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“Fuck you,” I hissed.
“I’m guessing my little brother didn’t fill you in on hostage training. You’re really not supposed to talk to your captors that way.” Terrance chuckled, reaching behind him to produce a knife. He played with the tip, pressing hard enough to pierce the pad of his forefinger. He deliberately squeezed a tiny bead of his own blood out, an intimidation tactic.
“HowamI supposed to talk to you?” I asked as calmly as I could. I needed to buy myself some more time.
“You’re supposed to build a rapport with your captors. It increases the chances that you’ll walk away unscathed.” He paused. “Supposedly.”
“What do you want from me? The duchess?”
Terrance continued to fiddle with his knife. His eyes were black and cold like a shark’s. Unfeeling, clinical. “Iwasgoing to ask for the duchess’ location, but I’ve changed my mind. You’re worth far more to me than she ever could be.”
I frowned. “Why?”
“I know for a fact that your boyfriends would pay a handsome sum to get you back in one piece.”
“They won’t pay you a cent,” I hissed. “They’re not stupid enough to fall for that.”
“It’s not a question of stupidity. It’s a question of their love and devotion.”
A cold, sinking feeling festered in the pit of my stomach.
“Their love for you is what makes them weak,” Terrance continued. “If I held the duchess for ransom, I could maybe get a couple million out of the Coselian Royal Family, but with you…” He pointed the tip of his knife toward me. I didn’t flinch. He sneered, clearly dissatisfied. “With you, I can milk them dry. Grand Paradise Security is worth way more than what that tiny kingdom could ever afford. By accidentally abducting you, I wound up getting a golden goose.”
“Why are you doing this?” I asked. “They told me about you. How you used to be a part of the team, a brother-in arms. Why did you go this way? Liam misses you so much. He wants tohelpyou.”
Terrance blinked. “He does?”
I nodded, sucking in a sharp breath. “He told me himself. He told me how you were his hero growing up, that he looked up to you. Liam said that if he got the chance, he’d bring you home and help you start fresh.”
“He really wants to help me?”
“Yes!” I leaned forward, desperation clawing at me. “Please, Terrance. Just… Just let me go. We can go talk to Liam and the rest of the team together. It doesn’t have to be like this.”
At first, I thought Terrance’s smile was one of relief, of hope. But it quickly transformed into something wicked, manipulative. He laughed in my face, a wild cackle as he threw his head back in amusement.
“Aww, you’re so adorable,” he said, bitterness dripping from his every word. “No wonder the boys like you so much. You’re all sunshine and daisies, aren’t you?”
I would have felt humiliated were it not for the burning anger raging inside my chest. “You son of a bitch,” I hissed. “They’re going to come after me, you know. You’re not going to get away with this.”
Terrance stood up and sighed. “Oh, Iknowthey’re going to come after you.” He smiled like the second coming of the Devil himself. “I’m counting on it.”
I gawked. “You’re crazy.”
“Or am I brilliant? I hear those two things are one and the same.”
“No, you’re just crazy.”
Terrance chuckled. “Wow, I like you. It’s such a shame that I only plan on using you as bait.” He reached forward and caressed my cheek with the back of his hand. “Don’t be scared, Miss Lindale. This will all be over very soon. Once I have every penny of your boyfriends’ fortunes, I’ll dispatch them quickly. They won’t feel a thing. And then maybe afterwards, you and I can have a little fun of our—”
I didn’t let him finish.
The second he was close enough I swung my whole upper body forward, slamming my forehead against the bridge of his nose. With every ounce of strength that I could muster, I pulled my wrists apart and ripped myself free of the duct tape that bound my hands.
Terrance groaned, his face gushing red. “What thefuck?”
Now that my hands were free, I dove for the knife, snatching it up before he had a chance to react. I cut the tape off around my ankles and made a sprint for the door, my body reacting before my brain had a chance to keep up.
“Oh no you don’t!” he yelled, grabbing my hair.
