Armed With Steele (44 page)

“You in yet?”

Matthew Findley reappeared in the doorway, and a part of me died. All I could think was the old story about how two go out, and only one comes back. But I tried to force myself to be optimistic, even in the midst of the terrifying mess I was in. Maybe he was checking in to say Nate had gotten away. That Marcus needed to call off his plan, their time was up.

Marcus turned his head. “Yeah, we’re in. And our uninvited guest?”

A grin stole across Matthew’s face. “Taken care of.”

My last sliver of hope evaporated. Utter despair moved in to take its place.

Marcus nodded. “Well done. And to reward you for your work…” He set his foot on the base of my chair and gave it a good shove. I clutched at the armrests to keep from tumbling over. Matthew caught the chair, and looked down at me. His animalistic smile told me all I needed to know.

“Give me your hands,” he barked.

I did as I was told. What was the point of fighting? No one was coming to save me. Especially not Nate—he was dead. All because of me.

Matthew reached into his back pocket, eyes never leaving me, and produced an unused zip tie. He pulled my hands behind me, laced the tie around my wrists, and pulled it tight. I ignored the responding ache. Figured it was nothing compared to what I was about to endure.

“Marcus, you got that knife handy?”

A cold sweat broke out along my hairline. I began to tremble uncontrollably.

Marcus bent down before me, knife in hand. His dark eyes locked with mine. Savored the fear he saw there. A quick flip of his wrist, and the binding around my ankles fell away.

I knew better than to run. If it’d only been one of them, I might have stood a chance. But escape from two? No way. And I didn’t relish the idea of being reintroduced to Slash if I got caught trying.

Marcus stood and looked past Matthew. “Where the hell is Vanessa?”

Matthew rolled his eyes. “She’s coming. Once she’s done in the bathroom, puking her brains out.
Again
.”

“Well she’d better hurry up,” Marcus snarled, turning the knife round and round in his hand. “We ain’t got all night.”

“I’m here.” A feeble voice came from the hallway.

I looked up to see Vanessa, a green tint to her face, yet white as a ghost.

“Finally.” Marcus stepped aside. “Now get over here and do your part. I got customers waiting.”

“Yes, Marcus,” she said, drifting past. She refused to look at me. Her shoulders were slumped, head hung low. She knew what was coming next for me.

So did Matthew. He ran a clammy finger down my cheek. “How long I got, boss?”

Bile crept up my throat. I swallowed hard.

“Ten minutes. Fifteen at the most.” He tipped his head to the door. “Make it quick.”

Matthew reached over and set both hands on Vanessa’s shoulders. “Do me a favor. Type
slow
.”

Marcus shoved him away. “Just get moving already. But stay close,” he said without looking back. “In case there’s trouble.”

Matthew grabbed my arms and yanked me to my feet. “Come on,
new girl
. It’s time I gave you a proper orientation to the way we do things at Maxwell Office
Solutions
.”

Fear consumed me. I tried to dig my heels into the floor, to delay the inevitable. But Matthew just laughed as he dragged me out into the hall. Once we were alone, self-preservation kicked in. I tried to duck in his arms, then rammed a heel at his kneecaps and thrashed as best I could against his grip.

Matthew grabbed a fist full of my hair. Pulled my head back so far I thought he’d break my back. I stopped rebelling and struggled to breathe.

“A fighter, eh?” His warm breath washed across my neck, and the rank smell of perspiration seeped from his shirt. “Well, don’t wear yourself out just yet.”

With a cruel laugh, he pulled me upright and steered me toward the next open doorway. “Vanessa was kind enough to open Michael’s office for us. He always did have the softest furniture. At least, that’s what Vanessa said. I have yet to experience it for myself.” He barked another short laugh. “Looks like today’s my lucky day.”

My captor flipped on the lights, and directed me over to a leather low-back chair. My scalp seared with pain beneath his grip. I scanned the room. Looked for anything to use as a weapon. But for the first time ever, Michael’s office was clean. Even his desk was clear of its usual clutter. There was nothing even remotely dangerous in sight, let alone within my reach.

Of all the times for him to clean his office.

“This should do.” Matthew spun me around and kicked my feet out from under me. I landed in the chair with a thud, my arms pinned behind me.

He stood back for a moment, the hunter assessing his catch. “So, how do you like it, new girl? On top? Or pinned below?”

Then he was on me, groping me. He squeezed my breasts and ran his mouth over the fabric covering each. I squirmed beneath him, afraid. Revolted.

He chuckled into my shirt. “How ’bout we just keep it simple for now.” He lifted his head and stared at me dead on. “Who knows, if you’re a good girl, I just might keep you around for a few days before we kill you.”

The last thing I wanted to do was cry, and look any more vulnerable than I already was. But it was no use. Tears began to trickle down my cheeks as I shook my head slowly back and forth.

“Aw, now don’t you worry, sugar. This part won’t hurt.” He unbuckled his belt. “Much.”

He yanked the belt free from his jeans. Watched my face for a reaction. Saw my eyes widen in fear and smiled.

“It’s too bad I had to tie your hands up,” he said, grabbing each end of the belt and snapping it with a loud crack. “Otherwise you’d be able to put up a better fight. I know you’ve got it in you. And I do love a good fight.”

A split-second later, his belt was looped around my neck. Panic surged through me once more. I kicked my legs, trying to push him away.

“Relax, sweet thing. At least one of us is going to enjoy the hell out of this. I promise.”

I squirmed more, shook my head back and forth. But the belt tightened. I struggled to breathe. “You don’t really think I’m gonna let you get away, now do you?” he said, his face appearing before mine. I felt a tug on my jeans button. “Why, you’d miss all the
fun
.”

Fun?
I saw red, and not for lack of oxygen. Scum like this shouldn’t be allowed to walk the face of the earth. I would have head butted the bastard into next week had he not been choking the hell out of me. I squirmed harder. Twisted beneath him.

But the belt tightened once more, and my vision began to blur around the edges. I heard the sound of my zipper being ripped open. Felt him tugging at the front of my jeans. I pushed my butt down into the seat with what little strength I had left. The smile slid from his face.

“Stop resisting me, new girl. I know you want this as bad as I do.”

I shook my head frantically, screamed “no!” as best I could with the gag still securely in place and what little air I was able to breathe. Matthew just laughed, and tugged harder at my jeans. I closed my eyes. Braced myself for what was to come.

But then a strange “ffffffssst” noise zipped across the room toward us. Matthew jerked, then fell off me. I was scared to open my eyes, afraid I’d see Marcus standing there with Slash.

When no spoke, curiosity won out over fear. I slowly opened my eyes, squinted through the haze of oxygen deprivation to see what was happening. Saw—

It couldn’t be.

I shook my head. Blinked. Re-opened my eyes.

It was Nate, my perpetual savior, rushing toward me with a strange-looking gun in his hands.

A new kind of tears began to stream down my cheeks as I broke into sobs of relief.

“Shh,” he whispered, wrapping his arms around me in a protective cocoon. “I’ve got you.”

He released me long enough to produce a bulky, less-intimidating pocketknife and cut away the zip tie and my gag.

I lunged forward and threw my wobbly, half-asleep arms around him. “Oh, Nate! I thought…I thought—”

“Shh,” he whispered again, stroking my hair. “I promised I’d keep my girl safe.”

I shook my head against his chest. “You don’t have to say that. To make me feel better. I’m just so glad you’re alive.”

Nate planted a tender kiss on my forehead. “I’m not just saying that.” His arms tightened around me. “I never planned to
use
you, Jessica. Though, the falling in love part did come as a complete surprise.”

“I can appreciate that.”

He tilted my chin upward. Brushed his hand along the left side of my face. The side that had been mashed into my desk a time or two. “Oh, God, are you hurt? I’ll kill him if he hurt you.” His eyes narrowed as he threw a quick look toward the door. “If only you’d listened to me and stayed at my place like I told you to.”

I grimaced. “Don’t you think I’ve been thinking that same thought every minute since this mess began?” I whispered back. “But, how did you—”

“Charlie called.” Nate reached down, and tapped the pendant hanging askew on my neck. “And this led me right to you.”

Thank God I’d been in the habit of wearing it. I shuddered at the thought of where I’d be right now if I hadn’t. My eyes darted to Matthew, lying on the floor in an awkward position with his mouth hanging open. “What did you do to him, anyway?”

“Tranquilizer gun. One of Charlie’s toys.”

I looked back to Nate. “Are they legal?”

“Legal enough. Now come on, we need to—”

“Well, well. What do we have here? I come over to play peeping tom and instead find this happy little reunion.” Marcus stood in the doorway.

Nate rose and positioned his body in front of mine. I crawled out of the chair and peeked around his shoulder at my kidnapper, who’d traded his knife for a gun. I huddled against Nate’s back, and felt the bullet-proof vest wrapped protectively around his torso. But how much good would it do him at this close a range? Or if Marcus aimed somewhere other than his chest?

“You got what you wanted, Marcus. Now leave the girl alone.”

Marcus took a few steps into the room, gun at eye level. He glanced in disgust over at the sleeping pile of Matthew on the floor beside us. Then his eyes flashed back to Nate’s. “Now Officer Steele, you know I can’t do that. She’s a liability. And so are you.”

“No!” I cried. Tried to step around Nate, but he held me back. “Please, just—”

“Just what, cupcake? Let him go?” Marcus’s deep laugh ricocheted off the walls of glass and steel. “Not gonna happen.”

He lowered the gun an inch or two. Studied Nate’s face. “You’ve got your uncle’s eyes. Unlike that meddlesome cousin of yours. Pity you won’t see her again. Though, after tonight, no one will.”

“You leave her out of this,” Nate hissed.

Marcus shook his head. “Oh, no. She deserves a bullet to the head for all the delays she’s given me the past year. Just like that husband of hers did at my last job.”

My jaw fell open. Lauren had been right. I waited for Nate to pounce. For his emotions to get the best of him. But he remained planted in place.

“If revenge is what you’re after, what’s taken you so long to go after her?”

Marcus laughed. “Didn’t have to until now. Couldn’t believe I’d pick the one business in town where Joseph McCauley’s widow was employed.” He shook his head. “She spotted me my first week here. Tried to rat me out. But I’d already gotten to Vanessa. Convinced her to help me siphon money from the company’s deep pockets. She and Milo undermined every one of Lauren’s accusations. In no time at all, her credibility was reduced to zilch, and she was no threat to me. Or anyone else, for that matter. Killing her would have been more hassle than it would have been worth.”

His eyes darted to Matthew. And then to me.

“But then your roomie walked in on Matthew last month. Jeopardized everything we’d worked so hard to build. I got customers, you see. And not the kind who want their damned carpets cleaned. So we work to get her out of the way and blame the money lost on her. Just when I think we’re golden, you show up. Start snooping around before we even had a chance to offer you a part in our little scheme.