Page 107 of Marked

Food. How fucking dandy. The sick fucks planned to wine and dine their guests while they discussed trafficking children.

New rage shot through Cole, and he didn’t even try to contain it. “Thanks.” He moved the mouth of the gun beneath Nick’s chin and pulled the trigger.

The man’s body jolted silently. Not a scream, not a single twitch as his brains blew out the top of his head. Cole let the dead body fall from his grip then wiped the dirty end of his weapon on Nick’s shirt and stood.

Cole’s pocket vibrated, and he stopped and dug out his phone. Dallas’s number lit the screen. As instructed, his twin had called rather than use the earpieces connected to everyone else. Pulling the bud from his ear and holding it in his fist so the others wouldn’t hear his conversation, Cole swiped to take Dallas’s call.

“Yeah.”

“Well I got the shit you wanted. I hope you realize how fucking dangerous this is.”

“I know what I’m doing.”

“Yeah, I’m not talking about you,” Dallas snapped. “The fact you got me involved.”

“Ah, stop being a pussy. You’ve done worse. Where are you?” Cole moved to the far side of the room, to where he’d hidden before Nick entered, just in case anyone came looking for their friend.

“Loading dock. Where do you want this?”

“There’s a conference room on the main level. Apparently it’s the only space that’s complete. Should have a table and food and shit like they’re going to have a little shindig.”

“And you want it all there?”

“Better spread it out a bit on the main floor, but yeah. Make sure no one will survive that area.”

“All right. You got Sophia?”

Cole clenched his jaw. “Not yet.”

“The boys are inside. I’m sure they’ll check in soon.”

Cole grunted in acknowledgment and disconnected. Good news was, he’d have all the men responsible for the trafficking in one room.

Now he just needed to get Sophia out.

CHAPTER 27

Hysteria climbed up Sophia’s spine as she ran down the staircase, her feet slapping against the unrelenting floor. No longer capable of keeping her nerves in check and staying quiet, she sucked in air rapidly.

Bella. She had to focus on Bella. She straightened her spine, forced down the terror hovering at her chest, and raced down the last stretch of stairs. Finding herself in front of a door, she cranked it open.

A dim corridor met her, and the door closed behind her.

This had to be the exit she’d spotted next to the loading dock. Ground level. Thank God. Hope heated her core, and she swallowed down a gasp of relief. The door behind her creaked.

Sophia wheeled around. A man entered the hallway, a smirk on his acne-covered face and a cell phone pressed to his ear.

“Found her.” He disconnected and slipped the phone into his pocket.

Paralysis threatened to take hold of her muscles.

The place was crawling with Kenneth’s men. There was no escape. She’d left her weapon behind with the body upstairs. She backed up toward the door separating her from freedom. She was going to have to fight him.

“You don’t want to do this,” she said, her voice firm. “Kenneth will be charged for his crimes. He’s already been filmed, and I leaked the footage. Be smart. Get yourself out of here while you can.”

His smile stretched. “You think I give a shit about that?” His thin arms hung loosely out of his black T-shirt as he stomped toward her.

Anger shot through Sophia’s blood. He reached for her, but she threw a kick at his midsection.

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