Page 156 of Nowhere to Hide

“I was hoping someone would be smart enough to find them eventually. The police officers are pitiful. Except for one. Stone got close a few times, but even he is an imbecile.”

I kept quiet, hoping he would continue to talk.

The modulator masked the timbre of the voice, but the language told me he was probably older.

“I don’t think I’m your type.”

The macabre laugh made me flex my fingers again.

“No, you’re quite right. But you make perfect bait. She’ll watch you slowly suffocate or she’ll come to me. Either way, I’ll find her. You can’t protect her forever. With you gone, it will be quite easy to get to her.”

He came closer, his footfalls silent on the cement floor.

“I like this new way to torture her.” He plucked at one of the ropes and it tightened around my neck, biting into my skin. “Iwonder if it will remind her of when I had her on the dock.” He touched my neck with a leather gloved hand.

He turned around, his back to me. He lifted a small remote and pointed it at a camera in the distance.

Then waved before bending into a deep bow. “Priscilla Barlow, this is your invitation to receive your fate. You have one hour.”

He moved aside, rising to his full height. “This is my best work.” He plucked the rope attached to the series of knots around my chest, then gave it a good yank.

I had no choice but to gasp.

The ropes constricted my ribs and I had very little room to suck in oxygen. And because I jerked, the other ropes that were connected to my neck tightened as well. Whatever he’d given me left me off balance enough that black dots swam in my periphery.

I made myself go very still and take a shallow breath.

I couldn’t allow her to watch me die.

I knew all too well what that could do.

Milligan’s rage became mine.

She didn’t deserve that.

I had to believe Dom and Leo wouldn’t let that happen.

My fate could not be at the hands of this prick.

CHAPTER 32

CILLA

“Priscilla, wait.”

“No, there’s no waiting. You heard him. Locke has less than an hour now.”

Dom grabbed my arm. “I’m not letting you walk in there for both of you to get killed. We need to be smart about this.”

“It’s a fair trade.”

“The hell it is,” Leo said flatly. “I don’t trade my people for anyone. Period.”

“He wants to play with me. You’ll have time to get to me.”

“Not on your damn life.” Dom and Leo flanked me at the computer.

“Do you have a better plan?”