Kellan felt like he’d been smashed into a thousand pieces and glued back together by a toddler. The antique grandfather clock in the penthouse foyer told him he’d only been lights out for about an hour before the fun had started thirty minutes ago. His neck was sore from the injection site of whatever that asshole—who’d turned out to be Rampage, he’d found out when he’d come to—had stuck him with to knock him out, and his temple throbbed like a motherfucker from where that other asshole—everyone’s least favorite pimp Franco—had pistol-whipped him with the Glock he’d shoved in his waistband. Kellan had left his SIG in Isabella’s apartment along with his keys and cell phone to complete the trifecta of stupid, so his only hope now was that Franco might get a touch more careless with that weapon and either shoot his own ass off or give Kellan a chance to take it.
That second one didn’t seem likely, seeing as his hands were zip tied in front of him and he’d taken enough of a beating after he’d regained consciousness to be seeing double and spitting blood.
Oh hell. Isabella was going to walk right into this. DuPree was going to do the same to her, and it would only get worse.
Kellan had to get out of these restraints and take that gun.
“Get up, pretty boy. The boss wants you.” Rampage grabbed him by the back of the neck and hauled him to his feet. Kellan forced his body to remain lax, allowing his head to loll deeply even though the move sent stars sparking across his field of vision. Better to let them think he was still off-kilter to keep their guards lower.
Rampage kicked at Kellan’s heels, shoving him from behind. He stumbled his way out of the penthouse’s main room—nineteen steps—down a back hallway—twelve steps—and into a wood-paneled room that looked as if it had been horked out by Masterpiece Theater. DuPree sat behind a huge mahogany desk, looking as smarmy as ever in a navy blue suit and a repulsive smile.
“Ah, Mr. Walker. So nice of you to join us.” He gestured to the spot in front of his desk, and Rampage gave Kellan an extra shove for his trouble.
“Sorry.” Kellan slurred on purpose, slipping one thumb around the zip tie at his wrists to test their thickness. Damn, this was going to take some doing. “I didn’t realize I had a choice.”
DuPree’s expression read good point. “Yes. Well, I have to say it was quite the happy coincidence that you left Detective Moreno’s apartment after she and I set up our engagement. The truth is, I’ve been waiting for the two of you to separate all week. Divide and conquer, you know. I thought the plan to use those cock-sucking whores to goad her here was rather clever, but you…” He wagged a finger, and Christ, Kellan was tempted to bite the digit clean off. “When I saw you walk out of her apartment building a few hours ago, you made things all too perfect.”
“You saw me?” Kellan blanked his expression to keep his emotions hidden, but DuPree’s were on full display, the pride practically pouring out of him.
“Don’t you know by now, I see everything? Accessing the security feeds for her building was all too easy, and now I have her where it hurts the most. She’s a dirty little slut, letting her brazen impulses lead her into my party, trying to outsmart me, to make me look weak. She needs to be punished.”
Kellan’s stomach pitched, his heart beating faster in his chest. This guy had gone around the bend. “So you’re going to punish her?”
DuPree smiled, pure evil in his soulless eyes. “And you’re going to watch.”
Kellan felt his lunge forward only after his body had decided to go. Pain detonated across his already-injured temple, stunning him into place, and the sticky warmth of fresh blood trickled over his jaw and into the neck of his T-shirt. Anger sizzled like a living, breathing thing under his skin, stealing his focus and snatching at his composure.
Breathe. In, two, three, four, five. Out, two, three. Breathe.
Kellan buckled down, bracing to take the next blow. Only what came instead was a tense voice through the intercom speaker on the cherry-paneled wall by the door.
“Uh, boss. I hate to interrupt, but it looks like your girl is early.”
Kellan’s heart tripped against his sternum. Isabella.
Rampage paused, his hand still raised in an upswing, and DuPree’s expression turned to granite. “I’m sorry,” DuPree hissed. “How is that possible?”