Page 100 of Hard Wired

Charles’s mouth slid back into a toothy smile. “All right, fair enough. If you want her, then she’s yours. I’ll talk to our friends and let them know.” He gestured at Sandford, who reluctantly pushed Sylvie toward Raymond. She wouldn’t walk forward, so Raymond reached out and grabbed her by the wrist. Her lips puckered like she’d spit at him, but thank god she didn’t.

He won’t hurt her, Dominic told himself. He’d been wrong about his brother in some ways, but not about this. At least, he hoped so.

Maybe the best Dominic could do right now was choose between something bad and something even worse. The story of his fucking life.

“Our friends will be here in a few hours. Let’s all get some rest before then, shall we? It’s been quite an exciting night.”

Charles left. Raymond followed next, dragging Sylvie along with him toward the main house. Her anguished gaze didn’t leave Dominic’s.

“Get up,” Sandford commanded. Alexi emphasized the point by extending the arm holding the gun.

Dominic stood. They put him in a room with bars on the windows and a bucket in one corner, which he guessed was the toilet. Sandford followed him inside. Alexi hulked in the doorway, the machine gun held across his body.

“Not so defiant now, are you?” Sandford aimed a punch at Dominic’s nose, but Dominic shifted easily out of the way.

“You’ll have to do better than that.”

Scowling, Sandford beckoned his fingers at Alexi. The Neanderthal stepped aside, and two more guards entered the room. They each grabbed hold of one of Dominic’s arms, and Alexi aimed the gun at his legs.

“Nobody said you had to be able to walk when we deliver you. So you’d better stay still unless you want Alexi to take out your knee caps.”

The lawyer’s fist pulled back again, and this time he didn’t miss.

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