Night Falls

Twenty Four

My jaw clenches as I hang up the phone. Blake plucks it from my hand before his henchman grabs my wrists and tie them behind the back of the chair I had been thrown into when we arrived at the warehouse.

After I had made my decision, the same man who was tying my wrists just a little too tight for comfort appeared in my apartment and gripped my arm, forcing me to stand with a grunt. A gun was waiting in his hand, and he had pressed it into my stomach as he led me from my apartment to an awaiting limo outside.

It was late, so there was no one around to see me as I got shoved into the car. From the tinted windows, I could see the unmarked car that was parked right across the street, and I could see the face of an unknown agent, his head resting against the window with his eyes closed. If I hadn't known any better, he looked like some guy napping in his car. My stomach clenched as I had to fight down the urge to be sick.

Blake's henchman–who seemed to have no name–climbed into the car behind me before Blake joined me, someone outside closing the door once he was settled. The man with us had pulled me onto the seat with him, making me sit on his lap, and kept the cold barrel of the gun pressed against me.

The three of us drove in silence for about thirty minutes until we had pulled up to a row of warehouses along the river. I had never been to this part of town before, not that I had any reason to before now. It looked like some sort of shipping yard–and with not a single person in sight.

I had been dragged inside and thrown into the chair I was currently tied down to before Blake had handed me a cell phone and instructed me to call Scott.

I hated myself for the choice I had made, but Scott was smart. He would figure out at some point that this was a trap, wouldn't he? My fingers had hesitated over the phone screen, second guessing my choice before Blake's man backhanded me across my cheek.

The sting had burned and I hissed as my neck snapped to one side. It had been a warning to cooperate.

So I called Scott, saying a prayer that the two of us would make it out of this alive.

Blake pulls up a chair across from me and sits down, crossing one leg over the other. He narrows his eyes at me, though an amused smirk is plastered on his round face.

"What?" I spit, my right cheek throbbing as my jaw clenches.

Blake makes a face as if to say he has no idea what I'm talking about, his eyebrows raising and lips twitching just slightly. He's enjoying this.

"Oh, I'm just wondering what exactly Scott thinks he's coming here to talk to you about." Blake says with a shrug of his shoulders. "Sounded personal." I can see him biting back a smile, though he doesn't bother to hide the enjoyment in his tone.

My teeth grind together as I stare him down, my nostrils flaring.

I knew he knew. How? I wasn't sure. But just like that, he knew that Scott wasn't just my agent, and I wasn't just his witness.

"Tell me, darlin'." Blake folds his hands. He pauses for a moment, his eyes roaming me up and down. "You think Scott sleeps with all his witnesses?" Blake cocks his head as he bounces his eyebrows. "Or just you."

I turn my head away, tears welling in my eyes.

I knew Blake was goading me. Trying to find more ammo for his artillery. He was playing games and I wanted to throw my hands up and scream, "I quit!" But that wasn't going to happen. I have to sit here and listen to every god damn word that will leave his mouth. And god damn it, I needed to show him he wasn't going to get to me, even though my blood felt cold and that bright light at the end of the tunnel that had shone so brightly just hours ago, was snuffed out, and now all I could see was darkness.

"Did I strike a nerve?" He asks with glee in his voice. He's loving every god damn second of this.

If I was going to survive, I couldn't let him get to me. I may be tied to a chair, but once Scott gets here, I was going to have to do anything I could to help him through this.

I take a deep breath and roll my shoulders back, the ropes around my wrists twisting against your my. I raise my chin as I turn back to look at Blake, a new feeling settling in my stomach.

"You want to know what I think?" I say with an even voice.

Blake needed me alive, at least until Scott showed up. I had an awful inkling Blake was going to dangle me like a piece of meat in front of Scott, so until he arrived, I had a free pass.

Blake raises his eyebrow, holding out a hand, encouraging me to continue.

"I think Scott is going to get here, and I think he's going to take you down." I take a quick breath. "This empire that you've been building your whole life is going to come to a crashing burn. And maybe I won't live through to see it, but I'm just glad I was the one who lit the match."

I can't stop the smirk that bubbles on my lips as Blake's face falls and his jaw clenches, the merriment in his brown eyes extinguished. But he quickly recomposes himself as he cocks his head and swallows. His eyes flash behind me, making a clear statement. I try to turn my head but before I can, a fist connects with my jaw, sending my toppling onto the concrete floor, my shoulder breaking the rest of my fall as I cry out as pain shoots through my body. My eyes squeeze shut, grounding my teeth as my shoulder throbs and I taste the tell-tale twinge of iron on my tongue.

"By all means, darlin', be cheeky." I can hear Blake's voice, though it's drowned out by the ringing in my ears. "It's totally up to you how we spend these thirty minutes waiting for Scott to arrive."

Every single breath I muster sends a shiver of pain through my body and my stomach twists in nausea.

I hear Blake sigh before he mutters, "get him up," and I'm suddenly being lifted off the ground, too quickly for my still spinning head, and set upright, the room around me as my eyes try to focus on anything.

"Totally up to you, darlin'." Blake comes back into focus with a sickening sweet smile on his face. "Be a good little boy, and as agreed, you'll walk away from this just fine."

My jaw clenches, a stabbing burn shooting across the outline of my face as I try to give him a glare, but Blake just laughs.

"Let's try to play nice, shall we?"