Gilber

sane, that for a moment I thought I had misheard him. "Wh

s were fixed on Fallon, who was whimpering on the floor. "They'll see the car leave. They'll think it's Fallo

ll follow me, Jace! Those

as if swatting away a fly. "They'll just ho

e floor, a perfectly timed piece of theate

cking his gun echoed in the sile

a whip. He grabbed a coat from the closet-Fallon's coat-and

her. A moving target in

egged, my body trem

e inches from mine. "You will do this," he snarled, his eyes b

towards the

y head and pulled on her coat, the scent of her perfume a suffocating

e Bentley's engine roared to life, a black SUV screeched to a halt

the car, their hand

from my head. "It ain't the Valentine bitch." He radioed

death sentence. "He wants to play? Fine. Take her. He's got an ho

ve. A light was on. I imagined Jace in there, holding a terrified Fallon, whispering that e

nd volatile. They drove me to a derelict warehouse by the docks, the

"Your hour's up, Sharpe. The price just doubled." He laughed, a harsh, grating

y them," Jace's voice said, tight with frustration. "Ju

. While I sat there, terr

ir moods growing fouler with each empty bottle. Their eyes start

nd a little... incentive," one of

air. "Please, no." I looked at the leader,

ng swallow from his flask. The man's hands were

ate, hopeless cry. "

ptors. One of them held up his phone, showing me a live news f

essfully rescued his companion, Fallon Valentine, from a hostage situation. He's s

her forehead, his face a mask of profound relief and love. He hadn't just been arranging the transfer. He had bee

numb. I stopped fighting. I closed my eyes and let the darkness cla