Page 176 of Dark Endures

Waylon was the problem. “Stay with the car.”

“On it.” Everett fast forwards slowly as the car door opens, and a man steps out. “That looks like the guy who shoved the gun into Mindy.”

“Same height and weight. I’ll see if I can get an ID on him.”

“There’s no need,” Sasha says. “He’s the muscle for a low-level loan shark. Goes by Knuckles, and his boss is Rudy Weikier. He’s been making moves to expand into Urbium for some time now. They operate out of an empty storefront.”

“Do you have the address?”

“Sure. I’m sending it to you now. I’d ask to come, but you’re not going to share the kill.” Sasha stays right by Everett’s side.

No. I’m not. “Let’s move out.” We’ll grab weapons on the way.

“So, do you play mmorpgs?” Sasha asks Everett as we walk out.

Mindy better be alive when I find her.

“You don’t need to keep me in check,” I whisper to Jacko.

“Wouldn’t dream of it, brother. We’re going to find her.”

I know we are. Then I’m going to kill the man who hurt her.

Bad Day

Mindy

Terrified. I should be absolutely terrified, but I’m just plain old irritated. When Maddox finds me, he’s going to be in a killing rage.

“Sit.” The man with the gun pushes me into a chair and ties me up.

“Are you going to give me something to wrap the wound, or am I just supposed to bleed all over the place?” That came out with a bit more attitude than I meant.

The boss walks over. “It’s not a lot of blood. You’ll be just fine. Unless we kill you.”

He’s trying to scare me. “You won’t kill me. I’m worth nothing to you dead. My boyfriend won’t pay you a cent until he sees me alive.” I can’t see Maddox paying them with anything but bullets.

Wow, that sounded violent. Maybe I’m dreaming up just how vengeful Maddox can be.

“We won’t kill you, but we certainly can hurt you if you irritate us.”

“That would be foolish.” I’m going to get myself hurt. But I can’t seem to stop the snark from coming out.

“And why is that?”

“Because right now you could let me go. Just walk away like nothing happened. But if you hurt me anymore or wait formy boyfriend to find me, and he will find me, you’re in for a world of hurt.”

The boss laughs. “Your boyfriend is a weak, little nerd. He doesn’t scare me.”

A weak little nerd? “Maddox Locke is hardly either of those things. Though, he’s a pretty decent chess player, so nerd might be accurate. But his muscles disprove the rest.”

“WHAT?”

“Okay, he’s more than a decent chess player. But I still beat him all the time.”

“Your boyfriend isn’t Maddox Locke.”

“Yes, he is. We made it official at my mother’s wedding this weekend.”

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