AllFreeNovel
Share Us
His unflinching confidence made me shiver. This wasn’t just speculation. Dixon fully expected me to be targeted and attacked. My head reeled. “Does Neil know about this… bait tactic?”
Dixon grimaced. “No. He doesn’t know anything about any of this. And he cannot find out. He would never allow us to put you at risk, despite the potential upsides.”
“So I’d be going behind Neil’s back.”
“Indeed.”
“And the other option is hiding?”
Dixon nodded. “It’s your choice, Amelia. So, which will it be?”
I sucked a thin breath through my constricting throat. The blood roared in my ears, drowning out all other sounds. I could practically feel Daniel’s spidery hands closing around my neck, his rancid breath hot on my cheek…
I jerked back to the present moment. Dixon watched me closely, awaiting my response while my heart ricocheted in my chest. I could play it safe, or I could be brave. Hide away, or help. Was I willing to gamble with my own life in order to help Neil’s cause?
But I had already made this decision when I accepted the dangers of loving Neil. I wanted to stand shoulder to shoulder with him in this fight, not languish on the sidelines. This was my opportunity to act. Neil wouldn’t approve, but I was done with seeking other people’s approval, including Neil’s. For once, I was going to do the thing that I felt was the right thing to do.
I steeled my nerves and met Dixon’s gaze. “I’ll do it. I’ll be your bait.”
Chapter Sixty-Three
PRESENT DAY
Gaz drew a gun from beneath his jacket. Stark fear rooted me in place as he waggled it in my direction. My vision tunnelled. I couldn’t tear my gaze from the dark eye of the barrel. This wasn’t supposed to happen. I should have been rescued by now. What was taking so long? Had the plan failed? Why wasn’t Hannah doing anything to get us out of this?
“Go on then,” Gaz said. “Start begging.”
I pictured Neil seeing this footage, forced to bargain for my life. Ice spread through my veins.
Gaz moved closer, shoving the gun under my chin. The metal burned cold against my skin. Behind him, Jono watched, beefy arms crossed, a smug grin on his face. My heart battered my ribs. I focused on keeping my breathing steady. In and out. Don’t lose hope now. Help will come.
“I said, beg!” Gaz jabbed the gun harder against me.
I faced the camera lens through a blur of tears. Summoning my voice took every scrap of courage. “P-please.” The word scraped my dry throat.
A metallic rumble reverberated through the warehouse as the roller door jerked into motion, rattling open. I flinched in surprise. Gaz lowered the gun, brow furrowed as he turned on Jono. “The hell? What’d you do that for?”
Jono threw his hands up. “I didn’t do nothin’!”
“Where’s the remote?” Gaz’s eyes were wild, spittle flying from his stained teeth.
Jono patted his pockets. “I dunno.”
“What d’you mean, you don’t know?” Gaz went up to Jono and grabbed him by the lapels, his face turning a deep crimson.
“I had it a minute ago!”
The door continued grinding open at a crawl, but there was nothing outside except darkness. Even if I screamed with everything in me, no one would hear.
Gaz released Jono and shoved him away. “Fuck’s sake. Get that door back down. Now!” He jerked his gun towards the switch on the far wall.
As Jono lumbered away, Gaz rounded on me again, his eyes holding a crazed glint. “Now, where were we?”
I shrank away, ready to choke out another plea, but a flash of motion over Gaz’s shoulder caught my eye.
Hannah.
She was creeping up behind Gaz, her restraints nowhere to be seen. How did she get free? No time to wonder. This was our chance!
