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A new one perhaps, she thought numbly.
She didn’t know if the thought made her want to laugh or cry. It didn’t matter. She couldn’t do either. They’d pummeled her without mercy before sticking her and injecting her with something that rendered her motionless. She couldn’t move, couldn’t scream, but her mind and body had still registered everything. Every painful, degrading moment. It reminded her of the nightmares she’d had as a kid where no matter how hard she’d tried to run or call for help, nothing would work. She was stuck, trapped inside her own private version of Hell. Only this time, she couldn’t wake up.
The car hit a pothole or a curb, making the vehicle jump. She tumbled off the edge of the backseat and hit the floorboards. The curve of the center console slammed into her left side, drawing another anguished wave from her system. She wasn’t sure how much more her ribs could bear. Her breath came in shallow spurts.
A big hand reached back between the front seats and settled on the curve of her hip. Taylor slammed her eyes shut, a low whimper building in the base of her throat. As much as she wanted to lash out and swat the hand away or flinch out of reach, she was stuck. Once again, she focused on trying to move something, anything.
Her fingers twitched, giving her a surge of hope. Maybe the drugs were starting to wear off.
“I’m…so sorry…”
Her eyes popped open at the breathless apology. Though strained, she knew she’d heard that voice somewhere before, but where?
“Just…hold on, Miss…McAvay.”
Relief swept through her along with a wave of recognition. Henderson. The head of security had somehow pulled through and gotten her out of that house. She could have wept with gratitude. The burning sting of tears welled in her eyes, and she let them drift shut again knowing everything was going to be okay. He would take her to the hospital. They would fix whatever was wrong, and the second she could move or speak again, she would tell someone to go get Sebastian.
Her heart wrenched remembering the sight of him, bloodied, sweating, and bound to a chair. His words still cut deep, but she couldn’t let herself think about that. Not now.
The car lurched without warning, throwing her against the seats as the shrill screech of barking tires pierced her ears. Dazed, she stared into the darkness, the hammering in her chest starting once again. Henderson cursed in the front, shifting uneasily, and Taylor cringed inside as the distinct sound of slamming car doors filed the night.
The security guard threw the car in reverse. There was a sudden shift in momentum as the vehicle lurched backwards. Terror flooded her with a tingling surge of adrenaline. Whatever the big man saw had spooked him.
Curses flew from his lips as he gunned the gas. The wheels spun, squealing in a desperate fight for traction. Taylor whimpered as the tires blew without warning, the loud pops sounding like cannon blasts in her ears, and the car dropped. Henderson’s loud, frantic breaths echoed from the front seat while she held hers and waited.
Sebastian smirked as Vince thrust two fingers in the gaping wound in Dominic’s leg in an attempt to staunch the bleeding. The traitor’s screams were sweet music to his ears. Josh helped Wes load the injured man into the back of the van, neither man making any effort to make the transition smooth or painless. The sturdy vehicle rocked as they dropped him on to the floor, drawing another pleading cry from their teammate. Quelling a smile, Sebastian glanced up as his partner popped his head through the opened doors and levered himself out in a fluid jump.
“I think the son-of-a-bitch is gonna make it. That is if Vince doesn’t dig his way through his femoral artery first.”
Sebastian nodded. As perversely happy as the news made him, his thoughts kept turning to Taylor and his home. He swung his imploring stare up to his partner’s and levered off the taillights he’d been leaning against for support.
“We need to get out of here before anyone shows, and you need to get me home. Now.”
Josh’s expression tightened with doubt. “That’s not a good idea, Baas. We need to get you to headquarters and get you checked out.”
“You’re not listening,” he hissed in a vehement rasp, one hand reaching for his gun.
His partner staggered back a step, his blue eyes widening in the fire-illuminated gloom.
“Laychee broke into my house, Josh. His men have Taylor. I’m not going anywhere until I find her.”
“Seb, listen…I know, but right now your body is running on shock and adrenaline alone. You’re not going to do anyone any good like this. Go with the team. I’ll go look for her.”
His eyes narrowed as he cocked his head and prowled closer. “Is that so?” he asked. “Is that what you would tell me if it was my sister? That you were sorry but you were hurt and not going to do anyone any good? Is that the kind of man I entrusted her with?”
“No, Baas,” Josh soothed, putting his hands up with a sad shake of his head. “I would do everything I could to get Monique back safe and sound. You know that. I was just trying to watch out for you,” he explained. “It’s my job. On the other hand, I would also trust in you, as my partner, to do what needed done if I wasn’t in any shape to do it.”
Sebastian glared at him before turning away and ambling toward his Benz. He grimaced at the debris and dust littering the brand new CL600. What the hell was it with this place and his cars? He gave a droll snort and reached for the door handle. If he never came back to this godforsaken pit again, it would be too soon.
“Hey!” Josh called out behind him, his footsteps thundering against dirt and gravel. “Wait up. Are you freaking insane? You can’t drive across town like this.”
Sebastian’s eyes narrowed again. What was with everyone questioning his sanity lately? They’d damn well know it when he snapped. Josh pulled up short. Smart man. He cocked his head to the side, waiting.
“Just get in the damn passenger seat. I’ll drive,” his partner said with a sigh.
Blinking against the annoying double vision, he considered it for a moment and nodded. Josh tossed him his phone from the floorboards as they got in. The home security icon pulsed red in the corner and his guts twisted in icy fear. His fingers danced over the screen. It was no small irony that he typed in one of the passwords D
ominic was so willing to die for.
His hands shook as he waited for the program to initiate a search.
“You alright?” Josh asked quietly, watching him from the corner of his vision.
“I’m fine. Just drive.”
“What are you doing?”
He growled beneath his breath. Counting to ten, he fought to keep his perilous temper under control.
“What do you think I am doing, Josh? I’m looking up the coordinates on the necklace I gave her.”
Hesitance twisted his partner’s sharp features as the car sped underneath the yellowed glow of the streetlights. “You don’t think they might've ripped it off of her in the struggle?”
Turning in his seat, Sebastian tilted his head. His face throbbed as it tightened with fury. “Is that your idea of making me feel better?” he asked in a low whisper. “I’m injured, Josh, not dead. Keep that in mind the next time you want to open your mouth.”
“Yeah, Baas. Okay,” his partner muttered in placation.
He peeled his stare away with a vast amount of effort. Rage still rolled through his system, and despite his condition, he burned for an outlet. Forcing his attention back to his phone, he squinted at the unfamiliar numbers flickering across the screen. As much as he hated to admit it, he could barely read them between the swelling in his face and the dancing line of his vision. Biting the inside of his cheek, he resisted the urge to hurl the damn phone through the windshield. A hesitant plea died in his throat as his partner’s phone broke the tense silence gripping the car.
Josh fumbled for it with one hand while keeping his other planted on the steering wheel. He answered and issued a short strand of “yeah” and “okays” before ending the call and whipping a sharp U-turn in the middle of the street.
Sebastian gripped the dashboard, staring at him with a combination of ire and disbelief.
“That was Marx. They intercepted Taylor and your head of security on the way to the hospital. They’re taking them to headquarters.”
