Page 41 of Heartless

“Hel—!”

His giant hand sealed over my mouth.The lock of his arm squeezed around my body.I thrashed and kicked.Burning tears drenched my face.

His hard voice sliced through my muffled screams.“Calm the fuck down.”

Silas’s frowning blue eyes appeared in front of me.“Sienna, we’re not going to hurt you.I swear to fuck.We’re not going to hurt you.”

I slung my feet at him.He hopped back and snarled, “Jake.”

Jake was going to be the one killing me.I was hauled across the room.I kicked again.Screamed again.Then, I was seated on the sofa between Jake’s winch legs while Silas sat on the coffee table.The men’s knees almost touched.

My throat was raw.Each panicked inhalation was impeded by the gag of his fingers.

There was no way I could escape both of them.More tears tumbled down my cheeks.

That was it.I was going to die the day I turned twenty-four.My chest heaved, and I cried harder, flooding the back of Jake’s hand.When dots burst around my vision, and darkness started closing in, I stopped fighting.

Jake’s low voice fanned against my temple.“I’m going to remove my hand.When I release you, we’re going to explain.”

Silas’s voice was softer.“Just let us explain, Sienna.”

Good cop.Bad cop.

“Can I remove my hand?”

I nodded the best I could.Silas notched his chin down.

The hand slowly moved away from my face.The arm around my middle slackened, and I drew in several gulps of oxygen.

As Jake’s body shifted away, I shut my eyes tight and held my fists in my lap.If I didn’t see it coming, maybe death would be fast.

“Sienna, open your eyes,” the good cop said.“Open your eyes, sweetie.”

When I did, they were both sitting side by side on the coffee table.

“Do you want some water?”Silas asked.

I would hurl it right back, so I shook my head.

Jake stood up, and I stopped breathing again while he stalked toward the fireplace.With his back to me, his shoulder moved before he came back, clutching a box of tissues in his hand.When he lobbed it in my direction, I half-ducked, and the box landed on the sofa beside me.

On an angry grunt, he shoved his hands in his front pocket and stood with his legs hip-width apart behind the coffee table.

“Why...why are you doing this?”My voice sounded awful.Just horrendous.

Jake said, “You’re here because of your father.”

My hair stuck on my wet cheek as I shook my head.“I’ve...I’ve known him for less than three months.H-he won’t give you money for me.”

Jake’s mouth twisted in a sneer.“This isn’t about money.Twenty years ago, your father stole something from me.You’re important to him.If he wants you back, he’ll give me back what he stole.Until then, you’ll be staying here.”

My breath rushed out.“You can’t do this...You can’t just...k-kidnap me.People...people will—”

“I didn’t kidnap you.”His lips curled in a taunt.“You jumped willingly in my car, all giddy and shit.”More ugliness filled his voice.“And who’s going to come?Your mother’s dead.You have no friends and no job.The only person who’ll look for you is Morrison.And that’s what we’re counting on.”

I swallowed hard.I could be chopped into pieces, and no one would know.Or care.When stinging pain shot through my hands, I uncurled my fingers.My nails had made tiny, bloody, moon-shaped indents in my palms.

“Sienna, it’s gonna be okay,” Good-cop-Silas said.