It was going to hurt. But time wasn’t on my side. Gritting my teeth, I rolled to my hip and tucked my head toward my chest, causing myself to roll down the stairs. Each stair bit into me. I held my scream in — I wouldn’t scream, I wouldn’t focus on me. Only him, the man I loved.
I was going to save Sergio…
And put a bullet between my father’s eyes.
He was trying to start a war, and I was going to be the one to end it, after I cut off his head and put it on a freaking spike.
I hit the bottom floor hard. Something cracked in my wrist as I tried to catch myself. Ignoring the jarring pain radiating down my arm, I inched into the kitchen and located the knife drawer.
With a wince, I leaned back and kicked my legs up. The drawer slowly opened. I kicked out harder. One final kick, and the drawer fell to the ground.
I’d never been so happy to see a machete…
“Nixon!” I honked my horn for the fifth time. I was driving one of Sergio’s cars and doing a crap job of it, if the scratches on the sides were any indication.
I pressed the buzzer to the gate again.
“What the hell, Sergio?” the voice barked on the other end.
“He’s been taken!” I yelled frantically. “Nixon, let me in, or so help me God, I’m going to use Sergio’s machete to cut out your heart and feed it to you!”
The gate opened.
I hit the floor with the accelerator and barely put it into park when Nixon and Trace came running out of the house.
Nixon helped me out of the car. His eyes took in my appearance. “Shit, Trace, call the guys now.”
He threw a phone at her; she caught it mid-air and started dialing, not missing a beat.
Nixon didn’t say anything else; he simply lifted me into his arms and carried me inside the house. I knew if I relaxed, the pain would be worse. If I stopped freaking out, the stress would stop protecting me, the adrenaline would stop, and I’d feel all the broken parts of me. Rigid, I waited until we were in the house, until he set me down.
And then I started screaming.
Trace’s eyes widened briefly before she ran out of the room, returning minutes later with a syringe.
“No!” I held up my hands. “No drugs. Let me feel the pain.”
Nixon cursed and kicked the couch. “Have you seen yourself?”
“No.” I shook my head violently. “Don’t want to. We need to go get Sergio, now.”
Nixon checked his watch. “Shit, they need to drive faster.”
“Nixon…” I pleaded, tears in my eyes, “…my father has him.”
Nixon’s eyes narrowed. He leaned over my body, his face menacing, so frightening it was like staring into the depths of hell. “If you double-crossed him, I’ll be the one cutting your heart out, princess — while you’re breathing.”
“No!” I slammed my hands against his chest. “I would never. I LOVE HIM!”
Trace joined me on the couch and grabbed my hand. “Nixon, she wouldn’t.”
“How the hell are we supposed to know that?” Nixon kicked the couch again then reached for his gun and pointed it at me. “You’ve left me no choice.”
I closed my eyes and hung my head.
The gun never went off.
I opened one eye then two.
“A liar would fight for her life.” Nixon lowered the gun.
“Or maybe I just don’t value my life anymore — but I do value his — and I promise you I’ll kill my father before you get the chance.”
“If I suspect anything—” Nixon pointed the gun back at my face. “—I end you.”
“Deal.” I exhaled.
The door opened. Tex stormed in followed by Frank, Mil, Chase, and Phoenix.
“What the hell happened to you?” Tex glanced between me and Nixon.
“Sergio,” I choked. “Petrov took him.”
“Not you?” Tex’s eyes narrowed. “Swear on my unborn child I will chop off that pretty blond head of yours if you double-crossed him.”
I sighed. “Look this is getting old. Nixon’s already threatened me. I get it. You guys actually like him, which is a giant shock to me, considering you haven’t even visited.”
Tex gritted his teeth hard. “You don’t know shit.”
“Oh yeah?” I was picking a fight with a giant. I knew it, but I didn’t care. I was too upset; all my feelings were boiling to the surface. I was helpless to stop them.
“Girls…” Chase stood between us. “…stop. This is about Sergio. Time’s wasting.”
“Any idea where they took him?” Mil asked, voice calm, demeanor rigid.
I shook my head; that small movement hurt every bone in my body. “No idea.”
“His phone on?” This from Frank.
I rolled my eyes. “No offense, but I’m not stupid. I’ve already tried to use the GPS locater.”
Phoenix cleared his throat. “The listening device in the hand.”
“What about it?” I shrugged.
Phoenix’s eyes met mine. “Sergio put the listening device in. He also put a locator in it, remember? My money’s on Petrov taking Sergio to his compound on the lake.”
I nodded. “Well, how do we turn the thing on? Our resident nerd has been captured!”
Nixon rushed out of the room and returned with an iPad Mini. His fingers worked smoothly across the surface, his eyes frantically searching the screen until they stopped. “Got him.”