Knox instantly backs up, sure as hell remembering how I’d fucked him up all those weeks ago. “You … you can’t be here,” he tells me. “You were—”
“Sold? Yeah, thanks for that,” I say, inching in closer. “I don’t think I ever got the chance to truly thank you for the hell you put me through.”
“What? I—”
My fist slams out and I hear the sweet, sweet sound of his nose shattering under my brass knuckles. He falls straight to the ground, clutching his broken nose as a rare laugh tears through Grayson. I look back at him to find a proud grin stretched wide across his face. “There she is.”
I grin back, the happiness and adrenaline pulsing through my veins like a rocket. “I lost her for a second,” I tell him, laughing as I inspect my fist, checking that I didn’t break anything, but damn it, it would be so worth it if I did. I forgot how fucking good that kind of power felt.
Knox groans on the ground, and just as I go to slam my boot into his ribs, a loud BANG echoes through the house and my wide stare whips back around to Grayson’s.
“Playtime is over,” he says, a seriousness over his face as he scoops up Sam’s sick box of mementos before grabbing my discarded gun and knife. “They know we’re here. It’s time to find this girl and get the fuck out.”
CHAPTER 19
Gunshots sound throughout the house as Grayson dumps the drawer into my hands. He bends down and grabs Knox, the panic in his eyes enough to send fear rattling deep inside me. He hoists Knox up, bringing his face to hover right in front of him. “Where the fuck is the girl?” he roars, his voice rebounding off each of the four walls of the private study and making me suck in a breath, only just realizing how scary Grayson can be.
“Fuck off,” Knox grunts, trying to pull free and earning himself a devastating uppercut to the stomach. “Sam’s going to fucking kill you, and he’ll sell your bitch all over again.”
Grayson grabs him again, blood streaming from his nose as three more shots sound throughout the house. “Last fucking chance,” Grayson growls, the warning thick in his tone. “The way you answer this question will determine if you live or die.”
Knox grunts and as Grayson flinches to finish him off, he holds up his hands. “Kill me then,” he spits. “Sam is just going to kill me if he finds out that I gave the girls up.”
“Girls?” I question, flying forward and grabbing a handful of Knox’s hair, tearing it back to force his face to mine. “How many?”
When Knox doesn’t respond, Grayson slams him against the wall, his head bouncing off it with a solid thud. “How. Fucking. Many?”
Knox shakes his head, staring at Grayson with wide eyes, finally believing that this guy he grew up with has exactly what it takes to end his life. “I don’t know, maybe four or five.”
“Fuck.” He slams him against the wall again and Knox groans low. “Where are they?”
His gaze snaps to me before flying back to Grayson in defeat. “Third bedroom on the left. There’s a false wall that leads down to the underground cells.”
Fuck. Underground cells. What the hell is wrong with this guy?
Grayson punches him again, this time knocking him right the fuck out. He releases his hold on Knox and his body crumbles to the ground, his head lolling at an unnatural angle.
Grayson looks back at me. “Ditch the fucking drawer, we’ll come back for it. We have to get these girls out.”
My heart breaks as I drop the drawer against a shelf and Grayson forces my gun back into my hand. “Shoot first, ask questions later. Got it? They’re going to be distracted by the shooting upstairs, but someone is bound to come down here to check.”
I swallow over the lump in my throat and nod.
“Follow me. Stay right on my fucking ass.”
I don’t hesitate and follow him straight out the door. He keeps his gun held expertly in his hand, and I stand behind him, my heart racing as fear pulses through me. I’m the kinda girl that beats up dirty perverts; I never signed up for shootouts.
Grayson doesn’t bother being quiet anymore; he just barrels down the hallway until we finally reach the third bedroom. He kicks in the door, tearing it right off the hinges and keeps his gun raised, assuming the room will