Bailee’s heart pounded. She was certain Melvin could see it in the thumping pulse at her throat. Sabra, on the other hand, was focused more on her own sense of triumph at having Bailee where she wanted her. Bailee pierced the woman with a hard stare.
“So what now? I’m here. I’m on my knees. What’s your plan, Sabra? To torture me? To kill me? None of it will bring Shantayle back. Shantayle wouldn’t want this.”
Sabra visibly shook, either from her withdrawal or from her anger, Bailee couldn’t decide which. She stepped right up to Bailee, looming over her prisoner despite her slight stature. She gripped Bailee’s chin roughly, jerking her face up at a painfulangle. Bailee longed to punch the woman right in the gut, but she waited. Her time would come.
“You have no right to say her name. You brainwashed her. You convinced her there was something better waiting for her, but all you did was get her killed. You deserve so much worse than either of us can do, but I’m going to enjoy watching you suffer. You are a worthless bitch, and Iwillcrush you like a bug.”
“You will, or your minion will?” Bailee flicked her eyes toward Melvin. “It seems to me he’s following your lead like you’re the boss.”
Sabra released her, and Bailee moved her jaw to ease the pain left by Sabra’s touch. She will likely have a bruise from the other woman holding her so tight.
“Don’t let her get to you,” Melvin murmured to Sabra.
Bailee raised a brow. “Maybe he’s not so much your minion as your emotional support criminal. Is that a thing?”
Sabra backhanded her across the mouth before Bailee could move out of the way. Bailee bit the inside of her lip. The coppery taste of blood coated her tongue. She spit it out, the blood-laced saliva landing in front of Sabra’s boots. She met her captor’s eyes and decided another approach was needed.
“Shantayle told me you had a fiery spirit once. I didn’t believe her then, but I see it. I guess you had to suppress it to survive gang life.”
“I told you to stop talking about my daughter.”
“She also said she remembered when you used to braid her hair. Her scalp was sensitive, and she hated for anyone to touch it because they always pulled her hair too hard. She said you had the softest touch. Shantayle didn’t hate you, Sabra. She didn’treally feel sorry for you either. She loved you. She worried about you. I think she believed if she could get away from B Diggs and T-Loc, she could save you from that life too.”
“I don’t need saving,” Sabra bit out through clenched teeth.
“Because you have Clive? He’s your ticket to freedom from the gang, isn’t he? So why not leave? Why kidnap my friend and me? Why bother with us at all?”
“Why do you care?” Melvin returned in a menacing tone. “Why are you obsessed with how we know each other?”
She shrugged. “I don’t like unsolved puzzles, and how the two of you came to work together is a puzzle I can’t figure out.”
“And you w—”
A sudden noise diverted Melvin and Sabra’s attention from Bailee, and she bit back a smile. She would have preferred the diversion to happen a bit sooner, but she wouldn’t complain. She was glad she’d thought to grab the door breaching device when she collected her weapons and tactical clothes from Gran’s.
The DBC emitted a charge that detonated in a small, localized explosion, making it effective for busting through locked doors. Setting the DBC on one of the nearby trees created enough smoke and noise to be a distraction without knocking down the tree. She’d set the timer before climbing to the roof, doing her best to estimate how much time she’d need to get inside to Easton before it detonated.
“What the hell was that?” Sabra demanded.
Melvin glanced toward the door and then at Sabra. “Cover them. I’ll go check it out.”
Bailee stayed still long enough for Melvin to get outside. Then she made her move. She pushed to her feet and lunged for Sabra,the force of falling to the floor knocking the wind out of Sabra’s lungs. Bailee gripped Sabra’s wrist and slammed it three times until Sabra dropped her gun.
Bailee snagged the weapon and pushed Sabra over to her stomach before the woman could regain the upper hand. Securing the gun at her waistband, Bailee pulled black zip ties from the pocket of her cargo pants and secured Sabra’s arms and legs.
Sabra finally caught her breath and started to shout, but Bailee pulled a bandanna out of her pocket and stuffed it in the woman’s mouth.
She turned her attention to Easton. Knowing Melvin could be back anytime, she pulled out a Swiss army knife and cut through his restraints.
“Bailee.” His voice was low and strained but one of the best sounds she’d heard in a while.
She dropped down beside him, lowering her head until she looked into his eyes. “We need to get out of here. Can you walk?”
Before he could answer, Melvin burst back in the room, his gun drawn. Bailee pulled the gun she’d taken from Sabra and whirled on Melvin, shielding Easton with her body. Melvin fired his weapon at the same time the ground beneath them shook with the force of an explosion that rocked the building.
Chapter Twenty-Five
The unknown explosion threw Bailee to the floor, and an unsecured Easton fell on top of her. She heard a moan and wasn’t sure if it came from her or Easton. It took her a moment to gain enough momentum to roll them until Easton was on his back. Pieces of the ceiling rained down on them, and she covered her head with her arms while stretching her body over Easton to protect him.
