Chapter 37 Piper
Piper
With a groan, I lifted my throbbing head.
What the hell?
I tried to move and realized I was cold, wet, and my head really hurt. I blinked, my gaze focusing on wood framing. I blinked again.
I was in the construction site. I was meeting Rich.
Someone had hit me in the back of the head.
I shifted to touch my head, and that’s when I realized my wrists were zip tied together, as were my ankles. Panic hit me like slick sludge, oozing through me. I licked my lips and looked around.
That’s when I saw Hugo Corvo.
My panic hit the red zone. He was dressed all in black, and in the next framed-out room, doing something near a pile of construction gear.
He had a toolbox open and was clunking around inside it.
There were a few icy puddles from melted snow off peoples’ work boots lying around.
I’d know since I was sitting in one. Cold was crawling up my back.
I shifted my legs, wondering how quickly I could get to my feet and run with my ankles tied together.
Probably not fast enough. Especially not in high heels.
I could scream for help, but the noise of the equipment and the fact the workers wore earmuffs would make it impossible for anyone to hear me.
Before I could even move, Corvo glanced my way. His lips moved in what I guessed was a smile, his scar puckering.
He prowled toward me. “Nice to see I didn’t hit you too hard.”
I lifted my chin. “What are you doing? My brother’s debt to Rocha has been paid.”
He smirked. “I know.”
I frowned. “Then why did you attack me?”
“I don’t give a fuck about the debt.” He flung a gloved hand in the air. “Rocha promised me I’d get to work, and all I’ve done is play with you and got in a minimal beating on your brother that got interrupted.” He leaned down. “That’s not what I came here for.”
Pure ice slid down my spine.
He straightened. “This job’s been a massive pain in my ass. I had to come to this bumfuck town—”
“It’s a nice town,” I bit out. “Picturesque, good shopping, too much snow, but it’s filled with good people.”
He made a scoffing sound. “It’s a speck of nothing in the middle of nowhere. I’ve had to chase your idiot brother around.” He smiled. “Now, I want my payoff.”
He wanted to cause pain, he wanted to hurt someone. My stomach did a sickening somersault. “You should just leave while you can—”
“Shut up.” He backhanded me in the face.
The pain was horrible. My head whipped to the side and I gasped. My chin lowered to my chest and I tasted blood. My cheekbone throbbed.
“I really, really wanted to kill your fucking brother, but since he’s safe in the hospital, you’ll have to do.” He grabbed a fistful of my coat and dragged me across the floor. “Would have liked to finish beating the hell out of your brother.”
Fear rocketed through me and I flailed, trying to fight him.
He dragged me over to the tools. That’s when I smelled the smoke.
What the—? My eyes widened. Some gear was burning. He’d started a fire.
He tugged me over to the nearest wall frame and pulled a rope from his coat pocket. Then quickly—and far too expertly for my liking—he wrapped the rope through the zip ties on my ankles and tied to me the frame. He tested it, then straightened.
Now, I could see the flames growing, licking at the wooden framing. My throat closed.
He smiled at the fire, and I realized he was broken. Something inside him got off on violence and destruction.
He snatched up my bag, pulling things out. My wallet hit the concrete, my lipstick, a packet of Kleenex. Everett’s flannel shirt fluttered to the ground beside me.
“No phone,” Corvo said.
“I…must have left it in the SUV.”
He suddenly tossed my bag down, strode away, and disappeared from view.
Was he leaving? My gaze snagged on the growing fire. Oh, God. I needed to get out here.
I tried to loosen the zip ties, but it took me three seconds to realize that wasn’t happening. I reached for the rope and grabbed it the best I could with my wrists tied. I tugged on it, air exploding from my lungs from the effort.
There was no give in it. I slumped back.
A frightened sob tried to escape my chest but I shoved it back. I was Piper Ellis. I was a problem solver.
I was getting out of here. I was not going to die.
I clumsily got onto my knees, and that’s when I felt a weight in my jacket.
My phone.
Yes. I wriggled and tilted, trying to get to my phone. I couldn’t reach it while I was tied up. I dropped to my hands and knees, wriggling some more. I winced as pain shot through my side. I was pretty sure I’d just pulled a muscle. My gaze moved to the fire. It was getting bigger.
I kept wriggling.
Thunk.
My cellphone fell to the concrete.
“Yes.” I sat down and tried to get my hands free again.
Nope. With a frustrated breath, I stabbed at my phone, unlocking it. Then I found my Contacts and pressed Everett’s name.
Come on, come on.
Then I heard footsteps. I tensed and saw Corvo coming back. Fuck.
Quickly, I shifted to sit on the phone and hide it from him. He nodded at the growing fire, smiling again, then looked back at me.
“Wish I could stay and play, but it’s enough to know you’re burning here. I need to be far away when they find you. Plausible deniability and all of that.”
His dark, smug gaze raked over me, then he turned and strode out.
I let out a breath and moved.
That’s when I realized the phone had landed in a puddle of water. My chest clenched. The screen was dead.
“No, no.” I nudged it out of the water and touched the screen.
Nothing.
I squeezed my eyes closed. The smoke was growing and I coughed.
“Everett will come. He’ll have gotten the call. He’ll come.”
I didn’t want to die. I swallowed. I really, really wanted to live. For the first time in a long time, I wanted more than just taking care of my family and work.
I wanted cocktail night with the girls, I wanted to wander Windward’s boutiques and galleries, I wanted to snuggle on the couch, I wanted hot sex in front of the fireplace.
I wanted Everett.
I wanted to see him in his flannel shirt, smiling that sexy smile of his.
He’d turned everything upside down. Everything I’d planned, everything I thought I wanted.
Futilely, I tugged on my rope again, heaving hard.
The smoke thickened.
Everett, hurry.