"She’s Don Salvero’s wife. That alone is important. She’s gonna prove useful, don’t worry."

The other nodded in agreement, getting more morale.

These guys are delusional.

I have only been married to that snake for a short time! And they think I’m some tool to get revenge or something? What gave them that idea?

"Excuse me..." I caught their attention. "Am I by chance a hostage?"

"What does it look like to you...?"

"Does this mean you’re gonna like use me to get Don Salvero? Will it work? You think it’s gonna work, right? Otherwise, you wouldn’t have gone through the trouble of abducting me."

Silence stretched far longer than expected, and I wondered if I had said something wrong.

Why are they staring at me like I have grown two heads or something?

"Are you okay? Do you need help or something?" he offered.

Oh, now they think I’m crazy.

Rapid gunshots suddenly erupted.

"It’s starting...!" He rushed to the wall as if to get a better hearing.

"But nothing should have started. The plan was to use his wife as a bargaining chip. Didn’t it work?"

"I don’t know."

"Then why the hell are there gunshots?"

"We could be having the upper hand. Shane mustn’t have gotten the cooperation he needed, and decided to get rid of them."

"Get rid of the Salveros?" he questioned, like his friend was crazy.

"I mean, think about it. It’s perfect that the Serpent is here alone, with no men except his brothers, while we have this place surrounded."

Oh my god. This was an ambush from the start?

"We stay here until we hear otherwise."

This could be my chance... I could be free. If their plan worked, Zade could be out there choking on his own blood right now.

But somehow I couldn’t picture that image of Zade. It just felt wrong, too easy.

I heard a phone vibrate.

"We got orders. Let’s move out now!"

"What about the girl?"

"We’re bringing her along!"

He ran to me, and he quickly undid the knot and grabbed me by the arm, hauling me along.

We made a turn to a dead end, and I wondered what the fuck was going on not until he ripped off the wallpaper to reveal a hidden door. He opened it, and we got out to the restroom.

So that’s how we got here in the first place.

The gunshots got louder as we exited the restroom. I ran pale when I saw dead bodies on the ground, blood splattered on the floor, or maybe someone’s brain.

I think I’m gonna be sick.

I almost tripped over a dead body because these assholes didn’t know how to handle a woman. When I saw his gun was knocked out by that momentary mistake, I seized the opportunity to elbow him in the gut.

I turned fast, bolting, but the wall beside me punctured followed by a loud bang, and I ducked, screaming.

"Are you fucking crazy? We still need her alive!"

I trembled where I was, hands covering my ear. Those assholes shot at me!

I got distracted when I heard the soft echo of footsteps drowning out the distant gunshots. My eyes shot to the end of the hallway.

Oxford shoes stepping on a pool of blood was the first thing that came to my line of vision, and as I rose to my full height, I saw Zade.

He was in the middle of changing the magazine at the bottom of the gun before his eyes locked on mine. Chill shot down my spine at the sight of blood staining his face.

His eyes flickered behind before settling back on me, a quiet command written all over his face, but I didn’t move an inch.

"Come here, Anastasia. Don’t make me ask twice."

I glanced toward the path to my left before looking back at him. His face was cold and unreadable, not even the slightest emotion.

Screw this!

I ran for the path, and gunshots were fired. My breath was harsh, my heels slowing me down, but that was the least of my worries. I occasionally turned to look behind, but no one was coming.

However, I came to an abrupt stop when I heard a noise close by, so I bolted toward the corridor on my right, pressing my back against the wall.

I closed my eyes trying to control my breathing, but I couldn’t. I’m shaking tremendously, unable to clench my fist without it going out of place.

I covered my mouth to muffle any sound when I heard footsteps pass me by. I waited for a while before I emerged to check, but there was no one.

I backed away carefully, but I got blocked by a wall behind me. I tapped against it, feeling a skin beneath my palm.

Skin?

I whipped my head and found a wall of chest. Lifting my gaze, it belonged to Zade.

I jerked away, but my back slammed against the wall faster than I could blink. He caged me with his massive frame, pointing his gun beneath my chin.

"You really don’t know when to behave, do you?"

Suddenly, we heard movement, and when someone came around to shoot at us, Zade pulled the trigger first, and the body dropped with a loud thud.

I struggled to break free, but his hand wrapped around my throat, not in a threatening way but with an intent to snap my neck. I went utterly still, my broad eyes staring into those hollow ones of his.

A violent shiver ran through me when his gun moved along my exposed thigh, the heat from it felt like fire licking across my skin.

"You should’ve run to me, kitten."

"I-I-I didn’t have a choice...!" I rasped when the muzzle of his gun grazed my panties.

Zade leaned in closer, murmuring against my lips. "Yes you did, but you chose the wrong one."

He took my bottom lip between his teeth, and something heavy crawled up my spine, something I couldn’t describe.

"Now I’m gonna teach you what happens when you defy me."