Page 68 of Linc

I’m going to be sick. The man who used to say he loved me not only nearly killed me on more than one occasion, but now he’s selling me to these monsters.

“And what do you expect out of this new deal, Jace?” Alberto asks.

“Just a finder’s fee. I understand if she isn’t worth as much as what we originally agreed on, but I think something in the ballpark of ten thousand is fair, don’t you?”

And that’s what my life is worth to my ex.

“Fine, fine. Luca.” He motions to the man, who reaches into his pocket and pulls out a thick wad of hundred-dollar bills.

Jace accepts the payment and comes over to the metal chair I’m sitting in, bending down to release my legs from their bindings.

“Don’t try anything stupid, Charlie. These men won’t be as forgiving as I’ve been.”

“You call this forgiving, you sick piece of shit?”

“You’re leaving with your life, aren’t you?”

Does he honestly expect me to thank him for selling me into the skin trade instead of killing me?

Jace wraps his hand around my bicep and forcefully pulls me from the chair.

“Pleasure doing business with you,” he tells Alberto.

Before he can hand me over, a metal door slams open, and three men walk in and open fire on the Italians. One goes down immediately while the other two dive behind pallets of cardboard. Alberto runs behind some wood pallets and returns fire.

“Did you sell us out, you fucking cunt? How the hell did the Irish know you were here?”

Alberto pops up and shoots at the three strangers, but the men have already found cover behind cement pillars scattered around the warehouse.

“I swear I didn’t,” Jace exclaims. He still has a tight hold of my arm as we crouch next to Alberto.

“I should have never made a deal with you in the first place. You’ve become more of a hassle than you’re worth.”

I think he’s going to shoot Jace and probably me for his troubles, but instead, he pops up and fires at the Irish. Alberto gets off three rounds before crumpling to the floor, a bullet between his eyes. The other two Italians are still firing on the three Irishmen.

“We’re getting the fuck out of here,” Jace says, tightening his grip on me before making a run for the metal door only twenty feet from us.

We stumble through the door as the gunfire continues behind us. I hear shouts of “get the girl,” but I can’t tell if it’s the Italians or the Irish, who I hope are here on Ozzy’s behalf.

When the door slams behind us, I stumble and fall to the gravel lot. My knees scrape across the rocks when Jace grabs me by the hair to drag me to a beat-up car I spot on the other side of the building. I catch my footing, and now that he isn’t holding me by the arm, I lift my arms behind me, squeezing my elbows in and slamming them against my backside. The force of the action breaks the zip tie he had wrapped tightly around my wrist. Jace is so focused on getting to his car he doesn’t notice at first. I claw at his wrist to try to dislodge his fingers from my hair.

He whirls around in a rage.

“Bitch,” he yells, yanking me closer to him.

Perfect.

The movement causes me to slam into his chest. I reach around his back and grab the gun he has stashed in the waist of his jeans. He immediately feels what I’ve done and lets go of my hair, putting his hands in the air and taking a few steps back from me.

“Now, wait a second, Charlie. Let’s talk about this. I have ten grand in my pocket—“

“Oh, the ten grand you took as payment for me?”

“I never would have let them take you. I was just trying to get some money so I could get far away. I swear I would have gotten you away from them before they even left the parking lot.” Jace looks nervously between my face and the gun. “Come on. We can still get out of here. I’ll take you back to Linc and even split the money with you.”

“I saw you shoot him,” I yell. “Do you honestly think I believe a single word you’re saying? You don’t give a shit about me, and you never have.”

“I know I fucked up. I know I have a temper, but I’m willing to let it go, Charlie. I’ll let you go if you just give me the gun. We’ll get in the car right now, and I’ll take you to Linc.”

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