Total pages in book: 184
Estimated words: 188108 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 941(@200wpm)___ 752(@250wpm)___ 627(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 188108 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 941(@200wpm)___ 752(@250wpm)___ 627(@300wpm)
They all felt the same. The fury was building up inside Salem and he wished he could break. That he could kick a chair. Punch something.
Yell and scream.
But if he let go of his control right now he might never get it back.
“We need to find Mark. The things he knows . . . have you found any information from his background that would indicate when he became one of Pinky’s men?” Riordan said.
“Not for sure,” Roman said. “His background holds up. He seems completely legitimate. Pinky must have helped him get Tamsyn out of the country.”
“My guess is that he’s been one of Pinky’s men for a while,” Salem said. “Maybe before he came onto the team.”
“Fuck,” Riordan said. “What about Ms. Clemens? Is there anything strange in her background?”
All three of them scowled at Riordan.
“She’s the victim,” Salem said.
“She has been kidnapped!” Alexei added. “And it’s all our fault. It’s because of us that he took her and when we find him . . . he’s a dead man.”
Both Salem and Roman nodded, united in this.
No one touched their girl and lived.
Two days later, the video arrived in Roman’s inbox.
When he clicked on it, Roman immediately felt ill. After forcing himself to watch it, he got up and rushed to the toilet before he vomited.
Not that he had anything in his stomach to throw up.
Sitting back in his chair, he sent a message to Alexei and Salem.
God. He felt weak and shaky.
Perhaps he should have eaten some of the food that Evette had brought up for him.
But he couldn’t even think of eating now.
“What is it?” Salem asked, rushing through the door. “I was just on the phone to Trin about some things we could do to possibly find Tamsyn.”
Trin was one of Alina’s fiancés.
“They’re going to help us?” Alexei asked, walking in behind Salem.
“Yes, of course,” Salem said. “They’re worried about her too.”
But not as worried as they were. They couldn’t be.
And they had reason to worry.
“We might . . . we might need their help. We might need all of their help. Watch this.”
He hit play on the recording. Alexei made a noise like a wounded bull as Tamsyn appeared on the screen.
But not Tamsyn like they knew her.
This Tamsyn was tied to a chair with ropes. She looked terrible. Her clothes were torn, her hair was a rat’s nest. But worst of all . . .
“That fucker beat her?” Alexei said in a hoarse voice.
She was covered in bruises and blood and Roman wanted to cry.
“Hello, my friends,” a voice said from behind the camera. It had a faint Irish accent.
It had to be Pinky.
“It’s been so long since we chatted, Lyoha, or is it Alexei you like to go by now?”
Alexei had his hands clenched into fists and Roman was worried about his blood pressure.
“I thought it might be time for us to chat. So I’m going to give you an hour from the time this email is opened to get to this private airstrip and catch the plane that will be waiting for you. Don’t bother telling anyone. This plane isn’t your final stop. Oh, and in case you didn’t realize it. If you don’t catch that plane, then your girl doesn’t get to wake up tomorrow. Which, in the state she’s in, might just be a blessing for her. Poor thing has a mouth on her, doesn’t she?”
The video died.
“An hour? Fuck!” Alexei stormed. “We need to leave now.”
“Roman, send that to Riordan and to me. I’ll forward to Trin. Also order a private car and grab your laptop. Alexei, get ready. We need to come up with a plan and quick.”
They had to get to their girl before anything else happened to her.
56
Where the hell was he?
Salem woke up groggily, staring around him. What was going on? Why was he lying on the floor? This old body didn’t take well to sleeping anywhere but a bed. Not that he was that old at thirty-eight. It just felt that way.
As he sat up, he took stock of where he was. It was hot. Really hot. And there was a chain around his wrist, securing him to the wall. He saw something move in the dark.
No, not something. Someone.
Relief flooded him.
“Alexei? Alexei, are you all right?” he asked.
“What the fuck happened? Why did you let me drink that much last night? And why am I handcuffed to a wall?”
“You weren’t drinking,” he said urgently, looking around for Roman. There he was. He was still sleeping. He was secured to the wall as well.
Shit. Was he all right?
“I think we were drugged,” he added.
“What the fuck?”
Roman stirred with a grumble. “What’s happened? Why is it so hot? I need a drink.”
“It must have happened on the plane,” Salem said slowly, trying to make his brain work.