Page 114 of Endure the Pain

“I could help you. I could get you somewhere safe, with a new identity and enough cash to start over.”

She shook her head frantically. “Everything has a price and I already told you that I don’t know where he is.”

“I’ll accept any information that you have.”

“If I gave you that, who’s to say you won’t kill me?”

My gaze dropped to her baby. “You and I were six weeks apart in our pregnancies.” I stood and unbuttoned my pants. Lifting my shirt, I revealed the long vertical pink scar under my bellybutton to her. “I had just found out that I was having a girl and returned home to find Alex Roth in my bedroom. He stabbed me, killing my baby girl.”

She did nothing to hide her guilt. “I’m so sorry.”

I fastened my pants and sat down again. “I don’t hurt kids and that baby needs his mother. I give you my word as a Quinn that no harm will come to you or your baby. Just please, help me,” I pleaded.

She stared down at her baby and chewed on her lip, debating. She let out a heavy exhale and looked back at me. As she was about to answer, her room door burst open.

My stomach dropped when Buck and three Aryans walked in.

I jumped to my feet and reached behind my back for my gun tucked into the waistband of my jeans.

Because his was already drawn, Buck pointed his gun at me. “Na-ah, bitch. Put your hands up, slowly.”

I did as he said and lifted my hands in the air. He approached me with one of his Aryan lackeys, who also had a gun trained on me. Buck put his hand inside my jacketand took my Glock. He handed it over to the lackey, then began patting me down. He paid extra attention to my breasts and butt as he did. He found my burner and earpiece in my pocket and tossed them.

Once he was done, he smirked down at me. I could see why Amelia had fallen for him. He had that bad boy swagger down pat. He kind of reminded me of Patrick Swayze from Dirty Dancing, with his thick brown hair and light brown eyes. The universe really liked to fuck with us, I swore, because it was wrong for a disgusting individual such as Buck to be even remotely handsome.

“You’re prettier than your picture,” he said and ran his finger down my cheek. “I think I'm going to enjoy breaking you.”

I made an effort to look bored.

His smile only broadened, and he finally looked at his wife. “Get up, Amelia. Time to go,” he ordered, and the other two Aryans yanked her and the baby out of bed. She let out a whimper and stuffed her feet into her shoes. They didn’t even give her a chance to change out of her hospital gown before they dragged us out of the room.

One of the Aryans held a gun to my spine as we walked. I glanced at every camera we passed, praying Vincent was watching and was sending in the cavalry. Buck led us to the cafeteria. We passed the dining roomand the line of people for the buffet into the back kitchen area.

“Hey, you can’t be in here!” one of the cooks wearing a hairnet yelled. Buck and the Aryans ignored him and continued on to a door in the back that led outside. The smell of trash and cigarettes filled my nose instead of fresh air. A few hospital staff were huddled near the dumpsters, smoking, and didn’t even acknowledge us as we walked by.

We rounded the dumpsters and my stomach sank when I saw a white van, with the fourth and last Aryan in Buck’s gang sitting in the driver’s seat, waiting for us in the parking lot. They were all here.

The sound of tires squealing pulled my focus to the right and speeding down the road was Asher’s truck. The Aryan holding a gun to my back grabbed my arm and began dragging me toward the van.

Shots went off and the Aryans ducked. Amelia screamed and jumped inside the van.

“Maura!” I heard Jamie and Louie yell.

I looked over my shoulder. They were both running toward me while Dean and Asher shot at the Aryans, covering for them. I dropped myself to the ground. My captor, unable to bear my weight in one hand and shoot at the same time, let go of my arm. I rolled away andscrambled to my feet. I lunged into a run, only to be yanked back by my hair. I let out a pain riddled scream and I clawed at the fist clamped to my hair.

“I’m not letting you go.” Buck’s voice poured into my ear. Using me as a shield as he walked backward, he aimed his gun at Jamie and Louie. They saw the gun but didn’t have enough time to react and Buck pulled the trigger. Louie’s whole body jerked.

“Louie!” I screamed.

Louie’s hand went to his abdomen before he bent over and fell to the ground. Jamie slid to the ground next to him and threw his body over his best friend, protecting him.

Dean and Asher moved in, raining fire down on the Aryans to help cover Jamie and Louie.

I fought with everything I had, not caring if my hair was ripped out. I just had to get to Louie.

Buck wrapped his arm around my middle, picked me up off the ground, and threw me in the back of the van, where another Aryan was waiting to catch me. That Aryan locked his arms around my middle and pinned me to the van’s floor with his knee digging into my back.

Buck jumped in next and yelled, “Go! Go!” and the van took off.