Page 86 of Vicious

Love is the least of it.

At least I can say I was loved by someone, even if it was in a dark, fucked-up way.

I spit in the goon’s face as I bring my knee up hard between his legs.

He yelps and doubles over, his grip on me loosening. I use the opportunity to dash out of the room. The concrete is cold beneath my bare feet, and I run for all I’m worth.

“Fuck! Go grab her!” the sunglasses guy shouts.

I don’t have the car keys. I don’t have a wallet, or a phone, or even shoes. But I still have to try. I can’t go down without a fight.

Maybe if I make it to the front desk, I can get them to call the cops, or at least hide me. These goons won’t risk having too many witnesses.

I can hear the footsteps behind me, but I don’t risk turning around to check their progress.

“May-May!” Baba shouts. “Watch out!”

That’s my only warning before somebody slams into my back. I cry out as we both go tumbling onto the rough concrete ground.

“Got you, you fucking bitch,” the guy says. I struggle against him, shouting as loud as I can. Surely somebody renting a room here has a conscience or some semblance of human decency.

But nobody comes to help as the goon ties my wrists behind my back.

Not a single door opens; not a single person comes to my aid.

All I can do is kick and fight as hard as I’m able as he carries me over to one of the cars and pops the trunk before shoving me inside.

“Shut up, bitch,” he snarls. He grabs an old piece of cloth, and even though I try to bite him, he only shoves it past my lips. He rips off a piece of tape and slaps that over my mouth as well, then slams the trunk hard.

“Cooperate, and we might give her some pain meds before slicing her open,” Sunglasses guy says from nearby. “Now move.”

There’s rustling, some pleading from my father, and finally the sound of a hard smack of a hand against flesh.

“Shut up, Daddy,” one of the goons says. “Get in the fucking car.”

He must obey because there are more sounds, then the doors close.

The car rumbles to a start, and before I can blink, it’s headed off in the direction of the highway.

I think.

It doesn’t matter anyway.

Either way, I’m not going to survive this.

CHAPTER 24

Chase

The phone call ends, and I stare at the phone for three seconds before getting up from my desk. I grab my keys and wallet and get into the car, then dial Drake via the car’s speaker phone.

“Hey. I have a new lead,” I tell him as soon as he picks up. “Simon just called me. Can you use that to pinpoint where the call came from?”

“I can get Patrick to try to track the GPS, yeah,” Drake confirms. “If not, try to get him on the line again, and Patrick can trace it.”

“I’m on the road already.” I stop at a traffic light, my hands clenching on the steering wheel. “May’s in trouble, Drake. I heard her arguing with some thugs who wanted money.”

“Where are you heading?” Drake asks. “Actually, just… hold that thought. See if you can get Hunter out of his girl’s ass to come help, because if they’re getting picked on by thugs—again, Jesus, does that man never learn?—she might need medical attention when we find her. I’ll text you when we find out where the phone is, at least.”