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Since I couldn’t use my hands or feet, I had to improvise. I jabbed the back of my head into his face so hard that he was forced to let go.

“God, I think she broke my fuckin’ nose!”

The second my feet hit the ground, I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, and I didn’t look back. Unfortunately for me, Ididn’t get far before I bumped into the scariest person I’d ever seen.

Running into him was like hitting a brick wall. His presence was intimidating, and the energy he exuded was pure evil. He stood in my way, arms across his broad chest, with a look so intense it had me frozen in place.

When I met his gaze, I realized he was trouble carved into flesh. A jagged scar dragged down the left side of his mean face, accentuating his ruggedness. The man had one eye, sharp, dark, and cold. The other was completely gray. No pupil. No life. Just a stone-dead orb that stared into my soul.

I swallowed hard, trying to mask my fear.

Before I could form my next thought, a black hood was pulled over my head. One of the men behind me had done it. They also tied my hands and feet and then threw me into a vehicle that had just screeched to a halt beside us. I lay on my chest, screaming for the help I knew was never going to arrive.

As the engine roared and the vehicle was set in motion, I realized I had been hurled into the back of a van.

It was cold and dark in here, and the restraints on my wrists and feet made movement difficult. After struggling for a while, I finally found a spot and sat there quietly.

“Calm down, Keira,” I whispered to myself. “Calm down. Don’t panic.”

I drew a deep breath—in through my nose and out through my mouth. This kidnapping had everything to do with the case I was working on. It was obvious. I was in trouble now.Deeptrouble.

The fact that these people had come for me meant that I was already getting close to the truth. If they didn’t consider me a threat, no one would bother kidnapping me.

At this point, it was impossible to tell whether I was going to make it out of this alive. But I wasn’t going to let panic creepin. Even though I was scared to death, the last thing I was going to do was let my captors see my fear.

As I sat there in the dark, I tried to memorize as many things as I could. Turns. Sounds. Smell. Time. I knew this city well, and judging by the direction we were moving in, these men were probably taking me toward the outskirts of town.

After about an hour or so, the vehicle finally came to a halt. Feet stomped onto the ground, accompanied by the sounds of slamming car doors.

I figured we’d arrived.

I heard the rear hatch lift, and soon two men grabbed me, forcing me out of the van. I didn’t resist or yell. It was useless, since I was now in their territory.

“Take her inside,” someone said, their voice deep and raucous. “The boss is waiting.”

“Move!”

I was shoved forward and almost tripped, but I didn’t. With the hood still over my head, I followed the hand that led me into a building, past the point of no return.

Chapter 4 — Nial

She sat in silence, strapped to a wooden chair with a single bulb hanging above her. The glow was warm, putting her in the spotlight while the rest of the room was swallowed by darkness.

The hood had been taken off her head, and from the shadows, I watched her closely. She didn’t panic, didn’t shake—she just sat there, calm and composed. Most people would’ve lost it by now, whimpering and screaming for help.

Not this one.

The expression on her face was blank, and the only emotion flashing in her eyes was anger. She stared into the darkness, her fingers curled and her jaw locked, as her chest heaved with controlled breaths.

In the darkness, I looked right at her, intrigued by this woman’s bravery. Her file did hint that she wasn’t the kind to be easily intimidated. That was why I wanted to interrogate her myself.

We hadn’t even begun yet, and I was already fascinated by her calmness in this situation. In her mind, she was alone right now, meaning this was her opportunity to show any sign of fear or desperation.

I expected her to at least struggle with the ropes that bound her wrists to the chair. Or maybe curse at her kidnappers—yell or even beg for her life.

But she didn’t. Instead, she remained as calm as possible.

Interesting.