teeth.”
Hook nodded as he smiled at her. “I believe it. Hey,” he called out to the others, lifting his hand and wiggling his fingers, “if I stick one in her, would I pull back a stub?”
Someone laughed. “Probably. Give it a shot.”
Ava’s heart stopped.
“Hook, time’s a-wasting.”
Ava turned to see the larger man frowning at both of them. It was hard to know who the bigger threat was.
Hook snorted and grinned at Ava. “Haze is like that. All business, all the time. He’s right, though.” He moved forward, hand reaching for her. Ava backed up but was blocked by one of the others. Instead of touching her, though, he simply said, “Wallet.”
Ava blinked at him.
Hook snapped his fingers at her, breaking her hesitation. Confused, she slid her wallet out of her pocket and handed it over. The man opened it up and flipped through it. “You’d better hurry, Ava.” He held up her driver’s license and scrutinized it. “Ava Stark who lives at 1121 Peach Tree Lane.”
“Sounds like a lovely neighborhood!” one of the others declared.
Hook grinned at her. “I bet it is. Isn’t it, peaches?” He handed her back her license and tapped his watch. “You now have thirty-five minutes to get to that address and back here.” He nodded at Haze.
Haze finished typing and handed Ava back her phone. When she looked down, he’d typed in an address, one she didn’t recognize. The pin on the virtual map had it located on the far side of town. Hook tossed her back her wallet. She nearly fumbled it in her near-panic.
“Thirty-five minutes,” Hook repeated. He placed his hand to the side of his head and cupped his ear. “What’s that?”
Ava stared at him. “I didn’t say anything.”
“Sure you did. You said, ‘or what?’ ”
Ava shook her head dumbly.
Hook ignored her protests. “A good question. Thirty-five minutes to get across town, make a delivery, and bring back my money. Because in thirty- six minutes, your boyfriend is dead.”
He turned suddenly, like a snake finally striking. Though he wasn’t facing her, Ava jumped anyway. Instead, Hook grabbed Clint and pulled him close.
“Hey!” Clint shouted.
Ava heard the snick of a blade. Hook pressed the gleaming, presumably razor-sharp metal against Clint’s throat.
“This wasn’t the deal!” Clint cried. He started to claw at Hook’s forearm but Hook pressed the edge of the blade in just enough so that Ava could see a thin line of blood well up.
“Stop!” she yelled.
“Thirty-four minutes,” Hook told her.
Ava stood there, paralyzed, feeling helpless.
Hook grinned. “I can just kill him now, if you don’t want shag ass, peaches.”
Ava shot her arm through the bag’s shoulder strap and ran to the exit. Her pulse roared in her ears. So did Hook.
“Bring back all my money, Ava Stark! Or I cut off pieces for every dollar that’s missing!”
Chapter Twelve
T o be fair, Hook hadn’t actually said what he was going to cut off, or from whom. Even if he started with Clint, was there any guarantee he wouldn’t move on to her? Ava wasn’t willing to stick around and find out.
She turned onto the pavement and gunned the engine, putting as much distance between herself and the warehouse, just in case. It was tempting to keep riding and just never come back. She was royally pissed at Clint right now, for this and a whole host of other transgressions, but being sawed in half by a switchblade seemed like overkill.
She’d make the run. She had no choice. But Clint was absolutely going to pay for this bullshit. If they all made it out of this alive, Ava might just finish the job on him herself.
She took the frontage road back toward the center of town, driving fast. A little too fast. A large panel truck pulled out in front of her just up ahead. It slid in next to a flat-bed that was headed toward her on the opposite side of the road.
Ava’s hand hovered over the handbrake, nearly squeezing. At the last second, she changed
Hook nodded as he smiled at her. “I believe it. Hey,” he called out to the others, lifting his hand and wiggling his fingers, “if I stick one in her, would I pull back a stub?”
Someone laughed. “Probably. Give it a shot.”
Ava’s heart stopped.
“Hook, time’s a-wasting.”
Ava turned to see the larger man frowning at both of them. It was hard to know who the bigger threat was.
Hook snorted and grinned at Ava. “Haze is like that. All business, all the time. He’s right, though.” He moved forward, hand reaching for her. Ava backed up but was blocked by one of the others. Instead of touching her, though, he simply said, “Wallet.”
Ava blinked at him.
Hook snapped his fingers at her, breaking her hesitation. Confused, she slid her wallet out of her pocket and handed it over. The man opened it up and flipped through it. “You’d better hurry, Ava.” He held up her driver’s license and scrutinized it. “Ava Stark who lives at 1121 Peach Tree Lane.”
“Sounds like a lovely neighborhood!” one of the others declared.
Hook grinned at her. “I bet it is. Isn’t it, peaches?” He handed her back her license and tapped his watch. “You now have thirty-five minutes to get to that address and back here.” He nodded at Haze.
Haze finished typing and handed Ava back her phone. When she looked down, he’d typed in an address, one she didn’t recognize. The pin on the virtual map had it located on the far side of town. Hook tossed her back her wallet. She nearly fumbled it in her near-panic.
“Thirty-five minutes,” Hook repeated. He placed his hand to the side of his head and cupped his ear. “What’s that?”
Ava stared at him. “I didn’t say anything.”
“Sure you did. You said, ‘or what?’ ”
Ava shook her head dumbly.
Hook ignored her protests. “A good question. Thirty-five minutes to get across town, make a delivery, and bring back my money. Because in thirty- six minutes, your boyfriend is dead.”
He turned suddenly, like a snake finally striking. Though he wasn’t facing her, Ava jumped anyway. Instead, Hook grabbed Clint and pulled him close.
“Hey!” Clint shouted.
Ava heard the snick of a blade. Hook pressed the gleaming, presumably razor-sharp metal against Clint’s throat.
“This wasn’t the deal!” Clint cried. He started to claw at Hook’s forearm but Hook pressed the edge of the blade in just enough so that Ava could see a thin line of blood well up.
“Stop!” she yelled.
“Thirty-four minutes,” Hook told her.
Ava stood there, paralyzed, feeling helpless.
Hook grinned. “I can just kill him now, if you don’t want shag ass, peaches.”
Ava shot her arm through the bag’s shoulder strap and ran to the exit. Her pulse roared in her ears. So did Hook.
“Bring back all my money, Ava Stark! Or I cut off pieces for every dollar that’s missing!”
Chapter Twelve
T o be fair, Hook hadn’t actually said what he was going to cut off, or from whom. Even if he started with Clint, was there any guarantee he wouldn’t move on to her? Ava wasn’t willing to stick around and find out.
She turned onto the pavement and gunned the engine, putting as much distance between herself and the warehouse, just in case. It was tempting to keep riding and just never come back. She was royally pissed at Clint right now, for this and a whole host of other transgressions, but being sawed in half by a switchblade seemed like overkill.
She’d make the run. She had no choice. But Clint was absolutely going to pay for this bullshit. If they all made it out of this alive, Ava might just finish the job on him herself.
She took the frontage road back toward the center of town, driving fast. A little too fast. A large panel truck pulled out in front of her just up ahead. It slid in next to a flat-bed that was headed toward her on the opposite side of the road.
Ava’s hand hovered over the handbrake, nearly squeezing. At the last second, she changed
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