He reached out, but I moved before he could touch me. I scraped the pins across his face, while I grabbed the outstretched arm. I twisted hard and popped his shoulder out of the socket. When I pushed him away, he stumbled into his friends.
Red faced, he surged forward, along with his five goons. I punched, dodged, kicked, and batted their hands away. But I knew I couldn’t hold out for long, not against so many of them at once. Not without a lethal weapon to use against them.
Too quickly they crowded tighter and tighter, capturing my arms, and then my legs. They lifted me between them as I struggled and scrambled to get free. It didn’t faze them when I screamed and lashed out.
They squeezed my limbs tighter and carried me away. Unable to escape, I shifted my focus on my surroundings. They carried me out of the ballroom and down a long hallway, through a door, and then down a set of stairs. The décor shifted from uptown to downtown: stark gray walls and a line of nondescript doors.
“Where we going, boys?” I asked, trying to catch my breath for the next fight. It was obvious they’d been sent to bag me, not to hurt me. Not yet anyway.
The man I’d scratched squeezed my arm tighter.
“Fine then, dick. I’ll wait and ask your boss when we get there. If I have time before I rip his head off,” I said, and then added quietly, “Please, Fin, come on.”
The guards and I continued the walk until we reached a room. They threw me on the floor, and I tried to keep the pain off my face but failed.
“You boys sure know how to show a girl a good time,” I grumbled.
One stepped forward and sank to his haunches. “You want a good time, bitch, I can help with that.”
I smiled sweetly and neatly punched him in the nose. Blood gushed down his face, and he fell back on his ass.
The men dragged him backward until they were out the door. They locked it behind them. The click echoed in the empty room.
“Fin. Can you hear me?”
Some sort of a static cut through the line until it squealed in my ear. I fished it out and tossed it away. Not like Fin had made a sound since all of this began.
I turned my attention back to the room. White walls, white door, three locks above the doorknob, and absolutely nothing else. The floor was covered in the same material gyms used, a soft black rubber.
My heart began to pound and adrenaline choked my veins.
No weapons, no way out, no backup... all at the mercy of a magical psychopath. Even I had to admit, these weren’t great odds. But where the hell was Fin?
I paced back and forth around the room and considered my options. Fight, obviously, but if they brought it another squad, I didn’t stand a chance without a weapon.
The doorknob rattled, and a voice called through the wood. “Stand back, Ms. Salix or you will force us to use more permanent measures to keep you contained.”
I shouted back, “Aw, you boys are such flatterers, scared of little ole me?”
I eyed the door but crossed the room to lean against the back wall. I crossed my arms over my chest and cocked one knee out. I was the very picture of nonchalance as I waited for them to enter. I felt like I would puke at any moment, and fear and rage tied up my insides.
One man, wearing a tux, opened the door slowly. When he caught sight of me, he pushed it all the way open and entered.
“Ms. Salix, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”
“And you are?”
“You can call me Mr. Gregg.”
I waved my arms around the room. “Step into my office, Greggy Boy. What can I do for you?”
The man turned and waved into the hall. Some guys came in with a small table and two chairs. Time for interrogation. My favorite part. Except, Mr. Gregg didn’t realize while he questioned me, I would be taking information from him as well.
“Please sit,” he said.
I pulled the chair a couple feet away from the table, then sat down on the cold steel. It chilled my legs through the silk of my dress.
The door remained open. How many men were out there waiting to jump at Gregg’s order?