Page 3 of Pick Yourself Up (Heroes to the Core #3)
All Shook Up
A mber’s head swam, and she wasn’t sure she could stand on her own. Still, she yanked her arm, trying to get away from the creep hanging onto her.
Instead of letting her go, he tightened his grip on her biceps and hauled her up. He shoved her in front of the computer.
The guy who’d hit her first scowled at her. “I don’t want to ask again. Which room?”
She swallowed hard and dug for courage. “Even if I knew, I can’t give out that information.”
“Use the computer or my friend will use the other end of the gun on you.”
Her stomach tightened at the words and the look on the man’s face. He wasn’t kidding, and she took him at his word.
Thankfully, she’d used the emergency code, otherwise she’d have given in.
The creep who hadn’t let go of her arm didn’t even change facial expressions when he lifted the gun to point it at her leg.
Amber jiggled the mouse, knowing the screen wouldn’t light up. When it didn’t, she rolled her lips together and pushed the power button.
The first guy growled. “Hurry the fuck up, lady.”
She decided it was smarter to remain quiet and wait for the screen to power up.
The usual login screen popped up, and she hoped she’d done the shutdown correctly. She wasn’t quite brave enough to refuse to log in. Not with a gun pointing at her. And two more guns were waiting, because she assumed the third guy was armed as well.
Maybe the next upgrade should be a metal detector.
None of her many training courses had taught her what to do when faced with multiple armed men. Sure, she’d taken personal protection courses, but none of the techniques she’d learned would help her.
Nothing would help.
The guy with the gun moved it to the top of her kneecap and leered up at her. “Log in.”
She couldn’t stop the whimper from escaping. Was anyone on the way to help? How would anyone know she needed help?
She hoped Shirika would stay in the break room and enjoy her full hour. They wouldn’t hurt a pregnant woman, would they?
With trembling fingers, Amber input her login information, mixing up a few of the letters.
When it beeped at the incorrect information, the guy pressed the gun in harder.
She squeezed her hands and tried again.
Another error. This one wasn’t even on purpose.
Rocky-wanna-be leaned closer. “Third strike and you’re out.”
Amber closed her eyes briefly and took a breath. Creep Three moved in closer, and her gaze flew to him. He was just as huge and as terrifying as the first two.
But behind him, she glimpsed movement. The door to the stairwell eased open. Not much. But enough for her to see a man peeking through. When he realized she’d spotted him, he shook his head.
Hoping not to alert the men, she let her gaze roam over the entire space while she shook her fingers out.
“Quit stalling, bitch. Log in or take the first bullet.”
Amber rolled her lips together tightly and slowly input her credentials.
When the screen changed, she sighed in relief.
The screen flashed, bringing her to the security screen.
Security alert. Management credentials required.
She’d done it correctly. They couldn’t get into the system.
“What the fuck does that mean?”
She looked at the man who’d growled the question. “It means the computer has shut down and that I can’t get into it.”
Rocky swore and backhanded her again. No one stopped her, and she slumped to the floor.
She’d landed facing the stairwell door and locked eyes with the man on the other side. Steady dark eyes that emanated anger.
Not at her.
She wasn’t sure how she knew, but she did. He wasn’t part of the crew trying to get to Brandon Wells. He was going to help. Or get help. She had to stall for time.
Hands hauled her up and shoved her against the wall. “Who else onsite can log in?”
Amber gulped in breaths. “No one. I’m the only one here. It’s after the busy check-in time, so I’m the only one.”
“Bullshit.”
“It’s true. It’s a boutique hotel, not one of the major chains. We have a small staff. I’m the only one here who can access guest information.”
The third man rebooted the computer. “Let me try to access things.”
She watched as he did things she didn’t understand. She could run the programs well, but she didn’t have a clue how to program the computer itself.
The man’s fingers flew over the keys, and then he frowned at her. “What the fuck did you do?”
She flinched as the second man shoved his forearm across her throat, stopping her from getting a full breath. “I logged in. That’s all. You watched me.”
He grunted and turned back to the keyboard.
Rocky swore again and slammed his fist onto the desk. “Knock her out. We’ll take the elevator and start at the top. The prick probably has the top floor.”
Which was true.
The man holding her banged her against the wall again and then strode to the elevator and pushed the button. The light above indicated ‘L’ for lobby, but the doors remained closed.
Rocky aimed his gun at her stomach. “Why won’t the elevator open?”
Her voice shook, but she squeezed out the words. “It doesn’t work without an active keycard.”
“Give me one.”
She rolled her lips again. “I need the computer to activate one.”
While his boss swore again, the third man turned to her. “We’ll use your credentials. Where are they?”
At the moment, she didn’t have a clue. The stairwell door was closed again. The man she’d hoped would help had disappeared.
Had he gone for help? Had he run away?
No. He wouldn’t run. He’d get help.
A bang exploded while excruciating pain bloomed in her lower leg.
Hands touched her and pulled at her clothing.
She fought them. No way in hell was she letting them rape her without a fight.
Then the hands stopped, and a boot kicked her in the stomach, stealing her breath.
“Got the card. Brown, truss her up. If she fights you, shoot her again. Lock those front doors and don’t let anyone in. Spade, you’re with me. Let’s get that prick.”
Another kick had her rolling to her side, too shocked and afraid to cry out.
Her eyes locked again on those belonging to the man from the stairwell. He hadn’t run away. He’d come closer.
From his position behind one couch, he nodded at her and motioned for her to stay still and quiet.
When she managed a tiny nod in response, his lips tilted in an almost smile.
Amber grasped onto the connection with him to keep herself grounded, and to prevent giving away his presence.
Pain rippled through her, from her leg to her head. Dizziness from the blows she’d taken, and fear had her stomach roiling, but she controlled it. No vomiting.
Not in front of her sexy rescuer.
Dark Eyes kept his gaze roving across the lobby. Again, he motioned for her to stay still and quiet.
Then he rose. Yep, sexy.
Tall. Strong shoulders and arms. Moved like a tiger.
She’d always liked tigers.
Amber blinked and tried to focus. How could she help Dark Eyes?
Her phone. Idiot. She could use her phone.
The creep with the computer skills, the one they’d called Brown, wasn’t in sight. He must have moved to lock the doors, knowing she wasn’t capable of interfering with his plans.
But she could.
Her phone. They’d tossed it when they’d searched for her key. It rested under the desk. If she could reach it, she could call 911.
She reached out her arm and dragged herself forward. Her fingers grabbed her device just as a foot landed on her arm. “Not a chance, bitch. You keep it up, T’s not going to let you live at all.”
T? What kind of name was T for a creep?
A shout from the other side of the lobby had Brown whirling away from her and lifting his foot off her arm.
“Hands up, asshole. You’re finished.”
G ray wanted to pepper the asshole with bullets, but this wasn’t war. He wasn’t in the army any longer. He had the situation under control and shooting the jerk would have been overkill—hah.
Instead, he motioned with his gun for the man to put his hands up and back away from the woman.
When he’d stepped far enough that he couldn’t kick her, Gray motioned with his gun. “Drop the weapon.”
The man’s eyes searched the lobby, probably looking for his friends. “There’s no backup. They’re trussed up like turkeys.”
Gray had knocked the boss out with a sharp blow to the head and then quietly convinced the other of the very real possibility that Gray would shoot to kill rather than wound.
As part of his job, he always carried zip ties. The ties wouldn’t hold forever, but they should be long enough for help to arrive. He’d called Norm and the cops from the stairwell.
Sure enough, someone banged on the door. Gray didn’t have a badge and had to let them know he was one of the good guys. He pointed at his prisoner. “Unlock them.”
“Don’t know how.”
“You just locked them, dumbass. Unlock them.”
In the face of Gray’s gun and the guns of the police aimed through the door, the man followed instructions.
Gray stayed where he was, gun trained on the asshole and protecting the woman on the floor.
As soon as the cops breached the doors, he pointed his gun at the ceiling. “Santoro. I work for Cassidy Protection, and I called it in.”
He recognized the police sergeant who entered next, and his identity was confirmed. He holstered his weapon. “We need an ambulance. This woman’s been beaten and shot.”
A few of the cops swore, and Gray dropped to the ground beside the woman. Her eyes locked on him, but he wasn’t sure if she was completely clear. “Hi there. I’m Santoro. You’re safe now.”
She blinked and smiled. “Hi, Dark Eyes.”
Dark eyes? He grinned. “You’ve got some spectacular dark eyes of your own. Can you tell me your name?”
“Amber. Amber Malssum. Thanks for saving me.”
Malssum. That wasn’t a common name, and probably why she looked familiar. She shared the same facial structure as the three Malssum brothers he’d worked with on different missions while he’d been in the army. Burke, Lawson, and Knox. Good men who didn’t back down from anything.
None of them were as pretty as Amber, but he’d bet she was one of their sisters, or maybe a cousin.
He didn’t figure Amber was up for a conversation about how she was related to the men yet, so he didn’t mention it.
Instead, he eased up her pant leg to get a look at the gunshot wound she had on her calf. The bullet hadn’t gone through, but it hadn’t hit an artery either. She’d heal. “You’re very brave, Amber.”
That earned him an eye roll. “I wish.”
He chuckled as he wondered how badly her face was going to swell. “You are. You single-handedly kept these assholes contained long enough for help to get here. I’m betting you did something to the computer to stop them getting whatever information they were after.”
Her lips lifted slightly. “It worked.”
He grinned. “Sure did. Were they after information on Brandon Wells?”
She nodded, then her eyes widened. “I shouldn’t have told you that. I didn’t tell them anything.”
He kept one hand on her wound to slow the bleeding and brushed her hair off her face with the other. “It’s okay. I’m one of the good guys. You were gutsy and brave today, Amber.”
She smiled softly and closed her eyes. “The lobby is dancing.”
He patted her hair, not wanting to lose contact with her. “You took a few hits to your head. You’ve probably got a concussion. Try not to move too quickly.”
She smiled. “Okay. No dancing.”
He laughed. “One day you’ll be dancing again.”
She tried to shake her head, but grimaced instead. “Probably not. I’m not a good dancer.”
“You also didn’t think you were brave. I’ll bet you’re a good dancer, too.”
“You’ll have to find out one day.”
The cop who’d squatted down beside them laughed. “Sounds like you owe the lady a dancing date.”
The paramedics arrived and saved him from having to respond. Although he wanted the answer to be yes. Hell, yes. A dancing date with Amber Malssum sounded like a hell of a good idea.
When the medics started asking questions, Amber’s eyes widened, and she looked at him with a touch of panic. “It’s okay, Amber. These are the good guys. The assholes are in custody, thanks to you. Let these people take good care of you, and you’ll be dancing in no time.”
The panic dissipated into a faint laugh, and then the medics wheeled her away. Leaving him bereft.
And when the hell had a word like bereft wormed its way into his vocabulary?
Norm Cassidy arrived at his side with the police sergeant. “Okay, Santoro. What the hell happened?”
He nodded his head at the door where the medics were loading Amber into the ambulance.
“Short story is three assholes tried to force that woman into giving them information about Brandon Wells. She locked them out of the computer. The jerks backhanded her with fists and guns, kicked her, and shot her in the leg. She didn’t give up a thing. ”
The two men looked at the ambulance driving away. Norm nodded. “Sounds like maybe someone we should hire.”
Gray laughed. “She tells me she isn’t brave.”
The sergeant grinned. “Bullshit.”
“Agreed.”
“Until we can get her story, fill us in on what you know.”
Gray nodded and ran them through what had happened. “I didn’t catch any names, but maybe Amber did.”
“Amber? Not the woman ?”
Gray rolled his eyes at the insinuation in his boss’s tone. “Yes, Amber. Amber Malssum. I think she’s related to some of the guys I worked with overseas.”
“It’s a hell of a small world some days.”
Gray nodded. “It is.” And his mind was working on ways to ensure he ran into Amber Malssum again.
He owed her a dance.