Without so much as thinking about it, I sock the man in the face. It takes just one punch for him to drop down to the floor unconscious. When he wakes up, he is going to have a hell of a headache. I twist around on my feet to find that the other man has risen to stand and he's holding Anna in front of him as a shield.
His arm is held firm around her neck, holding her in place. She's calmer than I would be in the same circumstance. She glares at me with ice cold eyes and it almost scares me to see her so stone cold in her resolve. He drags his arm around her neck, cutting off her oxygen supply as he reaches for his walkie-talkie attached to his belt.
Anna swallows harshly, looks at me in a certain way and I know just what she's about to do. I try to caution her, try to talk to her with nothing more than eye contact, but I remember that she is not used to being in these positions so she probably doesn't understand the signs.
She jabs the man in the stomach with the back of her elbow. His grip loosens just enough so that she is able to break free. She juts forward and twists to face him. With lightning reflexes, she draws her leg back and launches a kick against his privates. He hunches over in pain, giving her the opening to knee him in the face. He stumbles backwards, groaning out in pain.
I can't help but to smile again. This girl is making me prouder by the minute.
Static starts emitting from the walkie-talkie again. I lunge past Anna and rip the walkie-talkie from the man's belt before he can reach it. Swiftly, I deliver a knockout blow to his face using my knee.
I raise the walkie-talkie into the air and listen as Mitch begins to speak, “They are on the twenty-seventh floor. Do what you must. Use as much force as necessary, but we need both of them alive. The Grimm family has warned us that not only will we not be paid if Zane isn’t brought to them alive, but we will also face their long-reaching wrath.”
I freeze in place, my palms sweaty and my mind anxious. That's saying nothing of the racing of my heart. Somehow, I always knew it would come back to this. After what we did to Seth Grimm, I knew we wouldn't get away with it that easy. A fun-filled vacation to the Caribbean, for only six months, was never going to be enough distance and space or time to allow the heat to wear off of us. We were naïve, my brother and I, for thinking otherwise.
Anna passes me a knowing look, one torn between anxiety and fear, as if there is even a measurable difference between the two. Even though she wasn't a part of the operation all those months ago, she has heard enough to know what these people are capable of. And though Seth Grimm himself is long gone from this world, his legacy and his empire still remain standing. And that includes all of the money, resources and henchmen he left behind.
Something tells me this day is about to get a hell of a lot worse before it gets better.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
ANNA
Seth Grimm is a name that brings terror to my heart and soul. I have never met the guy; I have never even seen a picture of him. I don't know what he looked like when he was alive, not that it matters, but it's just going to show that I have no equity in this war.
While Zane and Zach were working on the case earlier this year, they didn't talk about it much. Anytime I tried to pry for information, I was always told the same thing. I was told that it was a top secret operation and that it was safer for everyone if it remained secret.
Given the current situation, I'm left questioning if they were right. Because, to me, it certainly seems as if I'm in danger, therefore my lack of knowledge as it pertains to the case has not kept me safer. I'm not about to blame Zane for the situation I'm in right now, though, because I know he has no control over the actions of other people. Especially not people with evil and greed in their very souls.
With the power out, in addition to the elevator being almost pitch black dark, I can feel my throat closing. The air is thick and heavy, and hot as hell too. Without a source of air, we will both suffocate in this hot box. The two men with us, both knocked out, will also die a slow death. Not that I particularly care about either of them.
The walkie-talkie beeps. "Roger and Alex, respond if you have the suspects apprehended." There is a bout of silence and some more static. "I repeat, respond if you have them in your custody."
Zane drops the walkie to his side and chews into his lip in contemplation. The light from the radio glows red, casting an eerie glow in the small box of an elevator.
He casts a quick glance at me. "They are probably ascending the stairways right now. Once they get to this floor they will probably turn the power back on."
"So what are we supposed to do?"
He looks upwards at the ceiling and then to the floor. He drops down to his knees and searches through one of the men's pockets to retrieve a phone. When he swipes his finger against the screen it lights up enough so that I can get a good look around the elevator.
The phone is password-protected. He tries a few different combinations of four digit numbers, but none of them work.
"Isn't there anyway you can hack it or something?” I question, all the while knowing it's probably out of his expertise. I really wish Marcus were here with us right now. "Is there any way out of here?"
"Yeah…” He raises the phone so that the light shines on the roof of the elevator. There is a small steel plate that looks like it can be moved out of the way. Even though Zane is very tall, at least six foot three, he's only barely able to make contact with the steel plate. He manages to push it out of the way so that there is an opening right above us.
The walkie-talkie beeps, followed by static and then finally Mitch’s voice again, “We have men on the eighteenth floor. Get some men up to twenty-seven.”
“Shit,” Zane grinds out and exhales sharply and then it's like his entire demeanor changes from frustration to hope in a split second.
He leans over and drags one of the men to the center of the back wall. He arranges the man so that he can form a makeshift stepping stool. He climbs onto the poor man's shoulder and somehow the man doesn't wake up. With the additional height that the man's body offers Zane, he is able to hoister himself up into the small opening. His legs dangle from the hole until he manages to climb all the way out.
I wait impatiently for him to tell me what to do. Even if I use the man's body for leverage, there's no way I have either the height or the strength to also make my way through the opening in the top of the elevator.
He spins around and drops his head inside first, and then drops his hands lower so that he can grab mine. I put all of my faith into him as he grabs onto my arms with his strong hands. It's a stunning display of strength that he's able to pull me up on top of the elevator with him. As soon as I stand up, he's reaching down and sliding the steel plate back over the opening.
He shoves the walkie-talkie over his belt loop and continues to use the phone as a makeshift flashlight. Right behind him is a ladder we could probably use to climb our way to the top. But I'm not entirely sure that would help any. Without power, there would be no way to open any of the shaft doors so that we could get to safety. Then again, I am not well versed on how elevators work. Hell, I'm not well versed on any of this, to be honest. Deep down I know that I am a liability to his survival, and that makes me feel guilty as hell. If something should happen to him then I know I will blame myself. He steps to me and drops a hand to my waist. He pulls me in close and for a brief second, I think he is about to kiss me.
I wish he would.
But now is not the time to get lost in a fantasy.
Company policy would say that there is never a proper time to get lost in a fantasy. Fraternizing with each other is strictly forbidden. However, nobody in the company seems to follow that rule much to Dom’s dismay. Speaking of Dom, when he finds out about this he is going to be one pissed son of a bitch. In many ways, I am almost like a sister to him. Since the day we first met, he has been protective over me. He's protective over everyone in his life. Protective over Marcus. Protective over Zane, Zach, Chase, and Luke. After Luke took off
without saying a word, Dom wasn't the same.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that what I want from Zane is something I can't have. Even if more and more I'm getting the feeling that Zane also wants the same thing from me. There's something about the way his eyes bore into mine, like he's reaching into my soul and whispering in my ear with nothing more than a sordid look.
He steps even closer to me and I can feel the heat of his body pressed against mine. He is strong, as strong as steel. He's a man built of the finest materials. And it's not just that he's strong and handsome, he's beyond intelligent and wise too. He's the complete package and right now I want to unwrap him.
“We need to get moving," he whispers to me. "The only way to go is up, so that's the way we are going to go." He brushes his hands through my hair. "But first, there something I need to say to you.” His lips hitch into a glowing smile, which is odd given the circumstances. "There something I need to do."
"Yeah?" My throat is dry and cracked. “And what is that?"
"I kind of think you already know." His eyes continue to search mine. "Don't make me feel crazy for thinking it."
"I would never think you're crazy." I chuckle quietly, almost like a whisper. It's a nervous reaction because I do happen to believe I know exactly what he's talking about. It's the same fantasy I have been seeing over and over in my head for the last two years. A fantasy that has only grown so much stronger today. I had always believed I was crazy. Even when Summer would tell me that Zane looked at me the way I looked at him, I refused to believe her. It was easier and safer to live in denial, I suppose. Given the danger I have now found myself in, and coming to terms with the idea that I could potentially die today, I no longer have the luxury to pretend.
I'm done pretending.
"You said you wanted to kiss me,” I say loudly and swallow a nervous gulp. "Back in the alley when you were lying on top of me. That's when you said it." I bow my head sheepishly. "But you didn't."
A warm smile passes over his face as he caresses my cheek with his thumb. "Do you think this is the appropriate time to be bringing that up?"
I scowl. "You're the one who brought it up."
He shrugs with apathy almost. "I mean, do you think this is the appropriate time to be discussing this matter when all I want to do is kiss you?"
Even though I had the suspicion that this was exactly what he was talking about, it still somehow takes me by surprise when he says it out loud again. And though I know it's not the best time, I also know that I may never get the chance again. So instead of doing what I want to do, instead of doing what I should do, I freeze in place like a naïve and young schoolgirl who doesn't know what to do.
My inaction seems to amuse him as his smile widens.
"Is something funny?"
"Yeah," he laughs softly. "You. Right now. You're being kind of funny, and it's kind of cute."
Realizing that we need to move soon, but also not wanting to lose the opportunity, I rise to the tips of my toes and plant a kiss on his lips. It's short, sweet, and gentle and it's over all too soon. When I drop back down to my normal height, I catch a curious-looking expression on his face, almost like he’s taken aback. Almost like he’s shocked that I worked up the nerve to make the first move.
His eyes tangle with mine and I feel like melting through the roof of the elevator. If nothing else, I feel as if I could fall through the steel plate beneath me. The longer he looks at me, without saying anything, the more I want to disappear into thin air.
Maybe it's because I'm insecure, or maybe it's because of something else. But I feel like I've made a mistake and the longer he goes without saying or doing anything, I believe that more and more.
He finally does something. He caresses my cheek with one firm hand and then bows his head to kiss me again. His dry lips meet mine and I'm instantly lost in his touch. He’s a complete mystery as he holds me tight and his tongue slips past my lips. Just when I feel as if I could get lost in this moment forever, the walkie-talkie beeps.
With his lips still pressed against mine, he sighs and then groans. He pulls back and lifts the walkie-talkie into the air.
"On floor twenty-five."
"Shit!” He shifts his eyes to meet mine and then backs up towards the ladder. "We need to go. Now!"
I nod.
He reaches for my arm and pulls me forward. I grab the first wrung of the ladder and began to climb. He's right behind me, his face almost buried in my ass as I climb as fast as I can. The radio beeps again…
"Twenty-seventh floor." The man's voice is followed by static. "Hit the switch."
Almost as soon as the man says that, the lights in the elevator shaft turn back on. They glow a dark, pale shade and all of the lights are covered in dust. There are loud sounds from beneath us and above us. The sounds of gears rotating from the adjacent elevators and a whirring noise as the power is redirected through the pertinent channels.
From just beneath us, once we have ascended two or three floors, I can hear the sounds of the hydraulic doors sliding open followed by men rushing into the elevator. There's too much commotion for me to zone in on the conversations, but I know it's not long until they realize that we climbed up into the elevator shaft.
I try to speed up but I'm going as fast as I can already. And in trying to climb faster, I almost lose my grip completely.
I slip.
My feet drop against Zane's body while my hand fights to keep a firm grip on the wrung above my head. I let out a scream that most likely will alert the men beneath us to our presence. I'm terrified of falling to my death, but like always, Zane is there to assist me.
At this point, he's basically like my guardian angel. My sexy, intelligent, beautiful, protective guardian angel. He hangs onto the ladder using only one arm. With his free hand, he manages to stabilize me so that I am safely back onto the ladder. I take a moment to collect my breath before I start racing upwards again.
I have no idea what the plan is once we get to the top, but I'm just trusting that Zane has a plan. Any kind of plan will work. Any plan that doesn't involve us falling to our deaths.
The ladder rungs are rusty and rough. While they are easy to get a grip on because of the aged imperfections, they are doing a number on my hands. I make a mental note to treat myself to some lotion therapy once this nightmare is over.
But this nightmare? It's only about to get worse.
I glance down at the elevator to see the steel plate sliding sideways and then I see a hand reached up to grab onto the top of the elevator.
CHAPTER TWELVE
ZANE
I hear the steel plate moving, and when I glance down there is a tall man climbing up onto the top of the elevator roof. I don't recognize his face, although I most likely wouldn't anyways, seeing as how there seems to be an endless supply of these goons.
If there's one thing I know for certain, it's that the Grimm family has endless resources and endless men who have pledged their complete and total allegiance to the cause. I look up at Anna real quick and then back down. The man standing on top of the elevator roof raises his gun so that it's aimed squarely at me and Anna.
I think quickly.
I spread my hands out to grip the sides of the ladder and then slide down the long links that we have already climbed until my feet slam against the steel elevator roof. I'm face to face with the man now. He seems to be taken aback, almost like he's frozen in place. I take advantage of that fact and move quickly to disarm him by throwing one arm underneath his arm and then twisting it back; I then throw his ass down against the ground. I twist back on my feet and see another pair of hands grabbing onto the top of the roof.
I stomp on the hand as hard as I can. And bones crack beneath my boots followed by a painful groan. I hear the man's body tumble against the elevator floor. Swiftly, I drop to my knees and push the steel plate back over the opening. I look back to see the man rising to his feet, and jump to my own feet to meet him at his own level. I throw a punch t
hat connects with his cheek.
Crack!
I twist my arm around the front of his throat and hold him just underneath my armpits. I tighten my grip and his fingers dig into the flesh of my arm, trying desperately to escape my grip before it's lights out.
It doesn't take long before he stops fighting; out of energy and out of air, he drops to the floor, landing with a thud against the metal roof.
Before anyone else can try to ascend through the top of the elevator shaft, I look up to see that she's looking down at me. I offer her a quick nod and she slides down the ladder in the same manner I had just done prior. She lands against the elevator roof, her shoes pounding against the metal.
"We don't have a lot of time, so this is what I need you to do," I say to her, grabbing her hand. “I’m going to drop the man back into the elevator shaft. Hopefully it will distract whoever is down there long enough so that we can get the upper hand and fight our way out of this building."
"I trust you." She nods gently and drops to her knees to take action. She rolls the unconscious man off of the metal plate.
I push the steel plate out of the way with my boots. And then I assist Anna in pushing the man's knocked-out body back into the elevator. It lands, crashing against the hard floor, and is followed by the sound of a man yelling from inside the elevator. I pass Anna one last look, knowing that this could go wrong and knowing I may never see her again.
My boots land against the floor of the elevator and I twist into gear. The two doors are being held open by a man standing in-between them. I lunge forward, delivering a strong blow to his chest. He flinches backwards but manages to straighten himself out and ready his fists.
"We can do this the easy way," I say. "Or we can do it the hard way. It's your choice.”
He chuckles under his breath, because he obviously doesn't know who the hell I am. Which I suppose is fitting since I don't know him either. With the exception of Mitch, all of these men are nothing more than faceless rogue enemies. In my head, they're not even human because they have no discernible personality, and quite frankly they all look like they could be related, like some sort of incestuous cult.
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