Page 219 of Red Marked

I taste blood again. He drags my arms behind my back. Something thin bites into my wrists. He pulls it tight, and then tighter, until the plastic cuts me and my fingers go numb.

“This rope is steel-infused.” He starts winding it around me. Around my upper arms. My chest. Down over my hips. “Don’t even try to get loose. You’ll only hurt yourself.”

Steel-infused.

Shift with this on, and it’ll cut me in half.

He tears off a strip of tape and presses it over my mouth, smoothing it down with his thumb like he’s being gentle.

Then he stands, hooks his arms under me, and lifts. He carries me down the hall and lays me on his bed. He arranges my hair off my face.

“I’ll see you later, babe.” He bends and kisses my cheek. “Oh! Is your purse in the living room?”

I moan through the duct tape.

“Perfect. I take it your key card to your room is in there? The name of the hotel will be on that cardboard envelope?” He lifts his brows.

I sigh.

“Got it, sweetheart. I’ll sort everything out. Don’t you worry. Love you. Have a nice rest.”

Then he leaves.

Shit! Shit!

Maybe Flint will know something is up.

He probably won’t realize. Jett can be very convincing. I had no idea he was a freaking psychopath.

I strain against the rope. I twist and buck and heave until the ties around my wrists are wet and warm, until I’m on my side, gasping through my nose.

Nothing gives.

I’m stuck, completely at his mercy.

61

Flint

Something thuds in the hallway.

I’m off the bed and across the room before I’ve thought about it. I yank the door open.

It isn’t her.

A male in a golf shirt is wrestling two suitcases out of the elevator.

The male looks my way.

“Evening,” he says.

“Evening.”

My door starts to shut behind me. I get a hand on it a second before the latch clicks. Once I’m back inside, I put my key card into my jeans pocket. I’d prefer not to get locked out next time.

I lie back down on the bed with my boots still on.

And I wait.