Page 113 of Lethal Threat

I expect the door to creak like a horror movie. But the hinges have been oiled.

Cool air rushes out and a dim interior draw me forward. All the blinds are pulled.

Once I’m past the threshold, an acrid smell of old rotting trash hits me.

As my stomach tightens, I feel around for a light switch. Which apparently isn’t located by the door. Damn my luck.

With a shiver, I step into the darkness.

The skin on my neck prickles. But whose wouldn’t in this situation?

My eyes struggle to adjust. The interior comes into focus slowly. There are dishes in the sink. Flies circling the closed lid on the trashcan. The cord for the light hangs from the ceiling in the middle of the room.

I reach for it.

A sinister laugh freezes me. “I told the guys you’d come.”

The gigantic man, dressed in black from head to toe, emerges from the gloom of the living room.

Oh god!I skitter backwards, my gaze stuck to his hard and unmoving eyes.

Missile sights. I’m the target.

I now know what meeting the grim reaper feels like.

Wheezing, I turn to run. The next instant, I’m flying through the air. A vicious kick to my side crumples me like I’m a rag.

God. He’s fast. How did he reach me?

Crying out in pain, I scrape at the linoleum. My whole body shudders from the intense pain in my chest.

A sickening laugh is right by my ear. His massive body flattens me. “Not so fast, are you?”

“Pl-please, no!”

With rough hands, he twists my arms behind my back. A heavy knee notches between my shoulder blades. More air squeezes out of me. Sparkles of light flicker in my vision.

When his hands go to the waistband of my pants, I scream.

He shakes me. “A taser… interesting. Ever felt one of these things? They hurt like fuck.”

“Please, let me up. I don’t know what you want from me.”

The terrifying sound of Zip Ties makes me jolt. The plastic cuts painfully into my wrists.

“From you? Nothing but your life. From your brother? Now, that’s a different story.”

He rises from me, suddenly. The weight on my back is gone. I twist and try to scramble away.

Ah!The pain is unbearable. My ribs are on fire. Nervy, hot pain rips across my body, making me suck in air.

The attacker glares down at me. “I didn’t say you could move.”

I scream when he shoves me on to my stomach again.

His hands are brutal. His cruel laugh tightens my skin.

“Feisty thing. I could have a real good time with you. And maybe I’ll take some of my frustration with your fucking brother out on you while I’m at it.”