Nix. (Den of Mercenaries Book 3)(26)

“It should never be why you’re incapable of doing something, but rather understanding your limits and learning to surpass them.” He rubbed a hand over his jaw. “And I only attended school for the first eighteen years of my life. I learned more through experience.”

“That’s three years more than me.”

And at least he’d had a choice in the matter. She would have much rather had the opportunity to learn things that weren’t very important in the grand scheme of life, rather than knowing nothing at all.

But … she had to admit that the idea of learning how to be a mercenary and potentially getting revenge against Lawrence appealed to her.

Luna wasn’t thinking of it being a job, or the potential risks that came with it, she thought of the vengeance she could mete out, and if she were lucky, be able to get Cat out as well.

“So what do I need to do?” Luna asked with a nod to herself, making her decision.

His mouth curled just the slightest bit. “Eat, for now. Once we have your blood work back, training will begin.”

“Okay.”

“But I still need to know about your time with Lawrence,” Kit said. “It’s not just you that needs to know your limitations. Training that works for one may not work for another—so the more I know about you and what you’ve experienced, the better I can gauge what you need from me.” When she was reluctant to answer, he said, “There’s benefits to purging.”

Luna shook her head, sitting back. “Telling someone all the sordid details isn’t going to make me feel any better.”

Kit shook his head. “Butt keeping it bottled up will?”

“I wouldn’t even know where to start.”

“Start at the beginning.”



Three days she had spent in that warehouse, in relative comfort. She didn’t doubt that it could have been far worse for her—that the men that walked in and out of the place could have beaten her, starved her, or done deplorable things that made her heart race in fear, but they didn’t. Instead, she was just stuck in a room with a makeshift bed.

There was no window in the room, nor was there any other way to leave it besides the door that was always kept closed and locked until someone brought her food. It was a heavy thing, one that she couldn’t open no matter how she threw her body against it and twisted the handle.

But even knowing that she attempted to escape every time someone came in, her captors were surprisingly nice, as though not truly trying to harm her despite keeping her here against her will.

Luna knew it was stupid, but she was thankful for their kindness all the same.

A ransom, she had finally worked out in her head.

That was the only thing that would explain their keeping her, though not harming her. Someone, whoever had orchestrated this, had probably contacted her parents, demanding money for her safe return. And now, it was just a waiting game until the currency switched hands so she could go back home.

Her father had told her stories about the Cartels in their town who would kidnap loved ones in an attempt to extort money from their families—though he had never made mention of Americans doing it as well.

She had to remember that it took time—that it wouldn’t be long before that door opened for good and she was allowed to leave.

She pictured the joy on their faces once she came home. Tears pricked her eyes at the thought of being home, at returning to a life she had taken for granted.

On the third day, it had been the smoke that woke her before the door came crashing open.

“Let’s go,” a man said with voice like thunder as he waved her forward.

“What’s happening?” she asked even as she got to her feet, trying to see past him.

Luna had always been a stubborn girl, even as she had been told to always respect her elders, and this man, who sounded like he was in his late thirties, was definitely her elder.

“Either you die in this fire, or I drag you from here. Your choice.”

Dark eyes without a shred of pity stared at her, and she didn’t doubt for a second that he would do just that—leave her to die. Swallowing nervously, she did as she was told, slowly closing the distance between them, flinching when she felt his hand close around her arm.

She didn’t fight him, allowing him to lead her where he wanted—at least until she saw where they were going.

Parked down below on the floor of the warehouse was a nondescript black van, one that would blend in and not draw attention.

The rest of the place was going up in flames.

She had been engulfed by the show of it to realize that the man that was taking her had pulled a syringe from his pocket, sticking her in the neck and plunging the drug inside into her body.

She was out before she realized it.

It was the gentle rock of the van that drew Luna awake many hours later. No longer did sunlight spill in through the windshield, but rather the waning glow of the moon. She could tell from the way the bag over her head looked especially dark now that she was back awake.

How far had they gone in her lost hours? Was she still in the same place—but even that question would be hard to answer since she didn’t exactly know where she had been taken.

They only drove for a short while longer, that little time spent trying to wiggle her arms free of their restraints, before they came to a grinding stop, the van jerking a bit as it was parked.