Who are you texting?” I asked, looking over at him.

“Just telling Mavis I’m on my way. Why? Is that a problem?” He thrust the phone into my face. “If you don’t trust me, you can see for yourself. As much as you suspect me, I have nothing to hide.”

I frowned. I felt horrible. I wanted to take it all back and return to how things had been while we were in the midst of our intimacy, but I knew that at this point, that was impossible. I had burned that bridge, and it would be nearly impossible to rebuild it.

“Alright, we might as well head out.”

“Hmph” was all he responded as he stepped out of the car. With his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket, he headed toward the appointed pick-up location.

“So, what am I supposed to expect?”

“Just follow my lead, and everything will be okay.”

“Emil.”

But he didn’t even bother to look at me, just kept up his pace.

I sighed, having no other choice but to go after him.

We walked for a while, weaving through the streets, before we arrived at a tiny little building. It was constructed out of the same type of stone as all of the others but was way too small to be an industrial building. On the door were faded gold numbers: 6-9.

“Here we are,” Emil announced. “Remember, as much as you hate the idea, here, you’re my girlfriend.”

Before I could respond, he took my hand and pulled me forward. Without an ounce of hesitation, he turned the knob. The door opened with an ominous creek that made me shiver.

Still, we stepped into the darkness. As soon as it was impossible to see, Emil let go of my hand.

I turned quickly, trying to figure out what was going on, but all of a sudden, someone had their hand pressed against my mouth. I screamed at the top of my lungs, but the sound was muffled by the thickness of the chloroform-soaked cloth. Already, my mind was getting hazy. Nonetheless, I tried to fight, putting all of my strength into ramming my elbow into my attacker. I made contact, but it seemed to have no effect.

As I faded into unconscious, there was only one thought on my mind: Where was Emil?

* * *

When I woke up, it felt like I had taken a sledgehammer to the side of the head. I groaned, about to rub my temples when I discovered that my hands were tied behind my back. Not only that, but my ankles were also tied.

It didn’t help that I was also blindfolded.

Fuck, what had I gotten myself into?

I wiggled, trying to free myself from some element of my bondage, but it was helpless. Growing breathless, I stopped to regain my strength. As I did so, I became aware of the sways and tumbles of a moving car.

So that’s where I was.

I felt the leather seats with my fingers and managed to somehow sit myself up, my chest heaving with the effort.

“So glad you could join us,” came a deep female voice. A second later, the blindfold was snatched from my face as long, sharp fingernails scratched the surface of my skin.

I blinked, my vision clearing.

“What the fuck?” I spat. “Emil? What the hell are you doing?”

I couldn’t believe it.

In front of me, a black-haired woman was driving my car. Her exposed arm was covered in tattoos, her nails looking like red talons. Beside her sat Emil, a nonchalant look on his face.

“Emil. Fucking answer me!”

He didn’t say a word.

The woman laughed. “She really is a feisty one, isn’t she? I’ll have my fun with her. It’s been such a long time since I got to play with a girl.”

What the hell was this woman talking about? She sounded insane.

A tinge of fear crept under my skin, making my muscles tense. I breathed in deep, determined to keep a level head. I had been through way worse than this – this was mere child’s play as far as I was concerned.

“But you know, Emil, you have horrible taste in women.”

“Tell me about it,” he answered in a gruff voice. “I’m starting to wonder if they aren’t all the same.”

The woman grinned. Her hand rested on his thigh, giving it a firm squeeze.

Despite the situation, I felt jealousy surge inside of me, making it hard to breathe.

“What the hell is going on here?”

“She sure talks a lot,” the woman remarked.

“Oh, I know.”

“Haven’t found a way to shut her up yet?” she asked.

“Why? I know you’re going to make her sing tonight, Roxie.” He smirked deviously, his smoldering eyes turning deadly.

I gulped. Okay, maybe I had gotten myself into a bad situation.

But Emil was still wearing his tracking device. The team would know something had gone awry, wouldn’t they? Or would they only find out when it was too late?

I pushed the thought from my mind, knowing that if I allowed myself to dwell on it, I would surely drive myself insane.

“So, to answer some of your questions, you’re here because Emil decided to betray you in return for his own freedom,” Roxanne smirked, her red lips sinister.

“Is that true…?” I asked, unable to believe that he would do this to me.

Had he been planning this all along?

No.

He wouldn’t.

Would he?

Why wasn’t he saying anything?

To further her point, Roxanne held up his ankle bracelet with one finger. It had stopped blinking.

Fuck.

There went my hope that VanGuard would find us.

Now, I was all on my own.

“It’s funny that you thought you could trust someone like Emil. He’s the best damn mercenary in London. He’s faithful to no one, except the banknote. Isn’t that right, Emil?”

He didn’t respond.