17. Wwkd?

17 WWKD?

Jade

My shoulders screamed in agony from the position they had me in. I was tied to a damn chair for the second time in my life. It was two too many but, somehow, I knew these memories would be harder to erase.

“I thought you said you had Banks’s woman?”

I’d only caught bits and pieces of the conversation happening behind me, but whoever the voice belonged to was seriously pissed. Good . Thanks to the drugs the asshole gave me, I’d been fading in and out of consciousness for the last little while. I had no clue where I was or who had taken me. The only thing I remembered was briefly waking up in the back seat of a car.

“She was with him at the hospital. Who else would she be?”

“How the fuck should I know? Could be some chick he’s banging on the side, but she is not Riley Banks's fiancée.”

Damn. First a marriage of convenience, now mistaken identity and apparently…other woman drama. If only my li fe were as simple as a romance book where there's a guaranteed happily ever after. Instead, I’m stuck in a B-rated horror flick.

“I think she’s awake.”

Shit.

Heavy footfalls thudded against the floor. The closer they got, the faster my pulse raced. Then red-hot pain shot through my scalp and neck as my head was yanked back at an awkward angle. My eyes flew open, then I fought to keep them that way against the harsh overhead light.

A good-looking olive-skinned man stood over me. His dark hair and even darker eyes matched the sinister vibe I felt in his presence.

“What’s your name?”

Here’s the thing about self-preservation. It manifested itself in a variety of ways when confronted with terrifying situations. Some would shut down, opting to go with the flow rather than rock the boat. Me? Apparently, I grew a set of balls the size of boulders and asked myself, “What would Koen do?” He’d deflect, then try to figure a way out of the mess he found himself in. I went with option one since option two seemed impossible with my hands tied behind my back.

“You first.”

The punch to my stomach came from out of nowhere, knocking the wind out of me. I hadn’t even seen the guy who took me standing off to the side. He grinned a salacious smile while I gasped for air.

“Since you asked so nicely, I’m Victor Macha.”

The name was familiar, like I’d overheard it in a conversation somewhere.

Once my diaphragm stopped spasming, I was able to answer him. “Jade Banks. ”

“How do you know Riley Banks?”

At this point, I didn’t feel it was in my best interest to lie. The asshole already said he saw me at the hospital with Riley, even though the only time I recalled being alone with him was when he got the elevator key for me at the nurses’ station.

“He’s my brother-in-law.”

“So not the fiancée and not his whore.” He rubbed his index finger against the scruff on his chin. “But still family. Either way, that marano needs to learn what happens when he fucks with me. Maybe he’ll be smarter than his father was.”

Holy shit.

Now I knew where I’d heard his name. He was the guy Koen suspected of putting the hit out on his father, and he’d basically just admitted it to me. I was scared before, but now I was petrified.

“What are you going to do with me?” I asked as he started to walk away.

He twisted around, giving a nod to his man. It happened so fast I didn’t even have a chance to dodge his fist before it collided with the side of my head.