Page 52 of Warrior

Slowly, my brain filters in all the information she tells me. Once I was out, he must have used my phone. How long was he waiting for? When did he first follow me? Tonight had been thefirst time I ever brought Lyric out in public in a month. “So, Doc, you're the specialist. You said he’s unstable.”

“I said he’s unhinged,” she whispers.

“Okay, so what level of psychotic are we dealing with here, just to be clear? Like Dahmer?”

She snorts. “No. Lukas is vengeful. Narcissistic. He has a god-like complex where he thinks women should obey him. He’s on the verge of snapping. This whole scenario could definitely be an episode ofCriminal Minds.”

“Only if I’m played by Shemar Moore,” I say, keeping her talking and things light while I try to figure out how to get us out of here.

She huffs next to me. “He’s not on the show any longer, remember? Plus, he’d be a profiler. Shemar would never be held captive like us.”

“Well, maybe he’d make a guest appearance. It's a new storyline,” I scoff at her.

Lyric stares at me for a second before she laughs. “Only you would find something in this situation to make me feel better. I can’t believe you’re here.”

“I headed back when I realized he was gone,” I tell her, while twisting around to see what the ties holding my hands together are made of.

“You shouldn’t have left. You never should have been involved in the first place. We fell right into the trap he wanted us to. Typical Colt, making decisions without thinking.”

I can hear her fear in her barbed words, each one like a little bullet. My vision clouds, and anger bubbles under my skin. “I’d rather be here with you right now, than let you be on your own. He was never going to stop coming after you, even if I wasn’t involved. I don’t fucking care what happens to me, Lyric. I would do anything for you. I will die for you if it means you get out of here safe,” I snap back at her.

I hear her sniffle and a sob escapes her. “Do you honestly think I could live with myself if you die because of me, Colt?”

“It would be worth it to me. You are worth it, Lyric. I love you. I promise we will get out of here,” I tell her, my words fierce and strong. The will to live is strong inside me, knowing I finally have something and someone to be here for. I need her to believe in a future too. I will get her out of this alive.

Right now, I make the choice to treat this like any mission. Pushing down the emotions, I concentrate on survival. “Start moving your hands and stretching your bindings.”

I hear a rustle and watch her face as she tries to concentrate on the task I gave her. My eyes dart around the room, now that I can fully open them and the spinning has stopped. “The fuck, are we at your house?”

“You were out for a while, but yeah. He wants Stella.”

There is a window above the kitchen sink, but we’re far from any of the doors. I pull and stretch at my own bindings, hoping that at least if Lyric can get out of hers, I have a knife stashed in my boot. Fucking moron didn’t think to even pat me down.

“Well, well, well,” a new voice says, right as the door opens and Deveroix steps inside. “About time Soldier Boy woke up.”

I keep my face expressionless, only a hint of amusement flickers in my eyes. My refusal to acknowledge the degrading nickname riles him up even more. I’ve seen him plenty in photos and during surveillance, but here, close up, the crazy in his eyes is hard to miss.

“So, what's your plan here, Lukas? How is tying me up going to help you?” I turn to him.

His face burns a bright red and he starts pacing, too worked up to even realize how hard I’m working to stretch and pull at the restraints. Fucking zip ties.

“You’re just here as collateral, my friend. That's what happens when you let a viper on your dick.” He nods his headat Lyric. “You’re my insurance. She does what I tell her to do and maybe I’ll let you live,” Deveroix goes on and on, his eyes bloodshot as if he’s been drinking too much.

“Sorry to break it to you, but that's not going to happen. I won’t let you near her, and as for your wife, there's a reason she left. It's time to look in the mirror, buddy, and realize what a piece of shit you are.”

“I am a good husband!” He stomps over to me, yelling in my face. I calculate every move he makes, running his hands through his hair, his chest breathing rapidly under his button-up shirt.

“Then why did she leave you?” My head cocks to the side.

His hand twitches and his gaze turns to Lyric. “Because of that bitch right there and her poisonous lies!”

“No, she left because you hurt her.” She snaps at him.

“Fuck you, bitch!” He turns, screaming at Lyric, his face turning red as spit flies from his mouth. He stalks over to her, leaning down, and I flinch when he grabs her shoulder. “Where is my wife? Where is my kid? Give me my fucking family!”

“Hey, let's take it down a few notches, okay? How about you untie us and we can figure out if Stella wants to come home or not,” I try to reason, spewing lines of bullshit, but I need him to back the fuck up away from my girl.

He laughs, and it sounds deranged, detached, and sinister. “You think I’m stupid enough to fall for that?”

---