Beyond Ransom (The Ransom Series) Read Free Page A

dark, tousled hair is slicked to the side s behind his ears.  His skin has a slightly darker complexion. 
Whether it’s natural or just a tan, I can’t tell.  Multiple tattoos cover his arms.  His chest appears broad under the black
T-shirt he’s wearing.
    I hate to admit that he’s attractive,
and I’m instantly embarrassed to be in this position in the presence of someone
as good - looking as this man.
    Leo . 
The first and only answer I’ve been given since waking up in this predicament.
    Leo and the creepy man are coming for
me.
    “Hold the chair from behind,” the man
in charge instructs from in front of me.  I glance back at Leo as he positions
himself with his hands on the top of the chair behind me.  Our eyes connect for
only a moment before fingers pull my gaze forward by my chin.
    The strike across my face is hard and
swift, temporarily knocking out my vision and causing a small yelp to escape my
mouth.  I’m only given a moment to recover before the next hit comes at me,
higher on my forehead this time but just as hard.  My head is instantly
spinning, my insides churning, and there’s nothing I can do to stop this.
    The third hit is to my cheek and draws
blood from my inner lip cutting on my tooth.  A salty, metallic taste fills my
mouth at the same time that I feel the warmth of blood trickling down my face.
    I close my eyes and brace myself for
the next blow but am met instead with hands in my hair, tearing at the roots
and pulling my head forward .  A scream escapes me at
the vicious move.  Tears fall hopelessly down my cheek.
    He holds me there by my hair and grips
my neck with his other hand, pressing harder against my trachea until I can no
longer breathe.  My arms and legs fight against the restraints in desperation,
but it’s no use.
    My vision starts to go blurry, and I
wonder if this is it.  H e’s going to choke me right
here until I’m unconscious or dead and then ravage my body before cutting me up
into little pieces and disposing of me.
    He is in control.  He wants me to know
it.  He wants me to feel it.
    And I do.  Very much so.
    With one final bout of pressure against
my neck, he releases me.  My lungs gasp for air.  I’ve never been so happy to
be breathing in my entire life.
    I lean forward and close my eyes,
concentrating on each slow draw of oxygen I’m taking from the air.  By the time
I’ve somewhat caught my breath and look up, my attacker is back at the table
grabbing the cell phone.  He moves next to the spotlight again and pauses to
simply look at me.  Leo steps out from behind me and joins him .
    “We need more blood,” the man notes, “for
dramatic effect.”  I feel the blood drain from my face at his words, as if it’s
escaping to some hidden part of me to avoid facing whatever this man has in
mind for my body next.  He pulls a large pocket knife from behind him and hands
it to Leo.  “You can do the honors.”
    Leo seems to hesitate for a moment
before taking the knife.  As he approaches me, I wonder how my fucked - up brain could have ever thought he was attractive.  He’s just as
bad as the rest of them.  He may even be worse.
    I’m about to find out.
    He comes to a stop in front of me,
towering above my body as the other man had, before bending down close to my
face.
    “I’m sorry,” he whispers.
    My mind barely has a moment to process
this when a sharp pain assails my cheek.  He slices the superficial skin open
along the top of my cheekbone with a slow and steady movement of the knife, and
it takes all the control I have not to flinch or turn away.
    By the time he’s done, warm blood is
already seeping out of the wound and down my face.  As he draws the knife away
from me and wipes it gently on my shirt, his shadowed blue eyes lock with mine.
    It’s strange.  He’s looking at me almost
like he knows me.  His eyes are apologetic and uneasy.  He seems sad and
regretful of what he just did.  I don’t understand it at