To Slow a Treacherous Heart ✓

18| Playing with Fire

"Stop struggling or I'll press harder," came a steel-like voice.

She didn't care if it was cowardly. She stopped moving.

Suddenly she felt something metallic pound her over the head, making everything go black.

The last thought that flashed through her head was a weird one.

How did Ryan get mixed up in all this crap?

Would she ever be able to make it up to him?

Wait, what?

•••

Nausea and the lack of oxygen woke her up.

Everything was still dark, but she could feel her body twist as if something under her kept moving.

Was she in a car?

She was being jostled around.

The bag over her was smothering. She could barely breath.

"Did you chloroform her yet?"

A hand came into the bag and she felt a damp handkerchief clamp over her mouth and nose with a vice like grip.

She tried to hold her breath against it, but the hand had taken her by surprise. She counted.

One, two, three, four.

She began to struggle, trying not to breath.

Five, six, seven, eight.

She went completely limp.

"She out?"

Suddenly her lungs gave way and she breathed the foul air in.

"I think so," came the Irish voice.

And the hand disappeared.

She began breathing fast; a dark blanket seemed to be floating onto her.

"I think she's finding it hard to breath," came a voice. "Maybe she's allergic to 'form?"

"Nonsense," came Thorne's voice. "I've used it on her before. Years ago, as well. She isn't allergic."

"I'm loosening the gag she-"

"Merde. You Irish and your bloody grande hearts," came Victor. "Check if she's out first,"

"Right," but he'd already loosened the gag.

She felt a hand press into her wound.

But the darkness had already won.

•••

There was a pounding in her head.

And a searing pain in one of her shoulders.

What was happening?

Her eyes opened and she blinked.

But it was still dark.

Her eyebrows scrunched together in confusion.

The bag.

And then everything came flooding back.

Thorne. The shot. The policeman. The redhead.

But the gag in her mouth, it was loose now.

She stuck her tongue at it and pushed it over her lower lip. Using her tongue, she pushed it lower and lower. Until finally she could use her jaw to manipulate it into falling to her neck.