“That’s not true.”

He pulls open his door and looks back over his shoulder. “I am paying that debt, Makayla, whether you want it or not. I will not let you suffer the way my family suffered. I won’t have him chasing after you or threaten your life. I’ll save you even if it means losing you.”

The door swings closed. I am alone.

***

An hour later my cab pulls up at the bus stop outside the Geek Club. I have tested my phone and although it seems to have a few glitches, I have been able to text Amanda, check the weather, and find the nearest pizza joint.

I step out of the cab, and Amanda tosses the driver a roll of bills and then throws her arms around me. “I’m so sorry you had a fight with Max. I can’t believe you still came.”

My bottom lip quivers and I fight back the tears. I can cry later. Right now, Amanda needs me.

We walk up the sidewalk to the Geek Club. Light shines from the edges of the blacked-out windows, and loud punk music almost drowns out the sounds of the fight going on inside. The night is cool and still. Wind brushes through the treetops. The street is eerily deserted.

The side door is locked with no attendant in sight. Amanda suggests we walk around the garage and look for another entrance. We slip through a side gate and follow the wall around to the backyard. I am about to turn the corner when Amanda grips my shoulder and pulls me back behind a bush. The hushed murmur of voices carries toward us, and I peek through the leaves to see what’s going on.

Three men, all wearing jeans and dark T-shirts, are huddled in the corner. One man opens a shopping bag and pulls out four brick-size packages containing what looks like white powder.

Oh. My. God. I gasp in a breath and stagger backward, pulling Amanda with me. “Drug deal,” I whisper. “We have to get out of here.” We turn to run, only to find the gate blocked by a bald giant in a leather jacket.

I grab Amanda’s hand and we run back into the garden. I glance over my shoulder. The bruiser has been joined by the three drug dealers, and they are gaining on us. I wheeze in breath after breath and stumble over a toy truck and onto my knees. Amanda hauls me up and we keep running. The fence in front of us is about eight feet high and scalable if we find a foothold.

Wham. Someone slams into me from behind and throws me up against the fence. A thick hand clamps around my neck and I suck frantically, trying to get air.

“Gotcha.” My captor leans in to stare at me, his bald pate glistening in the moonlight. A smile creases his round, heavy face and his jowls jiggle as he laughs. His breath smells of garlic and onions. He brushes his humongous red nose against my cheek and sniffs as if he’s looking for truffles. I name him Pig.

“They saw you,” Pig grunts to the three drug dealers who have just joined us at the wall. “Grab Blondie and we’ll take them down to the cellar.”

Pig spins me around and covers my mouth with one hand. “You’re gonna walk to the cellar doors over there, nice and slow. You mess with me and I’ll cut off your air. You understand?”

I nod. Then I ram my foot into his instep and bite his hand.

“Fuck.” Pig jerks his hand away and staggers back.

I scream as loud as I can and run at the guy holding Amanda. Just as my fingers touch his jacket, something hits my head and the world goes black.

Chapter 24

Everyone not tied to a chair jumps up

I open my eyes and for a second I think I am dreaming. I am in a huge, dimly lit room filled with boxes, barrels, and crates. Three guys—one redhead, one blonde, and the other with curly black hair are huddled over a table in the far corner, all dressed in cheap printed T-shirts, flip-flops, and torn jeans. A naked bulb swings from the ceiling. The air is fragrant with the rich scent of earth and the fusty aroma of dried herbs. It is almost surreal.

However, Amanda, tied to a chair in front of me, the burn of ropes around my wrists, and the pounding in my head are very real. So real, I groan.

“Mac,” she whispers. “Mac. Are you okay?”

“Aside from the fact I am tied to a chair and probably concussed, I’m fine,” I moan. “What happened?”

“The big guy hit you over the head with something. We’re in the cellar under the Geek Club. He’s gone to get the boss.”

I struggle against the ropes on my hands and feet, but they are secure. As is the room. Aside from the tiny windows along the edges, the only way out is up the steps.

The door creaks open and Pig comes down the stairs followed by a giant. A familiar giant.

Misery.

My heart pounds in my chest. He seems even bigger in the enclosed space than he did at Redemption, his head just clearing the ceiling. He storms over to the men at the table. “What the f**k were you doing taking the stuff out of the club? You are all f**king idiots.”

He looks Amanda up and down, and then his gaze falls on me. His eyes narrow. “I know you.” He leans down and grabs the guy with the curly black hair by the collar. “Who is she? Why do I know her?”

Curly wilts. “She’s Torment’s girl.”

“Fuck.” Pig spits on the ground, as pigs do. “I thought I recognized her.”

“Who’s Torment?” the blond asks.

Curly swallows. “He works the underground circuit. One of the top fighters. Used to be a professional boxer. Mean. Nasty. Hard as nails. He’s crazy. I’ve seen him take down three men here at the club without breaking a sweat.”

The blond whistles. “What were they packing?”