Page 121 of Their Property
The van stopped abruptly and the tension ramped up, the guys restless and tugging at their bonds. When the doors opened to bright sunlight, the soldiers just outside gestured for us to come out rather than dragging us forcefully.
“Come on out, folks. Any day now,” droned the younger man who had taken sheets of folded paper from Grudge’s cut.
Grudge was the first one to leave the van, leaning aggressively to snarl in the soldier’s face. The soldier flinched and stumbled back, much to the amusement of his squadron.
“Let’s go.” The leader rolled his hand for the rest of us, stepping to the side as we made our exit. Dyno went next, and then T-Bone jerked his head, indicating I should follow. The Sons of Odin president felt like a shield at my back as I stepped out. Always protecting me, this man.
The soldiers surrounded us, directing us where to go without actually touching us or forcing us to move. Another odd way to treat prisoners? I glanced at T-Bone over my shoulder, and he just gave a small shrug.
We made our way up the stairs to the main floor where two more soldiers were posted outside the front door. They let us through, and we filed silently inside. Behind the front counter, where T-Bone and the owner had talked in some sort of code last time, was the last person I expected to see.
“Anita?” I gasped without thinking.
Her eyes darted up from what looked like blueprints spread over the counter, and her jaw dropped. “Miss Vance! You…you’re okay!”
“You’reokay! And it’s Kyrie, damnit.” Despite the situation, I couldn’t help the laugh that escaped. I was just so immensely relieved that she was alive and well.
She looked better than ever, honestly. The Anita I knew had been timid and constantly worried about stepping out of line. This woman rounded the counter with a laugh and came over to hug me, paying no mind to the men with guns surrounding us. I would have hugged her back if my wrists weren’t zip-tied together in front of me.
“Don’t worry about anything,” she said with a beaming smile. “The territory is in much better hands now.”
I could only stare at her. Someone must have body-snatched my former assistant and replaced her with a clone.
“She’s to meet with Langley immediately,” the soldier reported. “The men are to wait here.”
Anita nodded like she’d been expecting that. “We’ll talk later,” she said with a light squeeze on my arm.
A soldier nudged me to move, and I realized they were leading me to the side door, the one that led to the hidden bar under the basement.
“Wait, where are you taking her?” T-Bone demanded, swinging his shoulders to move away from his own cluster of guards. “She’s not going anywhere alone with you chodes.”
“Governor Langley has requested a private meeting with Miss Vance,” Anita explained, her voice firm and even. Was it only weeks ago that she was visibly intimidated by the sight of my men?
“I don’t give a fuck if Odin himself wants a meeting with her. She’s not going into a room without us.”
“You’re not in any position to make demands,” said one of the soldiers.
T-Bone turned on him, making the other man step back because of his height and aggressive body language and despite his hands still tied behind him.
“Try me, little bitch. I can getrealcreative with positions.”
“T-Bone,” I barked, surprised at the authority in my own voice.
He turned to me, his expression and posture immediately softening.
“I’ll be alright.” My voice was barely above a whisper, but I knew he heard me. “It’s okay.”
He’d been running hard on adrenaline ever since getting thrown from his bike, and his emotional state wasn’t helping. He’d shot people, even killed someone right in front of me. I knew he was only trying to protect me, but this aggressive, loose cannon behavior wasn’t helping us at all.
“Listen to her, T,” I heard Dyno say behind him. “We don’t have our weapons, and we’re still outnumbered. You need to chill.”
“She won’t come to any harm, I promise,” Anita added. “You have my word.”
T-Bone’s eyes remained glued to me, his breaths still ragged for several tense moments. Finally, his shoulders lowered a fraction and he said, “Be careful, little lady.”
“I will.” The soldiers ushered me along before I could say anything else.
The trip down the hallway was nothing like the first time I’d been here. Back then, I was excited. Fearless and with men I trusted implicitly. Now, I only felt numb as I followed the armed strangers to the second door and down the narrow stairs to the basement. It was like all of my fear had been used up when they ambushed us and forced us into the van. I had none left and didn’t know what to think. They captured us and took us here, but took care not to hurt us. Anita was with them, and she was so different. My answer was at the bottom of these stairs, ironically in the room where I all but realized I was in love with the Sons of Odin.
