Bully Payback (Taking Revenge on Her Bully Book 1) Page 11

  “Quiet!” someone shouted, and I assumed he was in the passenger seat.

  My chest was heaving, my pulse racing, but I had to try to calm down. I didn’t know how I was going to get myself out of this situation. At least the men hadn’t been ordered to kill me, or I’d be dead already.

  Maybe Ryker had had me kidnapped so he could kill me himself. But how could he be sure I was guilty? Unless he knew I was Avery. Was there a way for me to talk him out of it? Should I claim that I was innocent? How could I convince him to let me go?

  After this, it would be impossible for me to pretend I believed he was just a businessman. Or maybe his men had taken me just to scare me. Maybe he didn’t know everything, or he just suspected that I might be spying on him or something.

  I had no idea what had happened with his gang war. Someone could’ve implied I was connected to his enemies to mess with him.

  I listened carefully, but none of the men were saying anything.

  My phone. Where the hell was my phone? Had I dropped it? All I knew was that it wasn’t anywhere on me.

  I tried to remember exactly what had happened and what I’d done with it after I was attacked, but my memory was hazy and I was probably still in shock.

  Was I going to die? I didn’t want to think about it. But my hesitation to press those damn buttons and just expose Ryker might’ve cost me my life. I should’ve done it when I’d had the chance.

  Sure, Nia still had all the files, and if anything happened to me, she could send them to the cops. But what if Ryker had sent someone for her too?

  Maybe her friends who’d been with me on his yacht had been taken too. What if he suspected all of us? Or he might’ve figured out exactly who Nia was.

  Shit.

  If I died, it was my own damn fault for going down the revenge path. But Nia was innocent in all this. She shouldn’t suffer or get hurt because of me. I’d promised her she’d be safe and that I wouldn’t drag her into my shit, and now I had no clue if I’d failed to keep that promise.

  My insides clenched with anxiety. After what seemed like an eternity, the car came to a stop. Why the hell was it so damn quiet? Where the hell were we? What if they’d taken me to the middle of nowhere so they could kill me?

  Somewhere no one would ever find me. If Nia was still safe, then she’d be looking for me. But if not, then no one was going to know. No one was going to care.

  I sensed movement around me. The men weren’t talking to each other, but I had a feeling they were still communicating. Maybe they were giving each other some signals.

  But if they planned to kill me, they wouldn’t be bothering with all that. Unless they thought I had a bug on me. Wouldn’t they have searched me already if that was the case?

  I shifted, trying once again to free myself. But it was impossible. The zip tie dug into my skin, and one of the men grabbed my arm again. I felt something sharp pierce my skin. What the hell had he done?

  My head was swimming, and my body was starting to feel heavy. It was getting harder and harder to focus. And when one of the men finally said something, it was impossible for me to understand him.

  If I wasn’t wrong, a small laugh had erupted from my throat before I slipped away into the darkness.

  Or maybe it had been Ryker’s name.

  Chapter 28

  WHEN I WOKE UP, I WAS tied to a chair, and the bag was still over my head. I struggled against my restraints, but no matter what I tried, I couldn’t loosen them. My mouth was dry, my stomach hollow.

  Where the hell was I? Where had they taken me? At least I was still alive, but I had very little hope I’d stay that way. If Ryker’s men had picked up my phone too, and if they’d figured out what was on it, Ryker would be a hundred percent sure that I was a threat to him.

  Maybe they were investigating right now. Or maybe I just wasn’t his priority right now, so I’d have to wait until he decided to come here and deal with me.

  Footsteps echoed around me, but I didn’t bother to yell or ask anything. I doubted they’d respond. If I wasn’t wrong, there were four of them in the room with me. That was a whole lot of security. Ryker probably thought that I was a serious threat.

  But then I heard voices coming from somewhere, and I strained my ears, but I couldn’t tell what they were saying. Doors opened, and more people walked into the room. My stomach did a nervous flip, my palms sweating.

  Was Ryker here now? Was he finally here? Would he be the last person I saw before I died?

  Someone removed the bag from my head, and I squinted at the bright light that hurt my eyes. When I could finally see, an unfamiliar man with dark brown hair and green eyes was standing in front of me. He was dressed in a suit and holding a cigar between his fingers.

  “Who are you? What do you want from me?” I said, even though my throat felt like sandpaper.

  This guy clearly wasn’t working for Ryker. I looked around the room, which was completely bare. The guards were all wearing black, and they were armed. No symbols of any kind anywhere. These weren’t Ryker’s men, were they?

  “You’re pretty,” the man said as he approached, grasping my chin. “I’m not surprised he likes you.”

  I glared at him. “Who are you?”

  “She’s not even crying. Can you believe it?” The man seemed amused as he let go of me and looked at one of his men.

  I didn’t say anything because clearly this guy was just going to keep ignoring my questions until he decided to talk to me. But he had an air of danger around his broad shoulders, so I was sure that he was a gang leader or a mob boss.

  “Call Ryker,” he said to one of his men. “Tell that son of a bitch that we have something of his. I’m sure he’ll do anything to save her.”

  My eyes widened in disbelief. Was this guy insane? Ryker might be interested in me, but why the hell would he risk anything just to save my life? He’d find himself another woman.

  Sure, maybe he’d be upset that this guy had really taken something he believed was his—I wanted to gag at that thought because I wasn’t just a thing to be owned—but he could always get revenge on the guy and make him pay for my death. There was no way Ryker would actually cave in to this guy’s demands.

  The man turned to me with a wide smile. “I’m Calavera, by the way. Nice to meet you. I wish it could’ve been under different circumstances.”

  “What do you want from me?”

  “Oh, I don’t want anything from you, my dear. I want your boyfriend.”

  “Ryker’s not my boyfriend.”

  “He’s not? Really? Then maybe I should kill you right away. But let’s hear first what he has to say about that.”

  “What do you want with him?” Why did this guy think I was Ryker’s girlfriend? Because of those photos from the cocktail party? Or had Ryker said something to someone about me so that everyone would think that I was dating him?

  But then again, someone could’ve seen me with him or at his house. I wasn’t about to argue with Calavera about it. Not when I was sure he was going to kill me as soon as he figured out that he didn’t need me.

  “He’s been messing with my business, and I won’t allow it. That asshole thinks he can just walk into my city and take whatever the fuck he wants.” Calavera’s eyes flashed dangerously. “Sanchez’ territory will be mine, whether Ryker wants it or not. I’ll purge his little gang from my city once and for all.”

  Oh shit. Calavera was Ryker’s enemy. He was the one Ryker was at war with. And now I’d gotten entangled in the whole mess. Fuck.

  I was going to die because of Ryker. Killed by his enemy. Was he going to avenge me or what? That would be just fucking hilarious.

  “Don’t worry, sweetheart,” Calavera said. “Your boyfriend will come for you.”

  Calavera really didn’t know Ryker all that well, did he? I bit down on my lip, wondering what I was going to do now. Was there even anything that I could try that wouldn’t get me killed?

  Should I tell Calavera that if he wa
nted to destroy Ryker, all he had to do was find my phone? But maybe my phone was lost somewhere on the street. Someone could’ve already taken it, not even knowing what it was. But how would any of that help me?

  I wasn’t going to get out of here alive, was I? I was tied up and the guards were armed. As soon as Ryker told Calavera’s men that he didn’t give a shit about what they did to me, they were going to do who knew what to me.

  What if they tortured me? What if they’d use me to send a message to Ryker?

  Oh shit.

  Now the only thing I could hope for was that my death would be quick and as painless as possible. I could already picture Ryker laughing at Calavera’s demands.

  Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath and hoped I had enough strength in me for what was coming.

  Chapter 29

  EVERY INCH OF MY BODY hurt and my wrists were raw from my restraints. I’d been struggling against them, but after a while, I’d given up. What the hell was taking Calavera so long? Maybe Ryker didn’t want to pick up his call.

  But then the door burst open, and Calavera marched inside with a few of his men. One of them was holding a camera. The expression on Calavera’s face was of pure fury.

  “He doesn’t believe me. Well, I’ll get him proof.” He snapped his fingers in front of my face and turned toward the guy with the camera. “You! Come here. I want to make sure you record everything.”

  The guy pointed the camera at me, and Calavera moved behind me. A few moments later, his heavy hand wrapped around my throat, and I gritted my teeth.

  “Still don’t believe me, Ryker?” Calavera hissed very close to my ear. “If you don’t show up at the right time and place, I’m going to carve up your little girlfriend and send her intestines to you.” He ran his finger down my face. “And maybe I’ll let my men have some fun with her before I do that. What do you say?”

  I turned my head away from him, but he had me in a tight grip and forced me to look straight into the camera.

  “Come on, princess. Beg him to save you. Don’t you want to live? Tell him just how scared you are.”

  “Fuck you!” I yelled more at the camera than to Calavera.

  Maybe Ryker could see at least some of my hatred for him in my eyes once he watched this recording. If he was even going to bother watching it. Maybe for entertainment.

  Calavera backhanded me across the face. “You better hope he’s coming or you’ll regret the day you were born.”

  I let out a nervous laugh. It was already too late for that. I’d regretted a lot of things plenty of times before. And now I had no idea if I was angrier with myself or with Ryker.

  Yeah, he’d gotten me into this, but I could’ve walked away. Once he set foot in my club, I could’ve stayed where I was. Or I could’ve packed my bags and go somewhere else.

  But no.

  I’d had to choose the most dangerous path, and now I was paying the price.

  “Send that to him,” Calavera said to his cameraman, who only nodded.

  When the two of them were out of the room, I glanced around at my guards. Getting past them would be impossible, and I doubted I could convince all of them to loosen my restraints or something. Maybe I’d have a chance if there were only one, but like this... It was impossible.

  But what if Ryker comes? What if he doesn’t want to see you die?

  Okay, now my tired brain was hallucinating. There was no way Ryker would come for me. Why would he even do that? Besides, if he was a decent guy or my actual boyfriend, I wouldn’t want him to come for me.

  I didn’t think Calavera would just let me go, even if Ryker complied. Calavera would simply kill us both. I’d seen his face and the faces of his men. Maybe Calavera wouldn’t expect me to go to the cops, but I still didn’t think he’d let me go now that he had me.

  I would be a threat to him alive. And what did he even want with Ryker? I didn’t think it was to strike a deal. No, he definitely wanted Ryker dead, and that was exactly why Ryker would never come for me.

  A headache was starting to form behind my eyes, and my mind was only getting fuzzier.

  I had no idea how long I’d been like that. Maybe I’d even dozed off at some point. But then Calavera’s voice reached my ears, and I lifted my head, trying to focus.

  Wait, was he smiling? Yep, Calavera was grinning from ear to ear in the doorway.

  “I knew it,” he said. “I knew she was more important to him than anyone thought.”

  I blinked at him. What the hell was he talking about? Was I imagining this whole thing? Surely Ryker wouldn’t have agreed to anything.

  “Get her out of here and give her something to eat.” Calavera snapped his fingers at his men. “She’ll have to be able to walk.”

  His guards untied me, but there were so many of them, and it wasn’t like I was in any condition to fight them. They dragged me with them like a rag doll. We passed through a long empty hallway, and then they pushed me into one of the rooms.

  I fell to the floor, scraping my knees on the rough carpet. They locked the door behind them. The room was mostly bare. It only had a bed and an empty closet in the corner. But there was another door, and it was cracked open.

  A bathroom. Finally. I managed to push myself up, despite the protest of my muscles. The bathroom stank and it was dirty, but I couldn’t bring myself to care. I let the water run in the sink and took large gulps of water.

  There was no mirror, and maybe it was for the best, because I didn’t want to know what I looked like right now. I glanced around for something that I could use as a weapon, but there wasn’t anything. Not much was left of what must’ve been a shower.

  When I emerged from the bathroom, the door opened, and one of the guards lowered a plastic plate with food onto the floor before going back outside and locking the door. The food didn’t look overly appetizing, but my stomach rumbled. I picked up the plate and stuffed the food into my mouth. It tasted like crap, but I managed to chew and swallow it.

  I let myself drop onto the bed, which creaked under my weight, but it felt so damn good to get some rest. As I stared at the ceiling, I wondered what the hell had happened.

  Had Ryker really agreed to come for me? But that would be insane. Maybe he was just trying to figure out if there was a way for him to use the opportunity to take out Calavera.

  Yeah, that was it. He couldn’t possibly care about what might happen to me. Not when he had so many more important things to focus on.

  I sat up, my mind slowly becoming clearer. The guards weren’t in here, which meant that I might be able to escape. Except, I couldn’t see any windows or anything that I could use as a weapon.

  Getting to my feet, I made my way around the room, inspecting every corner. I even looked under the bed and wished that I hadn’t because I ended up coughing from all the dust. There weren’t any shelves in the closet that I might be able to pull out and use to hit someone over the head either.

  Shit.

  But as I was checking the closet, I noticed there was something behind it. I glanced at the door, but it didn’t look like anyone was coming. Placing my hands on the side of the closet, I pushed with all my strength.

  I clenched my jaw. The thing was a bit heavy, but not too much. I should be able to move it. And a few moments later, it finally budged. It made a scraping noise against floor, so I stopped and waited to see if anyone would come to check what was going on.

  When no one showed up, I kept pushing at the closet. Once it was out of the way, I realized there was something on the wall. It was covered with loose planks.

  A window. It was a window.

  Hope filled my chest. Maybe there was a way for me to get out of here after all.

  Chapter 30

  I PRIED THE PLANKS off the window and took a peek through it. It was just large enough for me to go through, but there was a tiny problem. We were on the second floor, and there was no way for me to climb down. Unless...

  The room next to mine had a balcony, but first I
’d have to get to it. I listened very carefully for any noise to make sure no one was in that room. But no matter how much I pressed my ear against the wall or peered through the window, I couldn’t hear anyone.

  It looked like it was empty. The only way to get to it was for me to climb through the window, hold onto the bricks, and reach the open window.

  Oh hell. It would be so easy for me to fall to my death. One slip of my foot and it would be all over.

  But I had to try something, or I was going to be dead anyway.

  I took a deep breath and pushed myself through the window. Hopefully, no one would see that I was gone. The house we were in seemed big, and all I could see around it were endless trees.

  Even if I managed to get to the ground, how would I find my way out of here? Would I be able to reach a road or a house, or would I get caught or lost? The guards were probably patrolling the area, but I couldn’t see them through the leaves. I just hoped they weren’t able to see me either.

  Bracing myself, I prayed that the bricks under my feet wouldn’t crumble. If they were just there as ornaments, I’d have a problem. But as I slowly lowered my feet on them while gripping the windowsill, it looked like they were going to hold.

  All I knew was that I couldn’t look down no matter what. I slowly moved toward the other window, carefully choosing bricks to grab onto. My legs were a bit shaky and I was holding my breath, but I focused on what I had to do.

  My life depended on it. The window wasn’t all the far away. I just needed a few more steps. My foot wobbled, and I caught onto the windowsill. The window was open, and after a few more deep breaths. I hauled myself through it.

  I jumped to the floor of a room that was completely dark. A foul smell hit my nostrils, making me gag, so I covered my nose with my hand. All I had to do was find my way to the balcony door.

  The only light was coming through the windows, and my foot collided with something just as my eyes adjusted to the darkness. A scream bubbled up at the back of my throat, but I held it back.