Prue screamed as the gun was fired. She saw Jermaine cover his chest and fall to the floor. Fighting with all of her might, Prue failed to get away from Leo. “Let me go.”
She kicked her arms and legs out at him. “Let me go. Let me go.” Leo fisted her hair and forced her to be still.
Not able to stop the moan, Prue stared up at the man she thought was a friend.
“I wonder how much James loves you.”
“Let me go. Please, I haven’t done anything to you.”
“No. You haven’t, babe. You’re a means to an end.”
“James will do anything you want.”
“We’ll see.” He pulled out his cell phone. “I’m done messing around. Bring the car around. The alleyway is best.”
He forced her to move towards the side exit. She was fighting harder than she ever had before. Leo backhanded her then picked her up over his shoulder. He grunted from her weight. The fight left her as darkness claimed her.
*****
Daren Robinson held her over his shoulder and dumped her in the back of the car. Her pretty face would be marked from his hand. He didn’t care. For the last few years his boss had relied on several pathetic men to get the job done. Daren knew he should have done this job in the first place. Dominic Green had been fucking stupid. The little bitch he’d been after cost had Daren and his boss one of the best workers. Then Eugene thought he could take over. The moment he left the job to others, they’d come back with their tails between their legs. Working for the past year as James’s doorman had given Daren everything he needed. He was done playing kids’ games.
The woman lay in the front seat. He pulled Prue’s cell phone from her pocket and grabbed the woman. She whimpered and tried to pull away from him.
He walked back inside Ravage. Jermaine was coughing and trying to move toward the door. He crouched down over him. Daren had liked the fucker and wished he hadn’t needed to shoot him. “You should have left when I told you to. This has nothing to do with you.”
“We were friends,” Jermaine said.
Daren grabbed the woman around the waist and tugged her down to his side to stop her from escaping.
“I’m sorry, my friend.” He looked at the damage he’d done. There was little to no help for the man. He shrugged his shoulders. “You’ll be dead soon.”
Getting up from his seat, he tugged her into the centre. “Lie down.”
She was shaking and not moving fast enough. Daren pushed her to the floor then gave her the mobile. She took the device with shaking hands.
He tugged her hair relishing the squeal she released. “Make sure James gets this. If you fail me, I’ll be back to end you.”
“I’ll do it. I’ll do it.”
Nodding his head, he moved out of the club and climbed into the car. Daren looked down at the sleeping woman in the back of his car. She was his key, and he’d use her however he pleased. “Get me back to England. This place has bored me,” he said.
Chapter Twenty-One
James charged through the entrance of Ravage. His heart was pounding inside his chest. He refused to believe anything could happen to Prudence. She was perfect. No one would hurt her. He couldn’t believe Leo had been the person ruining everything. It was too hard to believe. The man he’d hired and had started to feel was a friend was one of the men he should be running from.
Jermaine was on the floor. Blood covered the floor and his shirt. He reached his hand out to James.
“I … tried … to … stop … him.” Jermaine coughed. James went to the other man. Jermaine was cold to the touch.
“I’m … sorry … for … failing … you. He … took … her. Prue…”
“Don’t talk. I’ve got you.” The others came through the front door as Jermaine took his last breath. James felt the tears fill his eyes. Getting to his feet he walked into the main part of the club with his friends following behind him.
He stared around the club looking for any clue. The sound of whimpering drew his attention to the floor. There on the dance floor was a crumpled body of a woman. From the hair, James knew it wasn’t Prudence. The woman lay on the floor clutching a cell phone. It was Prudence’s cell phone.
Dane charged past him pulling the woman into his arms.
The woman pulled away from him, scurrying out of his hold.
“Stay away from me,” she said, yelling at Dane. James saw the other man’s face pale.
“I’m so sorry, Mary.”
She pulled away from him. “I’ve been told to give this to James.”
James moved forward and took the phone from her shaking grip. The moment he touched the phone it began to ring. Mary went back to the floor rocking as she did.
He clicked the phone to receive the call and pressed the cell to his ear. “Hello.”
“Hey, Boss, how is life treating you?” Leo asked.
“Leo, what are you doing? Or should I say Daren?”
“Ah, so you put two and two together. I wondered how long it would take for you to figure out what I’d done. I have to say it took you long enough.”
“Listen to me you bastard—” James began to shout down the line feeling all the anger and aggression consume him. His hands were shaking, and his heart felt like it was being torn from his body.
“No, please, let me go, please!” Prue’s screams came over the line, frightening him to death.
“Do you hear what I can do?” Daren asked. Another scream came down the line. “I suggest you stop giving me orders. I would hate for Prue to be lost somewhere.”
She screamed, and James yelled for him to stop.
“Don’t hurt her. I’ll do anything. Just don’t hurt her.” He was losing his mind from the torture.
“Good. Now, I’ve simply made an exchange. Dane and Mary will bring you up to speed. I was going to take the money, but I think Prue will get me what I want. He asked for Mary’s safe return. I prefer to make an exchange, and I knew the Feds would be following him. Prue is simply a means to an end,” Leo said. James heard her whimpering over the line. “You made a mistake bringing her into your life.”
“Don’t hurt her. I will pay anything.”
“Your money is shit, James. I’ve got more than enough money to last me a lifetime. What I want is all the evidence.”
“What?”
“You have evidence that can be used. You will come to England, alone, and we’ll make the exchange. Prue for the file I’m looking for.”
James stared at Lucas. The other man signalled for him to keep Leo talking. “If you’re really the right-hand man to the boss then why are you here and not one of the lower minions?” James asked. His heart raced.
“I’ll humor you this once, James. Dominic got killed. Eugene got killed, and Lloyd is rotting in some prison. Ask Dane. I get the job done and rarely leave someone alive to tell the tale. You’re lucky, James. I could have killed everyone you’ve ever loved. I’m doing you a favour. There will be plenty more women like Prue out there. She’s really not that big of a deal. I suggest you don’t try and fuck with me. I do my own work, and I remain the best. No one, not even your fucking army guys Lucas and Sean, can beat me. I’m the best.”
James knew there was no getting through to him. The man on the other line had fooled everyone, even Dane.
“How do I call you? I want to make sure she is okay.”
“Prue will be well looked after, James. I suggest you hurry. I’ll give you a month. If I don’t get my file in the next month, Prue goes up for auction, and she’ll be lost.”
The cell died.
James threw it to the ground and slammed Dane into the wall. “He’s got Prudence because of you.” His hand tightened around the other man’s throat. The desire to end him was too intense. He saw Dane going pale, his arms fighting for him to let go.
“James, stop.” Cadeon, Stephen, and Lucas pulled him away.
“He’s got Prudence. If I don’t get evidence to him, he’s going to put her up for auction. Y
ou better start talking.”
“I don’t have any evidence,” Dane said, coughing as he took in air. James felt his hands shaking. Prudence was in danger. He’d failed her, and she was lost.
“I can’t think,” James said. Blood was on his hands. He grabbed the nearest chair and threw it over the bar to crash into the bottles containing the alcohol.
He screamed, destroying everything in his path.
Stephen grabbed his arms throwing him to the floor. “Stop, James. You need to stop. This is not good for her. You need to focus.”
The tears fell from his eyes. James collapsed onto the floor. His agony was coming out of his mouth in the screams and sobs. “I promised to protect her. I failed her.”
“It is not over yet, James. We can do this. We just need to think.”
“He needs evidence, Stephen. I don’t have that.”
“Who gave you the picture?” Dane asked.
James stared the man. “What?”
“Who gave you the picture of him?”
Veronica.
“I know where to look. Please, let me go.”
Stephen pulled off him giving him the space he needed.
James took several deep breaths and stood.
“Who gave you the pictures?” Stephen asked.
“Veronica Star. My ex and Prudence’s older sister.”
****
Prue opened her eyes. The sun was shining through the window, and she frowned. Her head was pounding, and it hurt to open her eyes. All at once her memories started rushing to her. Jermaine, Leo, and the gun shot. The phone call that he had made to James. She held her head trying to bring focus to her world. This wasn’t supposed to happen. If Leo was only the right-hand man, what was his boss like? Prue shuddered at the thought.
She reached down to touch her cross and felt an empty space. Leo had taken her necklace away. Getting to her feet, she stumbled to the door. She saw her reflection in the mirror. Her face was bruised over one side. Her eye was swollen shut, and it looked like she had a split lip.
Opening her door, she began walking towards a door. There was no sound she recognised. At the end of the hall she opened the door and crashed into a rail. Prue looked over the edge to see the ocean.
She was on a boat.
“So she has finally woken up. I thought I’d killed you for a second there,” Leo said.
Turning away from him, she tried to get away. She ran for the end of the boat and looked over the ledge. If she jumped in she wouldn’t get very far. Would death be more welcoming than Leo?
His hands came on either side of her. His heavy breathing was close to her ear. She cried out wanting to get away from him.
“Are you thinking of jumping?” he asked.
Refusing to talk, she tensed up looking for a way out.
“I dare you to jump. You wouldn’t get very far. I think there are sharks in these waters. You’d be tasty for a few minutes.”
She looked down into the water wondering how bad it would be.
“Why?” she asked. Her throat was dry, and the sound came out in a croak.
“You’re a means to an end.”
He caught her arms in his hands and pulled her away. Prue didn’t fight him. “Now, you’re going to be a good girl, and everything will be good for you. I’ll get what I want, and you’ll be able to go back to your man.”
Leo sat her down at the table then sat in the seat opposite her. The table held fruit and orange juice. Her stomach growled. The other two men at the table chuckled.
“What if I don’t behave?”
“Then I’ll have you up for auction in a heartbeat. You’re a pretty girl, and I’ll get decent money for you. Make no mistake, Prue, I will make your life hell.”
She stared around at the ocean. There was no escape.
Please, James. Come and get me.
The End of Part One
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Other Books by Sam Crescent:
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Owned by the Dom: Part One (The Owners) Page 17