gaps between boards forming the wall. It must be morning, she thought, gauging the intensity of the light rays. That meant she’d been here at least a day. If the hunger pains in her belly, the soreness in her body, and the numbness in her hands were any indication, that was definitely the case. Wrapping her numb hands around the chains holding the cuffs, Ronnie pulled her feet under her to stand. They slipped on the nasty-looking hay on the floor and she fell back down on her butt. The fact that she was naked and chained couldn’t mean anything good.
Trace Rooks had done this to her . Yesterday, he had encouraged those men to kill her. It looked like they were going to do a lot more than that, before they killed her. Bile shot to her throat, and she prayed she didn’t throw up. Ronnie closed her eyes and took a deep breath through her nose. The putrid smelling air in the building almost finished the job. She swallowed several times and finally got control.
Ronnie now realized she had made the biggest mistake of her life coming here to warn him. Trace Rooks already knew what was going on here. He had definitely gone to the other side, and she was learning that the hard way now. She was a fool, and would probably pay for that with her life.
Laying her head back o n her shoulders, Ronnie inspected the metal plate where the shackles originated on the wall above. The plate looked new, and the bolts weren’t rusted. Not good. Even the weathered boards seemed to be sturdy. They looked to be made out of petrified wood or something. Something tickled her ankle, and she glanced down. Another scream stuck in her throat, as a rat scurried away, and she jerked the chains and scrambled to her feet. If she did get out of this alive, Ronnie was going to send Trace Rooks where he belonged. To prison for the rest of his life. And she sure wouldn’t feel an ounce of guilt about doing it.
He was a bad cop . Judge Jennings hadn’t gotten it wrong when he sentenced him. Ronnie was the one who had been a fool for defending him. She had probably done him a favor recommending that plea deal. Any jury would have seen through his innocent act. She was the only one who had been a blind idiot. If they’d gone to court, he would probably have gotten at least ten years for killing his partner, and his involvement in that drug ring.
And she wouldn’t be here right now.
All Ronnie could hope for was if she died here, her Daddy would avenge her death. If he wasn’t on a big case somewhere. If he would even care. Her mother was probably in Paris shopping for a new boyfriend. She’d get the news, buy a new black dress for the funeral, shed a delicate tear then go on with her life. That is just how things worked with her family. She was under no false illusion that any of them cared about her.
Who knew if her brother Cade would be there . He was probably in some godforsaken place fighting battles that weren’t even his own. Protecting people who should be wiped off of the face of the earth. Ronnie thought he chose that life, so he didn’t have to be around their family. Smart man. But who the hell voluntarily chose being a mercenary as a career? Her father proudly called it paramilitary. Ronnie called it stupid.
After Cade’s stint in the marines, he should have gone to college and come back home . Instead, he went to Africa on some damned secret mission with another group of fools just like him. He hadn’t been home since, but she’d heard he moved on to another mission in Columbia. At this exact minute, Ronnie wouldn’t mind being there with him, or having him here with her. He would know how to get out of this mess.
Yanking on the chains hard, she only managed to cut the bottom of her wrist on the sharp edge of the cuff . That’s good Ronnie, slit your wrists and save these bastards the trouble .
With a huffed breath, she slid back
Trace Rooks had done this to her . Yesterday, he had encouraged those men to kill her. It looked like they were going to do a lot more than that, before they killed her. Bile shot to her throat, and she prayed she didn’t throw up. Ronnie closed her eyes and took a deep breath through her nose. The putrid smelling air in the building almost finished the job. She swallowed several times and finally got control.
Ronnie now realized she had made the biggest mistake of her life coming here to warn him. Trace Rooks already knew what was going on here. He had definitely gone to the other side, and she was learning that the hard way now. She was a fool, and would probably pay for that with her life.
Laying her head back o n her shoulders, Ronnie inspected the metal plate where the shackles originated on the wall above. The plate looked new, and the bolts weren’t rusted. Not good. Even the weathered boards seemed to be sturdy. They looked to be made out of petrified wood or something. Something tickled her ankle, and she glanced down. Another scream stuck in her throat, as a rat scurried away, and she jerked the chains and scrambled to her feet. If she did get out of this alive, Ronnie was going to send Trace Rooks where he belonged. To prison for the rest of his life. And she sure wouldn’t feel an ounce of guilt about doing it.
He was a bad cop . Judge Jennings hadn’t gotten it wrong when he sentenced him. Ronnie was the one who had been a fool for defending him. She had probably done him a favor recommending that plea deal. Any jury would have seen through his innocent act. She was the only one who had been a blind idiot. If they’d gone to court, he would probably have gotten at least ten years for killing his partner, and his involvement in that drug ring.
And she wouldn’t be here right now.
All Ronnie could hope for was if she died here, her Daddy would avenge her death. If he wasn’t on a big case somewhere. If he would even care. Her mother was probably in Paris shopping for a new boyfriend. She’d get the news, buy a new black dress for the funeral, shed a delicate tear then go on with her life. That is just how things worked with her family. She was under no false illusion that any of them cared about her.
Who knew if her brother Cade would be there . He was probably in some godforsaken place fighting battles that weren’t even his own. Protecting people who should be wiped off of the face of the earth. Ronnie thought he chose that life, so he didn’t have to be around their family. Smart man. But who the hell voluntarily chose being a mercenary as a career? Her father proudly called it paramilitary. Ronnie called it stupid.
After Cade’s stint in the marines, he should have gone to college and come back home . Instead, he went to Africa on some damned secret mission with another group of fools just like him. He hadn’t been home since, but she’d heard he moved on to another mission in Columbia. At this exact minute, Ronnie wouldn’t mind being there with him, or having him here with her. He would know how to get out of this mess.
Yanking on the chains hard, she only managed to cut the bottom of her wrist on the sharp edge of the cuff . That’s good Ronnie, slit your wrists and save these bastards the trouble .
With a huffed breath, she slid back
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