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Victor stopped, but only so he could glare at Cain. You saw her being taken& and you didn t
save her? He wanted to rip the cop apart.
I was busy dragging your ass out of the fire, you ungrateful bastard.
Victor shoved him away. She was the priority! You save her!
Yeah, well, I m getting she s the big fucking deal in your life and all&
Victor threw a punch at him.
Cain dodged it, barely. Would you stop that shit? I woke up, dragged my ass out from the pile of
debris and fire, and I saw her trying to save you.
Victor stilled.
She was dragging you. Doing her best to get you out of that place. Roy came up behind her. I was
yelling but the flames were so loud neither one of them heard me.
The flames were a roar right then.
I thought he was going to help her. Cain gave a grim shake of his head. Then he grabbed her
and he aimed his gun at you.
He didn t shoot me, Victor said. His body ached, he had some burns, but no bullet holes.
Because she made the bullet go wide. I was trying to find a way through the flames to help her,
but then Roy slammed his gun into the side of her head.
Even though the fire was raging, Victor suddenly felt ice cold. He s a dead man.
He carried her out. I fought the flames and got you out. Cain turned around, glancing down the
empty street. He had split ass by the time I got out here. He took her. The guy betrayed us all. He
was supposed to be on my team.
I know that feeling. Victor pulled out his phone, but the thing had melted. The bounty on her
head is two million. Are you really that shocked that Roy would flip for that much money?
He was a good cop. I worked with him and Michelle for years. He s never been on the take
before. He s been solid. Cain had pulled out his phone, too, only to reveal that it was smashed and
nearly just as melted as Victor s.
Hell. He s not solid any longer. Victor turned away from the fire and started walking down the
street. He s a soon to be dead man. Roy has hurt her. He hurt my Zoe. In the distance, sirens
screamed. Someone had finally noticed the giant ball of flames shooting into the sky. About time. He
looked down at his hands and saw that they were shaking. Rage beat in his blood, a dark fury that
he d never felt before.
And fueling that fury?
Fear.
I have to find her. She has to stay alive.
He kept walking down that street.
I need her.
***
She hurt.
It felt like a hammer had slammed into her head. Over and over again.
Zoe cracked open one eye. Then the other. She tried to move her body, but found she was tied,
hand and foot, as she lay in a sagging bed. Frantic, she looked around her saw the yellowed walls,
the faded furniture. Broken blinds were over the lone window.
Another no-tell motel. Why do I keep winding up in these places?
Sunlight poured onto the bed and her. Bright light that told her a whole lot of time had passed
since the fire.
The door opened. A brown motel room door.
Zoe tried to speak when she saw Roy standing there, but a gag was in her mouth. A rough, nasty-
tasting cloth that had been shoved into her mouth and tied behind her head she could feel the knot
pressing back there from the cloth.
With a long sigh, Roy shut the door. Then he leaned back against it, staring at her. Stop looking
at me like that, he said, actually sounding offended. It s not like I m a bad guy.
Victor. Had Victor gotten out of the fire? Frantic mumbles came from behind her gag.
It s not even the two million that tempted me. I mean, I wouldn t turn you over just for that. I m
not a monster.
Victor! Where was Victor?
It s for her. He took a few steps forward, moving closer to the bed. I can t let Michelle die.
His clothes were covered in ash. I know I can get her back. If I offer you up, then he ll give Michelle
back to me. He ll make the trade.
She shook her head.
You re just not worth what she is, not to me.
He really loves Michelle. That part wasn t an act.
So I m getting her out, and if you have to die for that to happen, well, then it just fucking
happens.
Her frantic mumbles sounded once more.
I don t want to have to knock you out again, he said. I don t like hurting women.
What?
So just stay quiet until I can figure out how to work the trade, all right? The motel is deserted
this time of day, anyway. You re not going to get some big rescue. He ran a hand over his face. No
one is coming for you. Let s just try to make this as painless as possible.
He was insane. She wasn t about to make her death easy.
I m going to shower. He turned away. I smell like fire. Roy yanked his shirt over his head
and tossed it on the floor. Then the guy just left her. He went into the bathroom, shut the door, and
the roar of water reached her ears.
Victor. I have to find Victor.
She waited just a moment, trying to give Roy time to actually get his sorry ass into the shower.
That way, he s less likely to hear what I m about to do. She counted in her head, and when she got to
one hundred& Zoe rolled. She rolled her body right off that bed and she hit the floor with a hard
thump.
Her gaze jerked toward the bathroom door. Still shut. The water was still pounding down. Good
sign.
She twisted her body, contorting easily. Did Roy have any idea how many dance and gymnastics
classes that she d taken over the years? It was all too easy for her to drag her bound hands under her
ass and then around her now up-drawn knees. Soon her bound hands were yanking at the gag, getting
that thing out of her mouth. She licked her lips, moved her swollen tongue, and then she tried to figure
out her next move.
Cut the ropes. Find something to cut these damn ropes so I can get free.
Only no weapon was around. Then fine, screw it, she d get out of there still bound. She was not
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