. He shrugged off his bloodstained jacket, the fabric sticking to his skin fr

scattered, and he had to regroup. But as he reached for the hidden door to h

ursed. He had

he pulled out his phone a

on. Got something

for explanations. Mason kne

of his cars, a sleek, black Maserati, waited in the driveway like a predator ready to

ed past him in a blur of neon and shadows, but Rafael didn't see any of it. His f

The place was unrecognizable. The once-qu

ghts, crunching under Rafael's boots as he stepped forward, The air was heavy with t

ling her eyes at him with that infuriating defiance, was smeared with c

the floor, abandoned like the aftermath of a struggle. A si

rl was

her had made damn

ver the wreckage. His cold gaze swept ove

hrough his nose, hi

led out his phone and activated

l appeared on his scree

hey had taken it. No,

been in this business long enough to know what happened to peop

they had just done was make this personal

ing the door shut. His pulse was steady,

t the pavement. The car roared as it surged

-

The ropes around her wrists burned, biting into her skin with every small movemen

blood. Rusted chains hung from the ceiling, and a meta

ned warehouse. This was a pl

to breathe evenly. She wouldn't panic.

t in a rush. They weren't afraid.

now," one of them muttered, pac

She's bait. Mercer

dn't know him. He was just a customer. A terrifying,

nything to him?" someone else aske

n't m

One she hadn'

nt the gang to trail

raightened instinctively. Even in the low light, Celia c

.She flinched, but he held her still, forcing

sed to l

ead. "And yet, he didn't come back for it." His thumb brus

wallowe

bruptly, standing

't kno

hange. He exhaled slowl

out warnin

d with her cheekbone, sending her sprawling onto her s

ed, tast

out his hand like he had simpl

swer," he

as she forced herself upright. Her cheek

l so exhausting. He pulled a gun

w," he said to his men. "If Mercer do

m his holster. S

breath

rously calm, "we will see how m

un co

ressed again

tire body