The Men with the Golden Cuffs (Masters and Mercenaries #2)(107)

“Open the door, Serena,” Brian commanded. “Get a move on. I can shoot her from here.”

Bridget was so still. Was she dead already? Serena thought she saw her chest move up and down, lightly breathing, holding on to life. Chris would find her, or Jake and Adam would come looking and discover Bridget. She still had a chance. And Serena would have to take hers.

She took a deep breath and threw the door open wide, ready to run. She stumbled over a body. God, there was another body. The uniformed officer lay on the concrete, the back of his head a bloody mess. Serena struggled to her feet.

“Hello, Serena.” Doyle stood in the alley, a gun in his hand. “Time to finish up this marriage.”





Chapter Twenty-Two


Doyle reached out and pulled at her arm, hauling her close to his body. She felt the press of hard steel against her side. Brian stepped in front of her, a small ball in his hand.

“Open wide, bitch,” Doyle said.

Serena tried to scream, but Brian forced the ball gag in her mouth. He pressed, shoving her back against Doyle.

“Did you kill that cop?” Doyle asked. “We didn’t say anything about killing a cop.”

She struggled but her jaw was forced open. Brian secured the gag. “He’s still breathing, but he’ll have a hell of a headache. And he didn’t see me. All he’ll know is someone hit him from behind and then he woke up to a bunch of dead bodies and one survivor—me. I have to go take care of the loud bitch. I don’t think she’s dead yet. It will be my pleasure to put that arrogant cunt out of her misery.”

Bridget. They were going to finish off Bridget. Serena tried to kick back, but Doyle had her around the neck. He squeezed, cutting off her air.

“Don’t fight me, Serena. I don’t want to kill you just yet. I have to make this look really good.” Doyle started to drag her toward the car. “We have a special place set up for you. You know all those times you wanted me to be a pervert who hurt you? You’re going to get your wish. I’m going to torture you. I’ve been reading up on it, and I think you were right all along. I’m a bit of a sadist, dear. And you’re still righteously disorganized. Did you know I’m still the beneficiary on your life insurance policy? And I recently learned you haven’t filed another will. I told you I would get what belongs to me. And no one will suspect me. I’m with Mother, you see. We’re having a nice long talk at her place in Tyler. Yes, Mother always hated you, Serena. She’s happy to help.”

He’d shoved that damn ball gag in so far. She struggled to breathe. Panic was threatening to overtake her. He started to pull her toward a car she didn’t recognize. It wasn’t Doyle’s sedan, and Brian drove an SUV. They had obviously been planning this together.

She tried to look around the alley. It backed up to another building, but she didn’t see windows or doors. It was quiet in the alley with only two cars parked there and a large trash container. Once they got her in the car, it would take less than thirty seconds to get to the street. Royal Lane was busy. They would disappear very quickly, and Adam and Jake wouldn’t be able to find her.

How was this happening? Just a few moments before, everything seemed open and bright. Now Lara was dead, and Bridget was dying and all because her ex-husband wanted her money. And she hadn’t thought about her will in years. It had been a small thing. They had signed a form Doyle had printed from a legal site on the internet. A very simple will. But it would probably hold up in court.

And they would make it look like the “stalker” had killed them all.

“You think you write great books, sweetheart, but I always was the truly brilliant one. And your so-called agent is an idiot. She gave us the perfect plan. I even bet your filthy, piece-of-crap books will sell better after you’re dead.” He looked back toward the building. “What the f*ck is taking him so long?”

Serena went limp, forcing her every muscle to drag.

She sure as hell wasn’t going to help him.

“Hey.” Doyle stumbled, trying to hold on to her. “Fuck, Serena. Get up. You’re going to get in the car or I will kill you right here.”

Tears clouded her eyes as she made her decision. She wouldn’t get in that car alive. She might end up being his victim, but she wasn’t going to play this his way.

Jake had taught her a few things. God, why had she been so stubborn? The weeks she’d been with Jake and Adam had been the best weeks of her life. Adam had taken care of her, proving to be a true partner, bolstering her where she was weak, and Jake had been a real Dom. A real Dom taught his sub to be strong when she needed to be.

“I said get the f*ck up.” Doyle stood over her, that nasty gun pointed right at her head. His feet were planted on either side of her hips, and he stood staring down at her like she was a piece of trash he needed to remove so his life would be lovely again.

Go for the soft spots, Serena. Self-defense doesn’t have to be about strength. It can be about smarts. It can be about using your opponent’s weaknesses against him.

Serena gathered every bit of strength she had. A punch, Jake had told her, shouldn’t stop at the target. A punch should be sent straight through.

“Get the f*ck up, bitch. Do you not understand English?”

Serena fisted her right hand and drove up, trying to punch her ex-husband’s balls straight into his gut. She punched with everything she had.