“But I didn’t do anything.” Her voice sounded husky from the dust and lack of water. “I barely even know Luke, or his cousins.”
He shrugged. “I don’t give a fuck. This is about revenge.”
Maybe if she kept him talking, she could learn more, figure him out. Could she convince him to let her go? Fat chance, but what else was there to do? “W-what did he do?”
His brow rose. “Your boyfriend? They ran my cousin, Marcel, off the road. He crashed into a guardrail and died. They killed him.”
She felt her eyes widen. Luke had killed someone? Her throat tightened. No way. He couldn’t have. It just . . . wasn’t in him.
Vander moved closer, his eyes flipping from anger to amusement and back again. “That’s right. Your boyfriend is a murderer. Does it change how you think of him? You fucked a murderer. How does that make you feel?”
She squeezed her eyes shut, wanting to scream at him to shut up. With a deep breath, she slowed her racing thoughts. Why was she letting this asshole get to her? He was the enemy, not Luke. Why the hell would she believe him?
Think. There had to be a way to talk him out of this.
“You know who I am, right?” God, she hated that she could even say that. But now it might work to her advantage. “I’m a millionaire. People will be looking for me by now.” That wasn’t exactly true. Her reputation for disappearing while drunk at parties had kind of fucked up that plan, but he didn’t need to know that.
A few steps closer. He snorted. “A criminal and a celebrity. Priceless.”
“I’m not a celebrity.” Shame filled her, briefly, but it was true. She didn’t act or sing or even star in reality TV shows. Honestly, she was well known simply because she existed. Wearing designer shoes in public and being bought for product placement by corporate sponsors helped, but it wasn’t as if she had any talent.
How pathetic. What did Luke see in her anyway?
“You’re a means to an end. I don’t give a fuck who you are. And even if the FBI is looking for you, they won’t find you here.”
Yeah, right. There weren’t many abandoned warehouses in the city. They hadn’t driven far after taking her. In fact, this was probably one of the first places someone would look for her. If anyone bothered. But that was a big if.
Vander was only about a foot away now and she panicked, wondering what he was planning to do. Too close. He could hurt her so easily.
With a smirk, he put his finger under her chin and forced her to crane her neck. “You’re a pretty thing. I can see why he likes—”
She seized the opportunity, taking advantage of his proximity. After rearing back, she slammed her forehead against his face as hard as she could. He stumbled back in shock, his nose gushing blood. He stared at her. Fuck. She was so dead. Maybe that’d been a stupid move, but she couldn’t wait around for another chance. She had to strike first.
One step toward her. Two. His eyes rolled back in his head and he crumpled to the ground. His head made a sickening crack as he hit the concrete.
Her vision tunneled and the room spun. The throbbing ache in her forehead was the worst pain she could remember. She hadn’t meant to knock herself out at the same time. This always worked in movies, damn it.
She slid down the pole and sank onto the floor to collect herself. With her eyes closed, she focused on her breathing. In through her nose, out through her mouth, one breath at a time. Don’t pass out.
Once the world righted itself, she noticed the headache building. She’d probably have a huge goose egg on her forehead soon.
> So now what? She’d incapacitated her captor but she was still stuck in the stupid zip ties. She tried, in vain, to slip out of them again, or break them, but they were too tight and her wrists were starting to feel raw.
Shit. She’d just knocked out the only man who could get her out of here. Unless the other guy came back. Or if Luke found her. But what if he had really done what Vander had told him to and left town?
When Vander woke up, he was going to be pissed. What the hell was she going to do now?
Chapter 18
“That’s the car he’s been driving.” Lurch jerked a thumb at the nondescript four-door mostly obscured by the warehouse’s shadow. Luke recognized it immediately. “Why would he bring her here, though? So hard to defend without any backup. He probably figured no one would look here, and I guess the lack of neighbors appealed to him.”
Atlas glanced up and down the street. Lurch and Rick drew their guns, and Luke and the others automatically took a step back. Luke was all for pounding the shit out of the guy, but killing someone?
“You’re going to shoot him?” Fox asked, staring at the gun in Lurch’s hand. “He’s your teammate.”
“No, no. Just threaten him,” Lurch grumbled.
Rick, his second in command, nodded. “This needs to be dealt with quickly and quietly. He’s out, even if he gives her up without a fight.” He spat on the ground, as though the whole situation had left a bad taste in his mouth.