Page 156 of Guarding Grace

That sent my heart into overdrive. When I didn’t see a door in either direction, I chose right. It now looked like I could make it outside, and all that remained was finding a phone to call Terry and the guys.

“Find the bitch and bring her to me,” Marku’s angry voice reverberated through the building. The Pain Pen had worn off.

At the corner, I turned and took in a deep breath when I saw the emergency exit sign halfway down the wall. I hated backtracking closer to where Marku was, but I didn’t have a choice.

Just then, one of his thugs appeared near the exit. He saw me and yelled, “Over here.”

I ducked into the first aisle I came to, then decided I needed to change aisles. I wouldn’t make it down to the end before he reached this aisle, and then he’d have eyes on me. No way was I winning a footrace.

Finding a gap between what looked like a dashboard and the hood of a car, I slipped between them to get to the next aisle.

Shit.I scraped my arm on a piece of metal protruding from a dashboard. It hurt like hell, and when I squeezed it to lessen the pain, my hand came back red.

My vision narrowed. I stopped, tensed, and looked away. After wiping my hand on my hip, I settled my hands on my knees and leaned forward. Fainting now was not an option—absolutely not. Watching the end of the row, I saw the guy overshoot this aisle to go down the one I’d left.

With renewed energy, I sprinted to the end and turned the corner. The exit was just ahead.

Pushing out the door, I was temporarily blinded by the intense sunlight. As soon as my eyes acclimated, I located the street I’d walked in on to the right and ran that way.

I was free. I’d saved myself. But to save Marci, I needed to find someone with a phone. I probably looked like a lunatic running through the city in only my bra, but I needed to call Terry.

My legs pumped.

My lungs burned.

My mind focused.

Find a phone.

Call Terry.

The street was only a few strides away.

CHAPTER 37

Grace

I racedaround the corner of the building and ran right into a hard chest.

“I’ve got you now.” It was Goron.

Before I could react, he lifted me for the second time, this time shirtless.

He carried me back inside and down the same corridor, and once again, none of my struggling made any difference.

“Throw her back in the room,” Marku commanded. He pointed a finger at me. “I’d gut you right now if I didn’t need you.”

I spat in his direction, telling him just what I thought of him.

He looked at his feet. I’d only managed to nail his shoe. “I was going to spare you this, but I changed my mind.”

Goron shoved me back into the room with Marci, and I heard the lock snap shut. That was bad. I grabbed my shirt and slipped it on. Then, through the door, I heard something even worse. “Tell the men they each get ten minutes with her.”

Marci gasped.

“I go first,” Goron said.

“No,” Marku corrected. “I go first. You can start with the quiet one. But no marks.”