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She dragged in a wheezing breath. “Let go.”
“You’re lucky I don’t strangle you to death.” He released her throat. “Let’s go.” Hugh propelled her down the hall to the guest room.
Kristi stumbled into the room. Her father sat in a chair with his arms and legs restrained, his head lolling against his chest. “Dad.”
She hurried to her father. With trembling hands, she cupped his chin and lifted his face toward hers. She gasped. His face was bruised, swollen, and bloody. “You beat him? What is wrong with you, Hugh?”
“Is he breathing?” Jackson whispered. “Check his pulse.”
“Dad, can you hear me?” She eyed the rise and fall of his chest as she leaned close to check for a pulse. “His breathing is shallow, pulse is faint,” she whispered to the medic.
“You’ve seen him,” Hugh growled. “Let’s go. I want that money.”
“I need to help him.”
“No need. He won’t be feeling pain for much longer.”
Footsteps pounded down the hallway. For a minute, Kristi’s heart leaped, wondering if Rafe had arrived. The next instant, she realized he wouldn’t make a sound.
Fleming appeared in the doorway. “We’ve got trouble. Sutton, Steele, Marsh, Chavez, and McDaniel aren’t responding. Neither are Christensen, Roberts, Carter, Shaw, and Vega.”
Hugh spun toward Kristi. “I warned you what would happen.” He glanced at Fleming. “Shoot Stewart.”
“No.” Kristi lunged toward her father a split second too late. Fleming’s gun bucked when he fired. The bullet slammed into her father’s left shoulder. “Dad!” She wrapped her arms around him to protect him from another bullet. “He didn’t do anything to you, Hugh. How could you shoot him?”
“You should have listened. I would have trained you to listen to me once we were married. It’s too late now.” Hugh yanked her back and dragged her toward the door. “Your boyfriend’s death will be on you.”
“He’s already taken out ten men. Nothing will stop Rafe from coming for me. Let me go, Hugh. Maybe Rafe will let you live.”
“You think Hale, Fleming, and Rostov are the only ones left? There are five more men out there, more than enough to keep your boyfriend busy until it’s too late to stop me from getting what I want.” He shoved her into the hall. “You’ll do what I tell you, or your father will get another bullet, this time in his head.”
“Why should I? You’re going to kill us anyway.”
A cold smile curved his mouth. “You’re smarter than I gave you credit for.”
“Why should I help you if you’re going to kill me?”
“Easy. If you don’t, I’ll make your death slow and painful.”
“You don’t have the stomach for it.”
He lifted one shoulder. “Maybe not, but Hale does, and he has an excellent reason to hate your father.”
She glared at Hugh. “I have a reason to hate Trevor Cain. Did you tell Hale about his father?”
“What’s the big deal, Kristi? I needed help, and he was happy to offer his skills and connections to other mercenaries to exact a little revenge and earn money. It’s a win for both of us.”
“You must know what his father did to me.”
“I know what you claimed. Maybe you lied.” His lips curved. “At least, that’s what Hale believes.”
“In position,” Rafe murmured.
“Copy,” Eli replied. “Hold. Kristi, go to the kitchen. Cal, Jackson, go.”
Kristi jerked away from Hugh’s punishing grip on her arm. “I need water.” She scowled at him. “My throat is raw where you choked me along with the smoke from the fire at the warehouse. Your doing, I suppose?”
He stared at her. “Fire? What fire?”
