Page 20 of Anton
“Come quietly and neither of you will get hurt,” the guy holding Marcie said, but the glint in his eye told me that was far from the truth.
“Not a chance,” I spat out.
He smiled coldly. “You don’t have a choice.”
We’d see about that. I lunged at the nearest guy, my fist smashing into his jaw. He staggered, but before I could press my advantage, another blow struck me from behind.
The punch hit my back, but I barely flinched. Years of training kept my body in motion, absorbing the blow without losing focus. I spun quickly, redirecting the force of the strike and narrowing in on the threat. The second guy didn’t know what was coming.
Before I could reach him, another man tackled me from the side. Without thinking, I dropped low and twisted, driving my elbow into his midsection. He gasped, but I didn’t give him time to recover. I slammed him to the ground with a punch to the back of the head. He crumpled, unable to get back up.
The next one came at me fast, but I was ready. He swung, aiming for my stomach, but I absorbed the hit, my core locked in defence. The punch barely phased me, but I used the momentum to step into him, landing a quick jab to his throat, forcing him back.
Then, I heard it.
Marcie’s scream—sharp, full of terror. My heart seized, every instinct focused on her. I could hear the desperation in her voice as she struggled, fighting against the man who had grabbed her, hauling her toward a van.
My body tensed. Oh, hell no!
I charged toward Marcie, but two other men moved to block my path. How many of the fuckers were there?
Without hesitation, I slammed my fist into the gut of one, knocking the wind out of him, and followed up with an upper cut to the face of the other, sending him reeling backward. My focus was sharp, the adrenaline fuelling every strike, each movement calculated, instinctual. But as I turned to advance, Marcie’s scream sliced through the mayhem surrounding us again.
That was all it took to distract me.
A blow—hard and sudden—hit the side of my head. I didn’t even see it coming. My body went momentarily numb, the car park spinning as I stumbled. My vision blurred, and I struggled to steady myself. I blinked, trying to regain my bearings, but the ground beneath me felt like it was shifting.
I stumbled, disoriented, and dropped to my knees. My head throbbed, but my focus zeroed in on Marcie’s terrified expression as she kicked out, her hands reaching for me in desperation, trying to break free from the man holding her.
Marcie screamed my name and I roared in fury, forcing myself to my feet, adrenaline surging through me.
“I’m not letting them take you!” I shouted, charging at the man holding her again.
Just as I reached out to grab him, pain shot through my neck, sharp and sudden.
“What the—” My words slurred, my body growing heavy. The strength drained from my limbs, and I stumbled again, struggling to stay on my feet.
“Anton!” Marcie’s scream penetrated the darkness, which was closing in. I fought against the pull of unconsciousness, but the world continued to spin, blurring everything around me.
They’d drugged me. Why? Where were they taking us? And what the hell did they want?
One thought pierced through the haze of pain and fear: I’d rather die than let them hurt her. If they laid one finger on her, I’d kill them. Marcie was mine to protect and nothing, and no one, would stop me from doing so, I vowed before the darkness finally took me.
CHAPTER 9
MARCIE
SOMETIME AFTER – WHAT HAPPENED?
“Aargh,” I groaned, the sound rough and unfamiliar as it left my throat. My eyelids felt like they weighed a ton, and I had to force them open, blinking against the murky darkness that wrapped around me, thick and suffocating. My head throbbed with a dull ache, leaving me grasping for any clear memory.
My limbs felt heavy, slow to respond as I tried to move. My hands slid over a cold, hard surface—rough concrete? Or stone? I traced the gritty texture absently, the scratch of it grounding me in the sensation, keeping me tethered to reality as panic tried to claw its way through my chest.
What happened?My mind struggled to piece it together, the memory slipping just beyond reach.
Where am I?
The air felt damp, stale, thick with a metallic tang, layered with an unsettling hint of something musty and sour. Each breath made my throat tighten, a chill seeping into my lungs, making me shiver. I blinked into the blackness, hoping my eyes would adjust, but there was nothing to see. No light. No windows. Only an empty dark void.