I wake up, though "wake" suggests I actually slept, which I'm pretty sure I didn't. Last thing I recall, I wasn't planning a beauty nap in this godforsaken warehouse.
My head spins as I blink against the harsh sunlight. Trying to brush away stray hairs, I realize my hands are zip-tied.
"Great, déjà vu," I mutter, my voice thick with irony. I tug at the binds, the friction burning my wrists, drawing blood.
"You're not going anywhere," a voice I could recognize in a crowd of a thousand speaks up. Caesar.
I tilt my head, not bothering to hide my disdain. "Where are we headed? A vacation in the Mexican sun?"
"100 miles to Mexico. Your clock's ticking, so let's chat. Why is Camila lying?"
"I'm as clueless as you are charming," I quip, my voice dripping with sarcasm.
"You were never good at lying, Elena," he smirks, "Does Camila know about the book?"
The book? My mind races. "She knows nothing because there's nothing to know."
"That's why you're still breathing. She's desperate to find out what you know."
"Camila's smart enough to realize Epifanio's after me for reasons beyond your tiny empire," I sneer. "But the book? That's news to her."
"You should worry about me, not Epifanio. This is my show now. I'll find that book!" His voice rises, a mix of desperation and command.
I laugh, a sharp, cutting sound. "Empire? You think Epifanio's just going to hand over the reins? Cute."
"I know you made copies, Elena. Not as dumb as you look, huh?"
"You should believe it," I lie smoothly, "Because if I vanish, those copies go straight to the DEA."
His knuckles whiten on the steering wheel, his eyes darting to me. Got him.
"I'll extract it from you if I have to dismantle you piece by piece," he threatens, his voice a low growl.
Then, sirens. A cop car and a familiar black SUV. James?
A electric jolt hits me, coursing through my body, locking every muscle. Darkness claims me.
I come to, senses scrambled, floating in a void. A heartbeat thumps near my ear, rapid, scared.
"James?" I croak, unsure if my voice obeys.
"You're safe, Elena. You're safe," comes his voice, a balm to my disoriented mind.
My head lolls, neck screaming in protest. A blurry vision of a black leather jacket.
"Always the hero, huh?" I manage, a ghost of a smirk before everything goes dark again.
YOU ARE READING
Taste Of Scotch // James Valdez
FanfictionIt's a strange feeling, loving someone. It starts out small then gracefully grows into something so power you'd never think could ever be possible. Then it's like a heartache because it's then that you realize you'd do anything for the person. Even...
