drenched suit.
Behind him, Jimmy struggled with the hotel security staff. A man appeared out of the shadows, wearing a black ski mask. He easily wrestled the guards off Jimmy, quickly restraining them with what looked like para cord.
She frowned at Jimmy.
Did he hire the SAS to help him?
She yelped when the body beneath her lurched, and Matt rolled her over, pinning her down.
His clammy hands wrapped around her throat as he stared down at her with crazy green eyes. “You bitch! You ruined everything,” he cried, squeezing her neck.
Her heart pounded loudly in her chest as she tried to remove his hands.
His iron grip on her throat tightened as he lowered his head.
She gagged as his hot breath scorched her skin.
“I’ve been dreaming of doing this to you all day.” His face creased into a nasty smile. Suddenly his eyes seemed too close together, and his face appeared pinched. Everything that she’d found attractive about him was marred and ugly.
She bucked under him, trying to fight off the waves of dizziness that were assaulting her senses. She tried to call out for help, but she couldn’t make a sound.
Someone help me!
Matt jolted on top of her as a black-gloved hand punched him in the side of the head. He lost his grip on her neck, sliding sideways before slumping onto the floor beside her.
Ellie peered up at the man hovering over her. He wore a black ski mask, so all she could make out were his bright blue eyes.
“That’s no way to treat a lady,” the man said to an unconscious Matt before he offered her a hand.
“I’m not a lady,” she muttered, in between gasping in air.
“Bad date?” The man’s mouth curled up into a smile behind the mask, and she couldn’t help but smile back.
“You have no idea,” she said, taking his offered hand as he pulled her up.
“Are you okay?” Her father was there in an instant. “That little shit.” He aimed a kick at Matt, but stopped when the man in the ski mask put his hand on his shoulder.
“It’s time for you to get out of here, Stewart. I’ll take it from here.”
Ellie frowned as her father turned the face the man in the mask. “Don’t think I don’t know who you are. What’s the price?”
“For old time’s sake,” the man said.
Her father nodded. “And them?” He pointed to the Starlings.
“The police will be here any minute.” The larger man held out his hand to Jimmy. “Time to pay up.”
Ellie frowned. This man wasn’t Detective Riley or members of his team, but Jimmy and her father both knew him. She glanced at the man who’d helped her, but she didn’t recognize his big blue eyes.
Who the fuck is he?
She watched Jimmy hand over the hard drive to the masked man.
“Who the fuck are you?” she asked.
“Now is not the time.” Her father put his arm around her shoulders as he guided her and Jimmy toward the doors of the hotel. “We need to leave, now.”
“What about the people who were kidnapped. We can’t just forget about them.” Ellie glanced back over her shoulder at the man who was watching them walk away.
“Dad!”
“It’s out of my hands.” He shook his head. “He’ll handle it.”
“What’s out of your hands? Who is he, Jimmy?” She glanced at Jimmy, who seemed to find a sudden interest in his feet as they left the hotel and walked down the street.
“Who else was I gunna call?” Jimmy muttered.
“Bill!” her father cried. “Of all the tentative alliances, you called in the…” He trailed off as he glanced at Ellie. “Well, no matter. I’m sure the Starling’s will not be a problem anymore.”
“Called in who?” Ellie asked.
“Come on,” Jimmy mumbled. “The dude used to be Special Forces. He seemed like the best person to call.”
“Who is he?” Ellie frowned.
“Jimmy, you need to stop reading the old newspapers and start focusing on the future. That alliance is long since over.”
“Him, who?” Ellie shouted. “What the fuck did we just get into?”
“At least
Behind him, Jimmy struggled with the hotel security staff. A man appeared out of the shadows, wearing a black ski mask. He easily wrestled the guards off Jimmy, quickly restraining them with what looked like para cord.
She frowned at Jimmy.
Did he hire the SAS to help him?
She yelped when the body beneath her lurched, and Matt rolled her over, pinning her down.
His clammy hands wrapped around her throat as he stared down at her with crazy green eyes. “You bitch! You ruined everything,” he cried, squeezing her neck.
Her heart pounded loudly in her chest as she tried to remove his hands.
His iron grip on her throat tightened as he lowered his head.
She gagged as his hot breath scorched her skin.
“I’ve been dreaming of doing this to you all day.” His face creased into a nasty smile. Suddenly his eyes seemed too close together, and his face appeared pinched. Everything that she’d found attractive about him was marred and ugly.
She bucked under him, trying to fight off the waves of dizziness that were assaulting her senses. She tried to call out for help, but she couldn’t make a sound.
Someone help me!
Matt jolted on top of her as a black-gloved hand punched him in the side of the head. He lost his grip on her neck, sliding sideways before slumping onto the floor beside her.
Ellie peered up at the man hovering over her. He wore a black ski mask, so all she could make out were his bright blue eyes.
“That’s no way to treat a lady,” the man said to an unconscious Matt before he offered her a hand.
“I’m not a lady,” she muttered, in between gasping in air.
“Bad date?” The man’s mouth curled up into a smile behind the mask, and she couldn’t help but smile back.
“You have no idea,” she said, taking his offered hand as he pulled her up.
“Are you okay?” Her father was there in an instant. “That little shit.” He aimed a kick at Matt, but stopped when the man in the ski mask put his hand on his shoulder.
“It’s time for you to get out of here, Stewart. I’ll take it from here.”
Ellie frowned as her father turned the face the man in the mask. “Don’t think I don’t know who you are. What’s the price?”
“For old time’s sake,” the man said.
Her father nodded. “And them?” He pointed to the Starlings.
“The police will be here any minute.” The larger man held out his hand to Jimmy. “Time to pay up.”
Ellie frowned. This man wasn’t Detective Riley or members of his team, but Jimmy and her father both knew him. She glanced at the man who’d helped her, but she didn’t recognize his big blue eyes.
Who the fuck is he?
She watched Jimmy hand over the hard drive to the masked man.
“Who the fuck are you?” she asked.
“Now is not the time.” Her father put his arm around her shoulders as he guided her and Jimmy toward the doors of the hotel. “We need to leave, now.”
“What about the people who were kidnapped. We can’t just forget about them.” Ellie glanced back over her shoulder at the man who was watching them walk away.
“Dad!”
“It’s out of my hands.” He shook his head. “He’ll handle it.”
“What’s out of your hands? Who is he, Jimmy?” She glanced at Jimmy, who seemed to find a sudden interest in his feet as they left the hotel and walked down the street.
“Who else was I gunna call?” Jimmy muttered.
“Bill!” her father cried. “Of all the tentative alliances, you called in the…” He trailed off as he glanced at Ellie. “Well, no matter. I’m sure the Starling’s will not be a problem anymore.”
“Called in who?” Ellie asked.
“Come on,” Jimmy mumbled. “The dude used to be Special Forces. He seemed like the best person to call.”
“Who is he?” Ellie frowned.
“Jimmy, you need to stop reading the old newspapers and start focusing on the future. That alliance is long since over.”
“Him, who?” Ellie shouted. “What the fuck did we just get into?”
“At least
Similar Books
