Crave (Talon Security #1)(10)

“It’s not fucking here,” another man bellowed from my room.

I could see the confusion and rage written on my assailant’s face as clearly as words on a page.

Then it dawned on me. The gift. Still stored in my trunk in front of Motto’s. I knew with crushing clarity that my chances of survival were better if they didn’t get what they wanted.

I’d have to put on the best show of my life to survive this.

My heart pounded painfully in my chest as my limbs went numb with fear. I’d never been so terrified in my life. The realization that I could be seconds from death was impossible to absorb and yet terrifyingly clear.

I decided I could accept my fate or fight to change it. I moved unsteadily to my feet, squaring off with the man who’d moments ago knocked me unconscious and who now debated my next breath. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I repeated.

I watched as the man assessed me. His icy blue stare took me in, as though he could read every thought. “You know, little one, I almost believe you,” he conceded. He stepped closer, his fingers tracing my injured face.

My heart galloped in my chest as I braced for another strike.

“You have what you Americans would call sass. I respect that. But I still don’t have my diamond. My very rare, very valuable diamond.”

Holy shit. What the hell had Zitto gotten into?

I stood up straight despite pain radiating through my body. Instinctually I knew strength was of utter importance in this tide-turning moment.

I simply stared back at him, my expression blank.

“Boss.” One of the men spoke up suddenly, his Russian accent much thicker than that of the man I’d been talking to. “We’ve drawn enough attention. We go, now.”

The “boss” eyed me speculatively for a few moments. “We’ll go,” he agreed with a nod, his eyes never leaving me. “For now.”

I felt like I’d faint with the effort I’d been expending to stay upright.

The three men stalked out, leaving the front door open behind them. He turned to look at me a final time, his tone calculating as he said, “We’ll talk again, little one.”

The blood whirred in my ears as I registered his threat. The last thing I heard was the deep rumble of their car starting before I allowed my body to collapse.

“Sam!” I distantly heard my brother’s hoarse shout as I struggled to come around.

“Fuck!” Sid’s anguished cry followed a second later.

What was he doing here?

I felt a rough hand gently cup my face as I opened my eyes, squinting up at Sid. “Sam.” His voice was tortured as his eyes tracked over my face and the rest of my body.

I pushed his hand away and struggled to sit up, relieved my robe was still tied around me.

“I’m okay,” I managed, avoiding his gaze.

“Tell me what happened,” Travis demanded.

I looked up at him. “They were looking for something. A diamond. I think Zitto set me up,” I admitted, the words hard to believe as I said them. He’d been like an extended family member. I struggled to believe he’d do something so callous.

“What do you mean?” Travis demanded.

I scrambled to pull my thoughts together. “A few days ago, he asked me to hold on to a birthday gift for his wife. He said she’d find it if it was in their house. I agreed. But honestly, I forgot about it. It’s still in my trunk. It had to be what they were looking for.”

“What did they look like?” Sid’s growl broke in.

“They were Russian. All dressed in suits. They seemed… professional.” I swallowed hard against the memory of how coolly they’d torn apart my home. “The one in charge, he said he’d been a business partner of Zitto’s and that I had something of great value to him. I told him I had no idea what he was talking about. Once I realized what they might be looking for, I knew that if I told them they’d probably kill me.” My chest heaved as my heart rate spiked yet again. “He said... he said he’d see me again,” I managed hoarsely.

Sid shot to his feet, a raw growl escaping his throat. He paced a few short steps as Travis reached down to help me up.

Sid immediately stopped pacing, moving into my space. “Sam.” His voice was guttural as Travis steadied me. “Let me help you get cleaned up.”

My eyes filled with tears and I shook my head.

His eyes were bright with anguish as he watched my unsteady movements. “Sam,” he tried again. “Please.”

The last thing I wanted was to be vulnerable with him, but I doubted I could get myself together on my own. It was either him or Travis. My brother potentially seeing me naked wasn’t high on my to-do list, though the option was only slightly below Sid doing so at this point.