“Can’t complain.” I hadn’t really talked to him since I’d told Jared the truth about my past—mainly because I had no idea what to say to him. Panic washed over me when Lynch asked, “You got a minute? I have something I need to talk to you about.”
“Yeah, um... uh, okay. I’ve got a minute,” I stammered. “What’s on your mind?”
“Menace told me about the witness protection and how you’d been placed with my grandparents.”
“I’m so sorry, Lynch. I’ve wanted to talk to you about it, but I just didn’t know what to say. I feel so awful about what happened to them. Had I known what was going to happen, I—”
“No need to be sorry, Aubrey. Gramps knew exactly what he was gettin’ into. Gran did too.” His anguished look started to fade as he continued, “I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but my gramps was a military man. He was big into the corps and was all about helping whoever he could, especially when there was justice to be served.”
“I had no idea.”
Lynch cocked his head with a grimace as he growled, “I hate that motherfucker Rossi who killed them, and I’m going to do everything I can to make sure he burns for it, but there’s no reason for you to feel bad about what went down. It wasn’t your fault.”
“I really appreciate you saying that.”
“Not just saying it. I mean it.”
“Thanks, Lynch.”
He motioned his head towards Mazie’s apartment. “So, what are you girls gettin’ into today?”
“We’re taking Mazie to La Casa’s for lunch, and then we’re going to do a little shopping.” The girls hadn’t gone into much detail but mentioned that the brothers had been keeping an eye on them. “Will you be taggin’ along?”
“Afraid so.” He glanced over at his bike, then back to me. “Will you and Mazie be heading straight over to the restaurant?”
“Yeah, and we should really get going. The others are already there waiting on us.”
“Okay. I’m running on fumes, so I’m gonna go fill up at the gas station around the corner if you give me your word you’ll go straight to the restaurant.”
“Yep, you have my word.”
“Great.” Lynch turned and started over to his Harley. “I’ll see you there in ten.”
I knew Mazie was waiting on me, so I gave Lynch a quick wave, then hurried upstairs to Mazie’s apartment. I’d barely knocked when the door flew open and Mazie appeared in the doorway with a big smile. “You’re here!”
“I’m sorry I’m late. I got caught up talking to Lynch.”
“No worries.” She grabbed her purse as she said, “Isn’t he just the sweetest? And good-looking too. Hmm. What I wouldn’t give for a guy like him.”
“Does he know you’re into him?”
“Are you kidding? The man can have any woman he wants. I doubt he even knows I’m alive.”
“Of course, he knows you’re alive,” I fussed. “You’re not only gorgeous but super sweet too. He’d be lucky to have someone like you.”
“I don’t know about that.” Mazie grabbed a large duffle bag of her clothes from the counter, then we headed for the door. “We better get going. Jess can be a real firecracker when it comes to being late.”
“I kind of gathered that.”
I followed her out of the apartment and over to my car. Remembering her cake was in the trunk, I quickly opened the door to the backseat and was waiting for her to put the bag inside when she gasped with fright. I quickly turned, but before I could see what had startled her, I felt something crash against the back of my head, and everything went black.
I had no idea how long I’d been out when I was woken up by the sound of a man’s voice. His tone was loud and harsh, but my head was throbbing so hard that it was difficult to make sense of what I was hearing. I felt a strange movement, like I was riding in a vehicle, and I tried to open my eyes, but the pain in my head was excruciating. I attempted to move but couldn’t, and panic surged through me when I realized my hands were bound behind my back. Thinking Rossi had finally found me, I started wiggling my way out of them but froze when I heard the man’s voice again. “You thought you could just walk out on me… after all I did for you! After all I did for all of you!”
It was at that moment I realized I was in the back seat of a car, and Mazie was sitting in the front with a man I’d never seen before. I couldn’t see her face, but I could hear the terror in her voice as she stammered, “I-it wasn’t like that.”
“It wasn’t like that? You’re saying you didn’t just up and leave without looking back? Is that what you’re fucking saying?” The man was growing angrier by the second. “You stupid, fucking whore! All of you… each and every one. Just a bunch of stupid, fucking whores!”
“I’m sorry, Gary. I didn’t—”
“Don’t you apologize! Not now!” he barked. “It’s too late. You and those stupid Ruthless Sinner assholes are going to pay for what you’ve done.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I’m taking back what’s mine,” he snarled.
The car came to an abrupt stop, and Gary opened his door and got out. He aimed a gun at Mazie and ordered, “Get out. Now!”
She did as he ordered, then asked again, “What are you going to do?”
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
I thought he’d forgotten that I was in the back seat until the door opened, and I felt someone grab me by the legs, pulling me from the car. Once I was on my feet, I could finally get a good look at the man who’d kidnapped us. He was wearing a pair of worn-out khakis and a ratty button-down that fit snug around his pronounced belly, and his greasy dark hair was combed back, making him look like a seventies porn star. His eyes were dark and filled with utter disgust as he shouted, “Move!”
“Where are you taking us?”
“Shut your fucking mouth and move before I put a bullet in your friend here.”
I did as he ordered and started walking forward. I took a quick glance around, hoping there might be someone who could help us, but we were behind an old brick building without a soul in sight. Gary motioned me to the back door. Once he’d reached into his pocket for the key, he unlocked the deadbolt, then waved his gun forward, directing us inside. The lights weren’t on, so it was difficult to see as we made our way down a long dark hall. When I stumbled, I got a hard shove forward and another round of shouting. “Move your ass!”
“Please, Gary... Don’t do this,” Mazie mumbled. “Just let us go.”
“Not gonna happen.” When he turned on his phone’s flashlight, I could finally see that we were inside a strip club. It wasn’t as big as Stilettos, but it had two stages with a small bar in the back. Gary grabbed me by the arm and led me over to one of the chairs, then forced me to sit. He towered over me as he snarled, “I’ve seen you with him. I know you’re seeing one of those Sinner assholes. I know what they did!”
“What are you talking about?”