Page 74 of Exposed

“I’m telling you the truth.”

“I’ll make her talk.” Diego’s voice boomed next to Hector. He hurled himself at her, his fingers splayed and aimed for her throat. Maddie shot her foot out, catching him in the stomach. He fell on top of her, his hands fumbled at her throat and the chair scraped across the concrete floor.

His thick fingers closed around her sensitive flesh and the stench of his body odor invaded her, numbing her senses. His weight crushed down on her, cutting off her air. In the awkward position of the chair, she couldn’t use her weight against him. Carlos folded his arms across his chest, his thick eyebrows raised with interest.

He wanted to see her in action.

Diego leaned his face closer to hers. His bulbous nose touched the tip of hers. She craned her head back as far as her neck would allow and breathed through her mouth.

“I’m going to turn you inside out—you will be nothing but a pile of fucking organs when I’m done with you.”

A red mist crossed her line of vision. Fury spiked her body temperature, warming her face. She’d kill him before he had the chance.

She twisted her lips into a smile.

His eyes darkened with apprehension and the flicker of unease that crinkled his forehead fueled her. She hooked her heel over the back of his knee, weakening it. He tried to shift his weight and compensate with the other leg, but before he could gain stability, she rolled him to the side. A grunt rattled in her chest as his hips swung off her and toppled to the floor, releasing her throat. She leapt to her feet and positioned her hands in front of her face.

Carlos’s smile wilted and Hector’s eyes narrowed into slits. Not taking his eyes off her, Hector pulled an automatic from the waistband of his pants, aiming it at her head.

“Let’s see her fight her way out of this one.” His top lip curled and his voice shook.

More than five feet stood between her and Hector. She couldn’t outrun a bullet and she couldn’t take him down unless she charged him. If she moved, he’d shoot. If she didn’t… he’d still shoot.

His finger moved and her heart leapt into her throat. Her muscles jumped, but her feet remained glued to the floor.

“Shoot her!” Diego yelled as he pushed himself to his knees.

“Stop.” Carlos held out his hand and her gaze flicked to his, hope surging through her. Hector tore his gaze from her, but his hand didn’t move. Carlos moved into his line of fire and stopped a couple feet in front of her. He clapped his hands loosely in front of him.

“That was impressive, puta.”

Her fingers curled into her palms at the insult, but she pressed her lips together. She’d let him make the first move before deciding what to do. With him standing between her and the gun, she might have a shot.

“But there’s three against one,” he continued.

His hand shot out and snagged a clump of her hair. He yanked her head back, and drew her closer. Pain seared across her scalp and the muscles in her neck strained. She winced and inhaled sharply through her nose as he propelled her closer. She tightened her hands into fists at her sides, resisting the urge to fight. Not yet.

“Are you a cop? DEA?” His voice rose an octave but she didn’t flinch. “I swear to god I will tear your hair out one clump at a time until you talk.” His eyes singed holes into hers.

Her breath caught in her throat. His eyes were like black pools of death. He’d carry through with his threat.

“You have no idea what we do to snitches.”

An icy-cold hand of fear trailed down her spine. “If I were a cop, don’t you think you’d be arrested by now?”

His bulging eyes flicked over her face. His hot breath hit her cheek, and sweat gathered at his stubble. He inched her away from him, keeping his grip tight on her hair. She balanced her weight on the balls of her feet, trying to take the pressure off her scalp.

“She wants to play, boys. Hector, you’re first.”

Hector threw back his head, his dark hair fanned out wildly around his shoulders as he let out a hoot of laughter. He tucked the gun back in his pants. Maddie took a step back and let her hands hang open at her sides. Three against one—odds she hadn’t been up against since she’d taken Combat Hapkido. They hadn’t tied her up—she still had a chance.

Hector licked his cracked bottom lip with his thick tongue. He stood several inches taller than her, though he was maybe aninch shorter than Nate. He was heavy and bulky, which wasn’t a bad thing. He’d have a lot of body to throw around, but it would also weigh him down.

A soft whoosh reached her ears. Her gaze fell down to his hand where a long, thick blade protruded. The sun caught it, sending a glare into her eyes. He moved closer, his strides long. He bounced on the balls of his feet as he closed in.

Maddie smiled.

She spun in a flurry of movement. The top of her foot chopped through the air and connected with the side of his knee. He crumpled like a wet towel. He let out a howl as he folded to the ground, but his grip tightened on the knife. Adrenaline shot through her veins like a firehose. She stomped her foot down on his wrist and his hold loosened. She grabbed the knife and stood over him. The handle was hot in her hand, its smooth plastic branding her.

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