I looked at her, but she avoided my eyes.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“My office was robbed. But you knew that already.”
He took a step closer.
“Get away or I’ll scream.”
He laughed. “Go ahead, scream. I don’t mind one bit.”
I opened my mouth but someone grabbed me from behind, his arms wrapped around my body and his one hand over my mouth.
Something took over inside me. I bit his finger and stomped on his foot as hard as I could. He said something in French and let me go, and I began to run.
I didn’t look back. I ran as fast as I could, heading for the trees, and began to scream my head off.
Three seconds of glorious freedom. Part of me thought I might get away, until Jay grabbed me by the arm, yanking me back and down, throwing me to the ground.
I hit the dirt and rolled. He was on me in a second, dragging me back up by my hair.
“Run again and things get worse,” he said angrily into my ear.
“Let me go, you psycho,” I screamed.
He nodded at the other goon, who came over with a bandana. Jay yanked my hair back and pinned my arms as the men shoved the bandana into my mouth and tied it, forming a gag. The other man, the one I had bit, wrapped my hands in duct tape behind my back.
My heart filled my skull with its thick pounding. I tried to scream and struggle, but they had me. I watched as Lindsey threw herself at Jay, burying her face in his massive chest. He stroked her hair, all the while grinning at me.
They led me through the trees, across a stream, and into a clearing. Two black SUVs were parked there. I was put into the backseat of one, along with Jay and the goon I bit. The other took Lindsey in the other car.
Jay sat close to me as we began to drive away from the park.
“Your friend told us she caught you sneaking into the office.” He smiled and put a hand on my leg. “But I know you’re not a bad girl. I know you wouldn’t do something so stupid, like steal from me.”
I wanted to retch and gag and throw his hand away, but I couldn’t. My mind kept running over the course of events, shocked that Lindsey would betray me, but even more shocked that I hadn’t really seen it coming. I knew it was a possibility, but I never considered she would throw me under the bus without even talking to me first.
And Reid was so far away, trying to sell them out. I was in danger, kidnapped by the men he was trying to destroy, and he had no clue.
Reid,
I screamed mentally, please come help me.
“I know you are close with our smuggler,” Jay continued. “You two are family, yes? Well, I know how it is with family. Maybe you did something for him, something very stupid. You tell me the truth and I’ll let you go, no harm done.”
I looked him in the eyes, his disgusting piggish eyes. He reached forward and pulled down my gag.
I spit right in his face. “Fuck y—” I managed before he shoved the gag back into my mouth. He reached forward and tore a piece of my shirt off, using it as a rag to wipe his face.
“That was very, very stupid,” he said calmly.
He turned away and didn’t say another word.
My shirt hung in tatters on my frame, barely concealing my breasts. I felt exposed and destroyed, but I wasn’t going to cry. I wasn’t going to give the sick fuck the satisfaction.
We drove for an hour and eventually pulled off onto an uneven and bumpy dirt road. We drove back, well away from any other living person, deeper into the woods. We came up to a gate, which slowly opened. Large fences ran all around the building and thick trees blocked the view of anyone who happened to wander by. The house itself was almost plain and boring, completely nondescript. They piled out of the car and pulled me out with them, pushing me up the walkway and through the front door.
I looked around, totally unsure about where I was. Jay silently pushed me forward, herding me through a door and down some steps. We entered a dank, dirty-looking basement. Old exercise equipment was scattered all over the place, gathering dust.
He shoved me forward. In one corner there was a metal ring in the wall with chains hanging down from it. Directly below the ring was a drain in the ground.
I was positioned with my back to the wall directly below the ring. Jay took the chains and wrapped them around my neck, fastening them with a padlock. He stepped back and smiled at me.
“You will stay here until you choose to cooperate.” He nodded at the drain. “Do your business there. We won’t bother you.”
He was about to turn and leave but then thought better of it. He moved up close to me, his breath hot on my face. I tried to scream through the gag but nothing came out, only a muffled choke.
“This is for spitting on me,” he said.