“I have about thirty in my yacht,” the boyish-looking one said.He hadn’t spoken since she’d arrived.
“Me too,” Rake said.
“No, I have this covered, boys,” the one who’d mentioned something about the media having a field day cut in.He got up and came to where Jillian stood.“I’m sorry for printing your pictures in my magazine.”
Rod, the media mogul.“The pictures don’t matter.Not anymore.Getting Lex does.”She glanced around at the faces of the seven men.Lex’s friends.All willing to put their lives in danger and possibly their reputations on the line for their friend, and it was her fault.She had to go with them whether they liked it or not.Time to get to work.
“I’m so sorry you’ve all been dragged into this.”Her eyes locked with Rod’s.“I promise to pay you back when this is over.Just…” Her voice trembled to a stop.She imagined Lex being held by the Armenians like a common criminal.The tears that filled her eyes and flowed down her face were real.“Don’t leave me here, please.I’ll go crazy worrying about Lex and what’s going on.He’s probably hurt and needs me.I’ll stay in the car and wait.I promise not to get in your way.”
~*~
Lex regained consciousness in a dingy room.He was gagged, his hands and feet bound together, and lying on his side on a rug that smelled like a rabid dog’s pillow.One side of his face throbbed, probably from a cut, and his head pounded.He was sure he had a bump the size of an egg.
His abductors hadn’t bothered to remove his jacket.Instead, they’d yanked it down and twisted it to further trap his arms.He rolled his eyes, taking inventory of his surroundings.There were no windows and from the crates and boxes, he’d say he was in a storage area.A faint light came through the edge of a door directly ahead.
A movement came from behind him, and survival instinct took over.He rolled and aimed a kick in the vicinity of where the sound came from, but someone grabbed his feet.
“It’s me, sir,” Douglas said.In seconds, he’d pulled the duct tape from Lex’s mouth and was cutting the bindings on his hands and legs.
“Thank you,” Lex whispered, taking inventory of his bruises.The bump on the back of his head was huge, but the cut above his eyes was superficial.He peered at Douglas.“How did you find me?Is Jillian okay?”
“Mr.Manos took her to the island.She’s safe.As for finding you, I suspected Petrosian was involved after I overheard Ms.Jillian discuss him with her uncle over the phone.Since we already had information on him, it was easy to find you.I’ll get you out of here at once, sir.”
Lex slapped Douglas on the shoulder.He owed the man more than he could ever repay, but he’d think of something.“After I talk to Petrosian, my friend.”
They both froze.Footsteps and voices were approaching.
“We take them down as soon as they open the door,” Lex instructed.
“No, sir.We take them outinsidethe room so as not to attract attention.If you assume the same position on the floor as if you’re still tied up, they’ll come inside with their guard down.”
Lex didn’t question Douglas.The element of surprise would shift the odds in their favor, something he knew as a businessman.The voices were closer now.
He slapped the duct tape across his mouth, grabbed his jacket, and lay on the floor, placing his hands behind him.Douglas hid behind a crate just as the door opened.Light streamed in and fell on Lex.
Once his eyes adjusted to the sudden glare, he recognized the two men.The scrawny one had called Jillian a porn star, probably imagined her doing things with him.Lex wanted to bash his face in.No one was allowed to call his woman names or fantasize about her.
Lex hummed and faked distress.
“Ah, you’re finally awake,” his target said.“Boss wants to talk to you.”He stepped into the room and moved toward Lex.His bald-headed partner stayed by the door.They were so confident they had him they didn’t even remove their guns.
“I’m going to fuck you up first, Mr.Bodyguard,” the guy said.“Make you squeal like your porn-star girlfriend faking an orgasm.”
The man bent down to remove the duct tape covering his mouth.Lex whipped his hand out from the back and attacked, breaking his nose with the heel of his hand.That’s for calling her a porn star.The man staggered backward, a hand on his bleeding nose.He cursed as Lex followed through, bringing his fist down on the side of his knee, a move that could break a knee if the right force was used.He aimed to stun him.
The man’s leg collapsed, and he lost his footing.He came down hard, and Lex noticed the gun tucked in his waistband.He grabbed his hand and twisted it behind him, then snatched the gun and tossed it out of reach.The man tried to butt him with the back of his head, but Lex was ready.He dodged and looped his arm around his neck in a chokehold.Seconds later, his body went limp.
Lex looked toward the door where the bald-headed man had last stood.He was out cold on the floor, too.
“Not bad, sir,” Douglas said.
Lex chuckled.He hadn’t taken martial arts seriously, until Douglas helped him perfect his moves.“I had the best teacher.”
Lex picked up his jacket from the floor.There was a blood stain on the sleeve of his shirt from the man’s nose and dried patches of his own on the collar.He shrugged the jacket on, adjusted the lapels, and swept a hand through his hair.
“Let’s finish this,” he said.
He followed Douglas out of the dingy room, up a set of stairs, and into a mirrored hallway.Lex glanced briefly at his reflection.The cut above his left eyebrow had caked dry blood around it, but he’d survive.They followed the pulsing music and entered a room with red draperies, velvet chairs, and dance areas.Hookah lounges were famous for their belly dancers.
