get Bradley away from the kids. Then I could scream, and the FBI would come running. I just prayed that they could make it to me before Bradley had the time to shoot. The odds of that happening weren’t good.
As soon as I stepped out into the warmth of the waning sunlight, I opened my mouth to scream. But Bradley was ready for it. I expected to feel a bullet tearing through me, but instead a foul odor filled my nose as he clamped a cloth over my mouth. Fog instantly began to swirl at the corners of my mind, and I jerked in Bradley’s grip. But my efforts were weak as my body began to go limp. I heard his hated voice in my ear.
“As much as I’d love an excuse to hurt you, Ronan doesn’t want there to be any defensive wounds.”
I heard his words, but they didn’t make any sense. Why didn’t he just kill me?
But then all thoughts were slipping away as the fog rapidly overwhelmed me. The last thing I saw was an innocuous-looking UPS van before darkness rolled over me.
Chapter 9
The smell of something sharp and pungent jerked me awake. I blinked several times, still disoriented from the effects of the chloroform. The shadowy figure of a man loomed above me, and I saw him tuck the smelling salts that had awoken me into his pocket. I drew in several deep breaths to quell my rising panic as I took in my surroundings. I was seated in a straight backed wooden chair in the middle of what seemed to be a shabby studio apartment. What little furniture there was was threadbare, and the paint was peeling from the walls.
Gathering my courage, I looked up at the man standing before me. I knew who it was before I met his gorgeous green eyes: Ronan Reynolds. Glancing around him, I caught sight of the door and considered running for it. But I knew that I wouldn’t get two steps before Ronan took me down. Besides, Bradley was hovering behind him. Even if I somehow managed to dodge Ronan, I wouldn’t make it past him a well.
Still, my fight-or-flight instincts were stronger than my rational mind, and I tried to fling my body into forward motion. I was stopped short as my shoulders jerked back painfully. My wrists were bound around the chair behind me.
“I would appreciate it if you didn’t struggle. Those restraints aren’t rough, but I don’t want there to be any marks.” Despite his years in America, Ronan’s brogue was so thick that it took me a moment to process his words.
I glared up at him. “What are you talking about?” I demanded, drawing on my rising anger in order to push back my fear. “Why am I here? Why haven’t you just killed me already?”
Ronan chuckled. Unlike when Sean laughed, it was a cold, horrible sound, devoid of any true joy. I suppressed a shudder as it issued forth from that all-too-familiar face. The resemblance to Sean was jarring.
“So many questions,” he said. He cocked his head, considering me. “Bradley didn’t tell me how fiery you are. Most people would be pissing themselves right now.” He leaned down, closing the distance between us until his face was inches from mine. His eyes bored into me, weighing me up. “Or maybe you’re just too stupid to realize just how much you should fear me,” he said softly.
I fought the strong urge to drop my gaze. “Oh, I know all about you,” I hissed. “You use fear and pain to control people. Well, you’re not controlling me .”
He raised one eyebrow and pulled away so that he was towering over me once again. “We’ll see about that,” he said softly. “Now,” he continued on, his voice turning brusque and business-like. “It seems that the feds have been grabbing quite a few of my men over the last few days. Far too many of my men. That can only mean one thing: we have a snitch. So I had to wonder. What’s changed recently? Who might be responsible?” His tone was musing, but his eyes were sharp as he watched me
As soon as I stepped out into the warmth of the waning sunlight, I opened my mouth to scream. But Bradley was ready for it. I expected to feel a bullet tearing through me, but instead a foul odor filled my nose as he clamped a cloth over my mouth. Fog instantly began to swirl at the corners of my mind, and I jerked in Bradley’s grip. But my efforts were weak as my body began to go limp. I heard his hated voice in my ear.
“As much as I’d love an excuse to hurt you, Ronan doesn’t want there to be any defensive wounds.”
I heard his words, but they didn’t make any sense. Why didn’t he just kill me?
But then all thoughts were slipping away as the fog rapidly overwhelmed me. The last thing I saw was an innocuous-looking UPS van before darkness rolled over me.
Chapter 9
The smell of something sharp and pungent jerked me awake. I blinked several times, still disoriented from the effects of the chloroform. The shadowy figure of a man loomed above me, and I saw him tuck the smelling salts that had awoken me into his pocket. I drew in several deep breaths to quell my rising panic as I took in my surroundings. I was seated in a straight backed wooden chair in the middle of what seemed to be a shabby studio apartment. What little furniture there was was threadbare, and the paint was peeling from the walls.
Gathering my courage, I looked up at the man standing before me. I knew who it was before I met his gorgeous green eyes: Ronan Reynolds. Glancing around him, I caught sight of the door and considered running for it. But I knew that I wouldn’t get two steps before Ronan took me down. Besides, Bradley was hovering behind him. Even if I somehow managed to dodge Ronan, I wouldn’t make it past him a well.
Still, my fight-or-flight instincts were stronger than my rational mind, and I tried to fling my body into forward motion. I was stopped short as my shoulders jerked back painfully. My wrists were bound around the chair behind me.
“I would appreciate it if you didn’t struggle. Those restraints aren’t rough, but I don’t want there to be any marks.” Despite his years in America, Ronan’s brogue was so thick that it took me a moment to process his words.
I glared up at him. “What are you talking about?” I demanded, drawing on my rising anger in order to push back my fear. “Why am I here? Why haven’t you just killed me already?”
Ronan chuckled. Unlike when Sean laughed, it was a cold, horrible sound, devoid of any true joy. I suppressed a shudder as it issued forth from that all-too-familiar face. The resemblance to Sean was jarring.
“So many questions,” he said. He cocked his head, considering me. “Bradley didn’t tell me how fiery you are. Most people would be pissing themselves right now.” He leaned down, closing the distance between us until his face was inches from mine. His eyes bored into me, weighing me up. “Or maybe you’re just too stupid to realize just how much you should fear me,” he said softly.
I fought the strong urge to drop my gaze. “Oh, I know all about you,” I hissed. “You use fear and pain to control people. Well, you’re not controlling me .”
He raised one eyebrow and pulled away so that he was towering over me once again. “We’ll see about that,” he said softly. “Now,” he continued on, his voice turning brusque and business-like. “It seems that the feds have been grabbing quite a few of my men over the last few days. Far too many of my men. That can only mean one thing: we have a snitch. So I had to wonder. What’s changed recently? Who might be responsible?” His tone was musing, but his eyes were sharp as he watched me
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