“James is on his way. I wondered why you let me go.”
Leo turned her so she was facing the other man. He continued to breathe in her ear repulsing her with the sound.
She felt him shaking his head. “I tried to spare you, mate. This was nothing personal.” The American accent was gone. She heard the distinct sound of his British tones. One of his hands released her. Prue didn’t know what happened next, but he was pointing a gun at Jermaine. “No hard feelings. This is just business.”
Prue screamed as the gun was fired. She saw Jermaine cover his chest and fall to the floor. Fighting with all of her might, Prue failed to get away from Leo. “Let me go.”
She kicked her arms and legs out at him. “Let me go. Let me go.” Leo fisted her hair and forced her to be still.
Not able to stop the moan, Prue stared up at the man she thought was a friend.
“I wonder how much James loves you.”
“Let me go. Please, I haven’t done anything to you.”
“No. You haven’t, babe. You’re a means to an end.”
“James will do anything you want.”
“We’ll see.” He pulled out his cell phone. “I’m done messing around. Bring the car around. The alleyway is best.”
He forced her to move towards the side exit. She was fighting harder than she ever had before. Leo backhanded her then picked her up over his shoulder. He grunted from her weight. The fight left her as darkness claimed her.
*****
Daren Robinson held her over his shoulder and dumped her in the back of the car. Her pretty face would be marked from his hand. He didn’t care. For the last few years his boss had relied on several pathetic men to get the job done. Daren knew he should have done this job in the first place. Dominic Green had been f**king stupid. The little bitch he’d been after cost had Daren and his boss one of the best workers. Then Eugene thought he could take over. The moment he left the job to others, they’d come back with their tails between their legs. Working for the past year as James’s doorman had given Daren everything he needed. He was done playing kids’ games.
The woman lay in the front seat. He pulled Prue’s cell phone from her pocket and grabbed the woman. She whimpered and tried to pull away from him.
He walked back inside Ravage. Jermaine was coughing and trying to move toward the door. He crouched down over him. Daren had liked the f**ker and wished he hadn’t needed to shoot him. “You should have left when I told you to. This has nothing to do with you.”
“We were friends,” Jermaine said.
Daren grabbed the woman around the waist and tugged her down to his side to stop her from escaping.
“I’m sorry, my friend.” He looked at the damage he’d done. There was little to no help for the man. He shrugged his shoulders. “You’ll be dead soon.”
Getting up from his seat, he tugged her into the centre. “Lie down.”
She was shaking and not moving fast enough. Daren pushed her to the floor then gave her the mobile. She took the device with shaking hands.
He tugged her hair relishing the squeal she released. “Make sure James gets this. If you fail me, I’ll be back to end you.”
“I’ll do it. I’ll do it.”
Nodding his head, he moved out of the club and climbed into the car. Daren looked down at the sleeping woman in the back of his car. She was his key, and he’d use her however he pleased. “Get me back to England. This place has bored me,” he said.
Chapter Twenty-One
James charged through the entrance of Ravage. His heart was pounding inside his chest. He refused to believe anything could happen to Prudence. She was perfect. No one would hurt her. He couldn’t believe Leo had been the person ruining everything. It was too hard to believe. The man he’d hired and had started to feel was a friend was one of the men he should be running from.
Jermaine was on the floor. Blood covered the floor and his shirt. He reached his hand out to James.
“I … tried … to … stop … him.” Jermaine coughed. James went to the other man. Jermaine was cold to the touch.
“I’m … sorry … for … failing … you. He … took … her. Prue…”
“Don’t talk. I’ve got you.” The others came through the front door as Jermaine took his last breath. James felt the tears fill his eyes. Getting to his feet he walked into the main part of the club with his friends following behind him.
He stared around the club looking for any clue. The sound of whimpering drew his attention to the floor. There on the dance floor was a crumpled body of a woman. From the hair, James knew it wasn’t Prudence. The woman lay on the floor clutching a cell phone. It was Prudence’s cell phone.
Dane charged past him pulling the woman into his arms.
The woman pulled away from him, scurrying out of his hold.
“Stay away from me,” she said, yelling at Dane. James saw the other man’s face pale.
“I’m so sorry, Mary.”
She pulled away from him. “I’ve been told to give this to James.”
James moved forward and took the phone from her shaking grip. The moment he touched the phone it began to ring. Mary went back to the floor rocking as she did.
He clicked the phone to receive the call and pressed the cell to his ear. “Hello.”
“Hey, Boss, how is life treating you?” Leo asked.
“Leo, what are you doing? Or should I say Daren?”
“Ah, so you put two and two together. I wondered how long it would take for you to figure out what I’d done. I have to say it took you long enough.”
“Listen to me you bastard—” James began to shout down the line feeling all the anger and aggression consume him. His hands were shaking, and his heart felt like it was being torn from his body.
“No, please, let me go, please!” Prue’s screams came over the line, frightening him to death.
“Do you hear what I can do?” Daren asked. Another scream came down the line. “I suggest you stop giving me orders. I would hate for Prue to be lost somewhere.”
She screamed, and James yelled for him to stop.
“Don’t hurt her. I’ll do anything. Just don’t hurt her.” He was losing his mind from the torture.
“Good. Now, I’ve simply made an exchange. Dane and Mary will bring you up to speed. I was going to take the money, but I think Prue will get me what I want. He asked for Mary’s safe return. I prefer to make an exchange, and I knew the Feds would be following him. Prue is simply a means to an end,” Leo said. James heard her whimpering over the line. “You made a mistake bringing her into your life.”