STORMY WOKE WITH a jolt and swung her arms around against the awful smell under her nostrils. Once she had her eyes completely open, she saw what it was. Smelling salts.
“It’s about time you woke up.”
She looked up from her position on the floor into Duncan’s scowling face. She jerked upward and threw a punch at his face, but his strong arms out-powered her.
“Where’s my sister? What have you done with her?” She hoped Colette had gotten away.
He laughed. “Sisterly love. How sweet.” He gave her a push and she fell to the cement. She was no longer in the cage, but he’d moved her into an empty room with graffiti covered walls. The strong smell of mold and body odor almost suffocated her.
“Fuck you!” she seethed.
Duncan reached out, grabbed one of her wrists and crouched down. “Listen, you shouldn’t worry about your sister now. I’ve had it up to my eyeballs with you and that bitch. If it wasn’t that you’re worth something in this plan, you’d be worm bait by now,” he pushed through clenched teeth.
Jerking her arm, she fought against his tight hold which was useless. She could barely catch her breath because the smells assaulted her nostrils.
“That was real heroic what you did, Stormy. You know, attacking me so your sister could get away. It’s okay though because she’s worthless to me. No, it’s you that’s worth something.”
“Let go of me, you bastard!” she whimpered and tugged, feeling his fingers press harder into her skin.
“Wow, you weren’t this feisty in bed. Too bad.” He grinned.
“Go to hell!”
“Oh, I will, and I plan on taking that son-of-a-bitch lawman with me.” He stood, dragging her with him. “Now, am I going to have to tie you up, or are you going to be a good little girl?”
She turned her cheek.
His laughter echoed off the walls. “Behave yourself. You won’t get away.”
“Gray will come,” she mumbled.
“Do you really think you can fuck some guy and in a week he’d want to marry you? Any man would fuck a woman if given a chance, but don’t take that as emotions, sweetheart,” he said coldly.
She felt vomit rising in the back of her throat. What could she say?
“Just think, darling, because of you he will walk right into my web. Good pussy leaves a man worthless.” He shook his head. “Come on, time’s a ticking.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you.”
“Really?” He threaded his fingers in her hair and dragged her across the floor. He stopped at the doorway. “Would you rather walk?”
Biting back a sob, she stood, wobbly, but quickly gained her equilibrium. She looked Duncan in the eye. “Leave Gray alone. Do what you want with me but leave others alone.”
His brows scrunched. “I never knew you were a fucking martyr.”
Dizziness washed over her, but she refused to pass out. “This isn’t going to end well.”
“For you, no, it won’t.”
Stormy had nothing to lose as far as she saw things. She chomped down on his arm, sinking her teeth deep into his skin, tasting blood.
She held on until something hard came down on top of her head, and again she fell into darkness.
*
She looked a lot like Stormy, Gray thought as he stared at the crying woman who said her name was Colette. When he’d first seen the woman running from the house, he’d thought it was Stormy.
“So, let me get this straight, he has Stormy inside imprisoned in a cage?” Gray asked. He had taken the woman to safety while Cade stayed hunkered down close to the house.
“Y-yes. He’s going to hurt her. I know he will. You have to save her.” She was trembling.
“We will. I promise.”
“Are you Gray?” She looked up at him, some of the tears had finally dried.
“I am.”
“She mentioned you. She said you’d come save us. You must go get her. My sister is relying on you. Be careful though. I heard him say that he has explosives surrounding the house.”
He nodded and stood from where he was kneeling next to her. Although he didn’t want to call in his buddies, Gray realized he needed each of their expertise for this mission. Stormy was too precious to not ask for their help.
Grabbing his phone from his pocket, he dialed a familiar number. He typed in coordinates and an encrypted message, then dropped his phone back into place.
“You’re safe now. Just stay here. Okay?”
With a jerky nod, she lowered her chin back down.
Within twenty minutes—the longest twenty of Gray’s life—he heard the helicopter in the sky. He waited in the clearing, watching the bird close in and finally land.
Gray stood back watching as Jamison, Cowboy, and Abel all exited the helicopter, dressed in fatigues and fitted with equipment and night goggles. Black paint was smeared across their faces and they each carried a high-powered rifle.
Jamison made a whirling motion with his finger and the helicopter pilot gave a salute then lifted the bird off the ground, heading back to the secret location.
“I’m glad you’re here.” Gray shook Jamison’s hand.
“Where else would we be, buddy? Cowboy, you debrief the woman. She might know something that we need to know. Abel, you’ll be with us.” Jamison turned back to Gray. “Is there a problem with that, Gray?”
“Not a damn one, at least in my book.”
Abel nodded.
“The woman said he has explosives set up around the perimeter?” Jamison asked.
Nodding, Gray swiped a hand down his jaw. “She said she heard him say he did. I think he was blowing smoke because he wouldn’t have had the time. I have a plan. It’ll take all hands-on deck.”