Page 55

talie

I gripped the sides of the chair as I sat there, watching Percy mutter incoherently under his breath.

He’d been checking his watch constantly.

I had no idea how much time had passed since he’d taken my phone.

He was still holding the gun and had aimed it at me the one time I tried standing from the chair.

A pained groan had my eyes cutting to Jack.

He was sprawled on the cement with a small pool of blood smeared around him.

He was still holding his stomach, and every so often, he would beg Percy to call for help.

My pulse was thrashing, the painful knots in my gut growing more every second.

I glanced at the two elevators, noticing the one I’d been on was still here on the thirteenth floor, meaning no one had used it.

The other elevator had a large sign on the door with the words “do not use” written on it in thick marker.

Dread weighed down my limbs as I sat there. What if Damian couldn’t find me? I had a feeling Percy wasn’t going to let me walk away. Not when he knew my husband and my father would never stop searching for him.

“It’s been over an hour,” Percy announced from across the room, his voice echoing. “Still no call or text.”

“He’ll transfer the money,” I promised hoarsely, my heart pounding against my ribs. “I told you it wouldn’t be instant.”

“Maybe we shouldn’t have talked to Damian.” He halted in his tracks, taking my phone out of his pocket to stare at it. “This was a mistake. What if they can find us?” His eyes darted to me. “Get up. We’re leaving.”

I froze. “What? No?—”

“We’re getting out of the city until I get the money. Move.”

“No.”

He raised the gun, his hand shaking as he pointed it at me. “Get the fuck up. I’m in charge here.”

He was losing it. Sweat covered his forehead, his hands shaking as he kept a tight hold on the gun. There was no way I was going anywhere with him. It was already bad enough that I was here. If he took me out of the city, it would be easier for him to make me disappear.

“Get up,” he screamed, stalking closer.

“Wait,” I pleaded. “He’ll transfer the money. You gave them two hours.”

A muffled click came from somewhere out of sight, making Percy whirl around. My heart leaped into my throat as I searched for any kind of movement. Maybe Damian did understand the hint I’d given him on the phone.

“What was that?” Percy peered around a corner of the drywall, keeping the gun in front of him.

“What was what?” I played dumb. “Did you hear something?”

“We need to leave.” He rushed to the elevator, pushing the button. “Get over here.”

My eyes rounded when I spotted Rhyett come into view from behind the wall where the elevators were.

He put his finger to his lips, signaling for me to remain quiet.

Percy let out a frustrated noise when the elevator didn’t open, and he slapped his palm against the metal.

He reached over, hitting the button of the other one with the sign on it.

When neither of the elevator doors opened, he spun around, running toward me. The frenzied gleam in his eyes had me jumping off the chair. Rhyett crept closer, staying behind Percy. I backed up, my heels clicking on the floor until my spine hit drywall.

He shook the gun at me. “Don’t fucking run. We’re leaving.”

“Shoot me,” I challenged him. “I’m not leaving with you.”

“Do not fucking try to play me.”

“Hey, Percy,” Rhyett called out from behind him. “It’s not polite to aim a gun at a woman. It’s plain fucking stupid to be aiming it at Damian Valentin’s wife.”

Percy’s eyes filled with fear before he whipped around.

A quick movement out of the corner of my eye was the only warning before Damian slipped in front of me.

A cry of relief escaped me as I sagged against the drywall.

Before I had a chance to say anything, Percy turned back around, shock flaring in his gaze when he saw my husband.

“It’s over, Percy,” Damian murmured calmly, raising his hands.

“Stop this before you do something you can’t come back from.

” He jerked a nod at Jack on the floor. “He doesn’t matter.

My father was probably going to do worse for his betrayal.

But if you hurt my wife, then your life is done. Put the gun down.”

“No, no, no,” Percy mumbled, his hands trembling as he held the weapon tightly, keeping it pointed at Damian. “I need that fucking money.”

Rhyett was silently getting closer to Percy, who still had his attention on us. My pulse thrashed when Percy’s finger hovered over the trigger. Damian shuffled to the side, keeping himself in front of me. I peered around him, not liking how desperate Percy looked.

“Put the gun down,” Damian repeated. “Then I’ll have all of it wired to your account. But that won’t happen when you’re still putting my wife’s life in danger.”

“You’re lying,” Percy screeched, his usual slicked back hair falling over his eyes. “No one is fucking leaving until I have the money. Send it now, or I’ll shoot you all.”

“Let me call Ash. I’ll have him wire it to you,” Damian tried to pacify him.

Rhyett flinched when he accidentally kicked a couple of loose nails on the cement. They scattered around, and Percy’s jaw clenched as he kept his eyes on Damian.

“Fuck you,” he spat out. “I know you’re trying to push me out of the club. I’ll have nothing if I let you walk away. This life is all I know. If I’m going, then I’m taking you with me.”

Rhyett lunged the moment Percy pulled the trigger.

“No,” I shrieked when the gun discharged.

Damian let out a grunt, staggering into me as he grabbed his left arm above his elbow. Panic clawed in my chest when blood seeped between his fingers. I snatched his good arm, letting out a protest when he moved to rush away.

“I’m fine. It hit my arm,” he gritted out. “Stay here, Talie.”

Rhyett was wrestling Percy to the floor, and the gun skidded across the cement. Percy landed a kick to the side of Rhyett’s face before scrambling away, crawling on his hands and knees. Damian halted in front of him, kicking the gun out of reach.

“Wait, we can talk about this,” Percy sputtered as he climbed to his feet.

“Talk about it?” Damian snarled, the savage edge in his voice shooting a shiver down my spine. With his good hand, he seized Percy’s shirt collar, yanking him closer. “You kidnapped my wife. Threatened her. You think there’s anything to fucking talk about?”

“I wasn’t—I wasn’t going to hurt her,” he cried, struggling in Damian’s hold. “I only wanted the money. It was Jack who made it personal.”

Damian let go of Percy, only to throw his fist into Percy’s jaw with his uninjured arm. Rhyett sat on the floor, watching with a frown as he rubbed his cheek where Percy had kicked him. My heart was still racing as I slowly crossed the room to where Damian was.

“You’re a pathetic piece of shit.” He threw another punch into Percy’s face.

“Cops are on their way,” Rhyett drawled, making no move to intervene. “Don’t get yourself arrested, Damian.”

He didn’t listen, hitting Percy a third time hard enough that he crumbled to his knees, holding his face with both hands.

Before Damian could go for him again, I grabbed his hand, tugging him toward me.

He met my gaze, the rage swirling in his eyes slowly fading.

He was still bleeding, and I was almost positive the bullet was still in his arm, but he didn’t seem fazed by it as he looked me over.

“Are you hurt?” he asked.

I shook my head, deciding my aching ribs were not important right now.

He wrapped me in a one-arm hug, squeezing me tightly as his lips brushed my forehead.

Percy mumbled curses, and I turned my head to see him scurrying away.

Damian kept his hold on me, apparently not caring what Percy was doing, as he began sprinting toward the elevators.

One of them was open, my stomach flipping when I realized it was the one that hadn’t been working earlier.

“Wait,” I yelled, pulling away from Damian. “Don’t?—”

He fled into the elevator entrance, disappearing a moment later when he fell from view.

My heart skipped when his horrified scream echoed before it was abruptly cut off.

Damian stared at the open elevator as Rhyett jumped to his feet.

He slowly sauntered to the open door, halting at the edge to study the dark space.

“I don’t think he survived,” he mumbled, sliding his hands in his pockets. “There isn’t an elevator car. The door shouldn’t even have opened.”

“I’m sure the police will review the camera,” Damian said as he put pressure on his bleeding injury.

My eyebrows rose. “Camera?”

“Your dad hired my family’s company to install them,” Rhyett informed me, pointing above the elevator. “They were having issues with equipment getting stolen.”

If he hadn’t motioned to the camera, I never would have seen it since the tiny lens was right on top of the panel above the elevator door.

Damian reclaimed my attention when he gently tucked my hair behind my ear.

The panic in his eyes had dimmed, but he searched my face as if needing to make sure I was okay.

“Did he hurt you?” he asked roughly.

“I’m fine,” I promised as I wrapped my arms around his waist. He buried his face in the crook of my neck, inhaling deeply.

“Fuck, Talie,” he muttered, his voice muffled. “I nearly lost it when I found out where you were.”

“Help…please.”

Jack’s weak voice was barely audible, and Damian went rigid before pulling away from me. When Rhyett stared at Jack in surprise, I realized they both thought he was dead. I shifted on my heels, my feet aching. Damian strode across the room before crouching down next to Jack.

“Where is it?” Damian asked in a low voice.

“Help me,” Jack rasped between labored breaths.

“Tell me where you keep everything you’re using to blackmail my family, then I’ll call an ambulance,” Damian stated, not looking the least bit worried Jack was dying in front of him. “Where is it, Jack?”

“On my laptop,” he choked out.

“Where is that?”

“My apartment.”

Damian stared at him a few seconds longer before reaching in his pocket, pulling out his phone. He stood back up as he talked to dispatch.

“You okay, Talie?” Rhyett asked as he stepped up beside me.

I gave him a small smile. “I am now.”

“Police are already here,” Damian announced once he was off the phone. “They’re coming up the stairs. An ambulance is downstairs.” He looked at me. “I want you to get checked out.”

I blew out a light laugh, my adrenaline finally beginning to wear off. “Me? You have a bullet in your arm.”

He wrapped his good arm around my shoulders. “You know, you’re never leaving my sight again, right?”

“Good. We’re married, remember?” I leaned into him, letting him lead me toward the stairs. “You’re stuck with me.”

He chuckled. “It only took you five years to admit it.”

“Better late than never.”