Page 97 of Explode
“Ernie, get her the fuck out of there,” the same voice yelled. Ernietugged me forward, and I let him. I didn’t know what Ernie had tucked into my waistband, but the pang of hope I’d first felt when he put it there was spreading like wildfire.
I wasn’t entirely alone.
As Ernie pulled me out of the van, it took a second to recognizewhere we were, and a memory crept into my head of the time Kai first brought me to his apartment.
He’d opened the trunk of the car and was looming over me, his threefriends standing behind him. As I’d sat myself up, I had taken in the underground garage where he kept his flashy cars. The garage was the same now, even some of the cars looked familiar.
Carlos Rigby, the leader of The Stags glared menacingly at me. “Sothis is the bitch the boss has lost his head over?” he said. His voice was the one who had ordered Ernie and the other man to get us out of the van, it was apparent he was in charge here.
“Looks like any other whore,” a man next to Carlos said. His face Iknew too, just like how I knew who Carlos was. The gang leader and his deputy, Markus Powell were on our list of targets to kill before we moved on to Hendrix.
Next to Markus, a man I didn’t know was holding Sofia up, her facewas flushed from her tears. She was doing her best to hold in her whimpers, but she looked about ten seconds away from passing out from fear.
“Markus, you and Wayne take the Bianchi bitch to the cell. Put herwith the other slut,” Carlos instructed, looking from his deputy to the man holding Sofia.
“Sure thing,” Markus said, eyeing Sofia like she was a prime-cut ofsteak.
My stomach roiled, and I hoped like mad I would figure a way out ofthis mess for the both of us before Markus had an opportunity to do anything to Sofia. The way he was looking at her told me that he couldn’t wait to get his claws into her.
Markus grabbed Sofia’s other arm, and her quiet whimpers turnedinto screams.
“Come on, Ernie, let’s take this whore to the boss.” He looked at me,a devious smile curling on his lips that sent a shiver down my spine. “He’s been looking forward to your arrival.”
Holding his eye and refusing to show any fear, I didn’t flinch when hegrabbed my other arm, and he and Ernie started pulling me toward the elevator.
“No! Please! Let me go!” Sofia’s cries echoed through the parking levelas she was dragged in another direction.
I didn’t know what the hell to do. It would be pointless trying to breakfree from Ernie and Carlos’ iron-clad grasp to help her, even if I thought Ernie was on my side. Carlos was armed, and he wouldn’t think twice about killing Ernie and wounding me.
Even if I did get free from him, Ernie and I would have to get pastMarkus, and the other guy, Wayne, and then find a way out of the apartment building which was locked down tighter than Fort Knox, and no doubt surrounded by more armed men if Hendrix had been planning this attack.
Hating that I was leaving Sofia to fend for herself, I let them pull me tothe elevator I’d been in so many times.
If I’d learned anything from Miles and Kai during the time that I knewthem, it was that I needed to keep calm, keep my cool, and not act without thinking. Hendrix was always a step ahead, but I needed to be two steps ahead of him.
Besides, the metal pressed against my skin might be my only shot atdefending myself against the man who wanted to do all sorts of fucked up shit to me, and I couldn’t blow the opportunity by acting without a plan.
The elevator door slid shut with the three of us inside, and I closedmy eyes as it began gliding up. Once upon a time, the elevator had taken me to a palace in the sky where my dark prince lived, now it was taking me to the deepest pits of hell.
I knew what my fate would be if I didn’t figure out a way to escapeHendrix’s clutches.
It didn’t bear thinking about.
Unfortunately, it was less than a minute later when my worstnightmare became my reality. The elevator came to a stop and the doors slid open, and as they did, the blood in my veins turned to ice.
Hendrix was waiting in the foyer, his hands on his hips, a scowl on hisface which transformed into the biggest, lecherous smile known to man the second he laid his eyes on me.
My feet were glued to the floor, knowing if I stepped outside, dangerwaited. But I had no choice but to walk when Ernie and Carlos tugged on my arms, forcing my feet to move. Hendrix’s blue eyes darkened as I approached, and when I was in front of him, Ernie and Carlos pulled me to a stop.
Hendrix’s eyes raked up and down my body, his tongue darting out to swipe over his lips. Without warning, he raised his hand and smacked me hard across the face. My head whipped to the side as pain crashed through me, and the metallic tang of blood filled my mouth.
Fucker had split my lip.
“That was for killing my men,” he hissed. When I refused to look athim, he grabbed my chin, twisting my head so I had no choice but to look at his ugly face. “I see you’re still as defiant as ever. Don’t worry, princess, I’ll soon knock that out of you.”
He leaned forward, and to my disgust, he licked the blood from mybottom lip. “I’ve waited a long time to get my hands on you, Riley, and I’m going to enjoy hearing every scream I rip from your mouth.”
From next to me, Carlos chuckled.
