Page 32 of Nest of Thieves
My calves and thighs start to burn from squatting for so long, so I stand, flicking my gaze around the space. The door to the larger part of the warehouse is near the corner I’d been using. There are at least a dozen partially disassembled cars here. I run toward the door, slamming my back against the wall and waiting a few seconds.
My heavy breathing is the only sound filling the air until something taps against the other side of the wall.
“Kitten,” Mac’s voice carries through the steel. “I didn’t think you’d come.”
“I couldn’t wait to see you again.” I slowly slide into a squat so he can’t shoot me in the head. Easing away from the wall, I squat-walk toward the door. I grab the handle and yank it open, slapping the kickstand down and rolling to the other side. I press my back against the wall again and wait for him to make his appearance.
“I’m offended you think I’m that easy.”
“Aren’t you, though?” I ask.
“Mmm. Maybe in other ways, but you’ll have to work a little harder to take me down, Kitten.”
“Don’t call me that.” A low growl chases my words.
His soft footsteps move away from the door. “My employees are going to need to see a doctor. You know anything about that?”
“They’ll live.” I steady my shaking hands and decide it’s worth risking a glance. Mac seems the type to play with his food before he kills it. Dropping to my knees in the middle of the doorway, I hold the stun gun with both hands but don’t fire because there’s no one there. Mac is hiding.
Fucker.
Why isn’t he trying to use his alpha power against me? He could easily disable me. There’s no sense in wasting time trying to figure Mac out. I need to move. Jumping to my feet, I slip into the car shop. I walk with my back against the wall until I get to the office. Cocking my head to the side, I listen for a second. Silence. That doesn’t mean a thing.
One. Two. Three.
I pivot and point the stun gun through the open door, scowling at the empty room.
He’s starting to piss me off.
My plan had sounded good in my head. It worked on two of the alphas.
Turning back into the hall, I take carefully measured steps. My shoes are the non-squeaking kind, an essential for any criminal. The employees are still chained up and gagged inside the bay. They all glare at me in turn, but I ignore their ire and continue on, checking around cars and in corners.
Nothing.
He probably went around.
Grinding my teeth together, I spin on my heel and crash straight into the menace. Mac’s smile is wolfish and manic. A matching skull ring to the one Vette and Lark are wearing sits on his middle finger. His scent is overwhelming—making me yearn for rough sex, drunken adventures, and sweet, possessive kisses. Vetiver. Hints of black cherry. Dangerous and alluring. Shifting, I point the barrel at his hip.
“Kitten,” he purrs.
I pull the trigger.
His eyes round in shock and his body jolts, the electricity racing through him strong enough to render him a mess of convulses and mumbled grunts.
“Night, night, Mac Daddy.”
ten
JO
I’ve ripped apart the office. Cracked the safe. Torn through the Rover. The Sunrise Ruby isn’t here. I slam the SUV’s door and march back into the warehouse where the guys are gagged and restrained. Vette’s brown eyes promise retribution. Lark’s light green ones are harder to get a read on. But Mac? Mac’s pretty blues are alight with glee, and I bet my stolen money his lips turn up into a feral grin when I stop in front of them, but with the gag it’s hard to tell.
I cross my arms and narrow my eyes. “That ring is worth more than your lives. Where is it?”
They don’t answer. They sort of can’t with the gags, but I’m too worried about taking them off. All it would take is one command to bring me to my knees. Is it sick that I wouldn’t mind submitting to them if it were under different circumstances? If they hadn’t stolen from me...No. That line of thinking is dangerous.
“I’ll tell you what I told your man Jay earlier. We can do this the easy way or the hard way.” I go over to a toolbox and grab a small pair of needle-nose pliers. “Tell me, Mac Daddy, when was the last time you had a pedicure?”
