Standing at the bottom of the stairs, silhouetted against the bright blue mats, were Jax, Rocco, and Bane. They were holding heavy aluminum baseball bats, their faces twisted into ugly, anticipating grins.
And stepping out from behind them, wearing a black leather jacket and holding a suppressed 9mm pistol, was Silas Thorne.
"Well, well," Silas called up, his voice echoing in the empty gym. "The delivery girl."
I looked at Marcus, expecting him to brace for a fight. Instead, Marcus took three deliberate steps away from me, crossing the office to stand near the door, creating a clear line of sight for Silas.
My stomach plummeted into freefall.
"Good boy, Marcus," Silas said, slowly walking up the metal stairs, the gun pointed directly at my chest. "I told you she'd come back for it. You brought her right to me."
Marcus looked down at the floor, refusing to meet my eyes. He had sold me out.
CHAPTER 4
The cold steel of the safe pressed against my back. There was nowhere to run. The office was a glass box, and Silas had the only exit blocked. Rocco and Bane stepped into the room behind Silas, lightly tapping their aluminum bats against their palms. Jax remained at the bottom of the stairs, guarding the gym floor.
"Hand it over, Maya," Silas said, stepping into the office. He kept the suppressed pistol aimed squarely at my heart. His eyes flicked to the silver USB drive clenched tightly in my right fist. "I have to admit, hiding it in the glove was clever. Leo almost ruined a multi-million dollar operation. You really think I was going to let you walk out of here with my life on a keychain?"
"You paralyzed my brother," I said, my voice eerily calm despite the adrenaline setting my nerves on fire. I needed him speaking. I needed him confessing. Before climbing the stairs, I had subtly pressed the override button on the gym’s security server in the storage closet. The cameras in this room were recording directly to the cloud.
"Leo did that to himself," Silas sneered, stepping closer. "He found out I was taking bets against my own fighters. He threatened to go to the athletic commission. I couldn't have that. So I slipped a little something in his water. Made him slow. Made his neck weak. And Marcus did what Marcus does best—he hit him until he stopped moving."
Silas glanced over at the giant fighter standing silently by the door. "Isn't that right, Marcus?"
Marcus slowly lifted his head. His dark eyes met mine for a fraction of a second. There was no apology in them. There was only a cold, terrifying focus.
"I did what you told me," Marcus rumbled, his voice low.
"And you'll do it again," Silas said, waving the gun toward me. "Break her arms, Marcus. Make it look like a tragic break-in gone wrong. I want her hands destroyed before I shoot her."
Marcus stepped toward me. Rocco and Bane laughed, leaning against the doorframe to watch the show. Marcus raised his massive right fist, pulling it back just like he had on the blue mats hours earlier. I braced myself, preparing to slip under his guard, knowing I couldn't survive a full-force hit from him.