.”