One sculpted eyebrow lifting high, the woman turned and rose to her feet, sliding her hands in her pockets. “I would assume you knew that he talks in his sleep.”
Trace used the sneer to fuel her words. “He’s usually not knocked out when I sleep with him.” All of twice.
The woman dragged the other dining chair over, the rickety wood hopping and squealing against the dusty concrete floor. She spun it backward and sat with her knees around it, elbows on the back. “I suppose he wondered how we found him.”
“You broke him. He doesn’t even know what all he told you,” Trace said, her words falling heavy as she realized she probably wasn’t wrong. “Do you intend to break him again? Because, trust me, you fucked him up enough, it won’t take much. Or do you plan to torture me until you discover if he shared his secrets with me? Will you break me, like you did him?”
The woman smiled easily, chewing her cheek as she did, head tilted equally curious and inquisitively as she studied Trace like an ant under a magnifying glass. “Did he tell you what it took?”
“He didn’t need to.”
“Did he tell you why we’re after him?”
Trace shifted her hands in the bindings behind her back, her joints already aching. Torture, so far, was unpleasant, but she knew they’d barely gotten started. Flippant in a daring display of bravery to protect Cole, Trace tipped her nose up and said, “He doesn’t give a flying fuck about you, or whatever you’re looking for.” Trace leaned forward as much as she could, fury boiling in her gaze, toying with the woman who threatened the happily ever after Trace was so close to finding. “Leave us. And this will all go away. Stay? Hurt either of us? And you’ll find out why he was able to take you down so easily.”
The woman hooted a laugh, her mahogany red lips curled up in pure delight. “I see why he spoke so much of you. While delirious.”
Trace saw a glimmer of hope, that this could be solved by words, but she wasn’t foolish enough to depend on that. “The authorities will be here any minute. You’d best be moving along, before they arrive.”
The woman leaned forward. Her expression rapidly darkened. Hand extended, fingers tight together. “Nice try. I thought you’d be smarter than this.”
Trace saw it coming.
She didn’t move, didn’t flinch, putting on her bravest face, so they knew she would protect Cole no matter how scared she was.
The hand whipped fast, a slap on her cheek.
Trace’s head snapped back. Burning, raw and inflamed, her cheek throbbed, almost numb.
Trace chewed her tongue and lifted her gaze. “I don’t know who you are, nor do I know why you’re here. But I know that you’re going to regret this.” She rolled her neck and forced her shoulders down. Her happy smile fooled all but a select few, but she knew her sneer threatened better than words.
“No one is coming for you. The authorities have been made aware that a routine training operation is being conducted, and to stand down, should they hear any activity, or even any freckled, red-haired darlings calling for a hero.” Lips pursed in a pissy sneer, the woman fluttered her eyelashes, only the whites of her eyes visible with a dramatic roll. Wow, Trace hadn’t pictured a big bad guy would flutter her eyelashes. She probably filed her nails, too.
Boots thundered out from the kitchen, the door slamming behind them, and feet scuffed over the tarped mini home gym, closer, and ground over the sawdust that coated garage floor behind her. Cole must have been distracted, to leave the garage such a mess.
Winded, a man lowered a big ass machine gun and blustered as his eyes widened, his partner behind him equally distraught. “The parents. They’re gone.”
“Gone?” The leader pushed up from the chair, cracking her neck and stalking closer. She looked them up and down with judgment, then whipped a look over at Janessa, murder in her dark eyes. “Explain.Now.”
“I…I…” Janessa’s eyes widened, and Trace knew she hadn’t worked for this employer for long. “They were in their bedroom. They couldn’t have… I—“
The woman turned back toward Trace and bent forward, grasping Trace’s chin, forcing Trace to look up at her. “Where. Are. They?”
“Safe,” Trace said, not bothering to hide the smugness from her sneer.
The woman glanced meaningfully over at Cole and shrugged a devious look at Trace. “He should have sent you away as well. Let’s wake him up and see if he is more cooperative when it’syourneck on the line, rather than his own,“ the woman said, her voice filled with fury and a hint of doubt rattling in a higher pitch.
From the pile of lumber in the corner where Cole lay bound, a roar like none other shook the garage. Filled with graveled fury, Cole erupted. “Don’t. Touch. Her.”
Trace’s heart thundered, her voice gone, and her vision blurred with fiery hot tears as he rose to his feet.
“Leave her out of this.” Hands bound behind his back, Cole stood and pushed his shoulders back. “This is between you and me.”
The woman pranced closer, staying just out of reach while Janessa and one of the new guys ran over.
Cole stood tall.
Maybe she’d watched too many movies. Read too many tales of adventure to improve her boring life. And they all sucked all of a sudden. The hero rising from the ashes, ready to kick ass, to defend her above all else. To risk himself.
