He inches closer to my face. I have to think fast. I swing my head back and thrash it against him, knocking him back a few steps. He growls out, covering his nose. I hope I broke it. He smacks me across the face, knocking me to the side before yanking me back up. “Feisty. Too bad you aren’t begging, little one.”
“You think I’m afraid of you, Connors? Think again.” Blood is dripping from somewhere. Is it from me or Connors? I hope it’s from him. If I’m going to die, I’m going down swinging.
“You never told me why you’re doing this,” I ask, clearly stalling but still playing to their egos.
“Duh, money. Jesus. Seriously, George, you left her in charge?” Carla spits annoyingly.
Connors smiles wide. “Money, Ms. Bjorn. Money and ridding the city of the vermin infesting it.”
“Like your little Lucie Lynn,” Carla laughs, high pitched and deranged. My eyes grow wider.. “Oh, who do you think gave her whereabouts to the Falcons?” I thought it was Benedict. Carla told them. Carla killed her.
“Oh look, there’s the heartbroken face I wanted. Lucie was naive and too easy to get rid of. You should’ve done a better job at protecting her.”
A flash of lightning shoots across the sky. A roar of thunder follows, but there’s a new noise along with it, a screech of tires.Alexander. The slamming of a car door.No, no.Connors and Carla turn towards the noise.Please be smart and have someone with you.Footsteps hitting hard on the ground.
“Alexander, RUN!” I scream, hoping the echoes will carry my voice. They turn back towards me with scrunched faces.
“Watch her, I’m going to put down a dog.” Connors takes the gun from Carla’s hands and leaves, going to kill the love of my life.
Chapter 31
Idon’tknowwhereAlexander is, but Connors hasn’t returned. Carla watches me with careful eyes, never once breaking eye contact. Time to fire up the fake redhead.
“Skank.”
Carla rears back, shocked I spoke. “Excuse me?”
“Cunt.”
If my mother heard me talk, she’d have my ass.
“Name calling, really?” She rolls her eyes at me.
I think I’m starting to get to her. “We get it, you have a big head, but the world doesn’t revolve around you.”
“You’re annoying.” She rolls her eyes again, so hard I bet she saw her own brain.
I snort. “Yeah, keep rolling your eyes, sweetheart. Maybe you’ll find a brain back there.”
“What did you say?” That got her standing. If only she’d just come a little closer.
“Don’t worry, scarecrow, you’ll get a brain, and the crows might come back,” I say in a taunting baby voice.
Oh, that gets her. She’s sneering now, definitely irritated. “You little bitch.”
“Not the worst insult I’ve ever gotten. You got anything better?” I snicker.
She finally stomps my way, and though my legs are bound, I have an idea. Balancing on my toes, I hunch with the chair and swing like a baseball bat to hit her, knocking her against the door frame. She collapses, not moving. I hear a gunshot in the distance.Fuck.
I doubt this’ll work like in the movies, but it’s worth a shot. I gain enough of a bounce on my toes and launch myself into the air, trying to land on my back, to break the wooden chair. Luck is on my side: one of the wooden legs breaks, releasing one of my bound legs. I kick my leg back to my hands, hoping I can slide my knife from my boot.
The knife in my hands, I flick it open and get to work cutting myself free. I work tirelessly, one goal in mind. Okay, two goals. I keep sawing until finally, the knife slashes through the last bit of material. I hear a moan from Carla, and I rush to free my ankles. Finally, I’m free, but it comes too late: Carla charges after me.
It isn’t until she crashes into me that we both go down hard against the floor. Her limp body slumps over me, flopping to the ground. I scramble to get out from under her. As I roll her over, I see my knife sticking out of her chest. Thick red liquid pools around us, spreading like a sickness, coating me in her blood.
I yank the knife out of her and stand to my feet, staring down at her lifeless body. “That’s for Lucie. Burn in hell, bitch.” I flick the knife closed and look around; they found my gun while I was knocked out, that I know, but I didn’t see it on them. I search around, hoping they stashed it out of sight.
Flipping through drawers and desks, moving furniture as quickly as possible, I scramble to find my weapon. Then I see it, tucked into an empty desk in the corner. I check the ammo and put the safety on. One goal down, last one to go.Alexander.