“Yep,” I say as I see him doing the same on the other side.
After I use the stall I go over to the sink and wash my hands.
“Iris.” I jerk my head up, and in the mirror I see there’s a big man standing behind me. “Your father sent me.” He grabs my arm and starts to pull me out of the bathroom. “We need to hurry.”
“But wait, I think there’s a big misunderstanding.” I try and twist free as he pulls me along, but it’s no use. His grip on me turns painful, and I cry out. “Let’s talk about this like rational adults.”
He stops walking and finally looks down at me. “This will be easier,” he says, and my eyes widen when I see a syringe in his hand.
Who the hell did my father send to rescue me?
Chapter Ten
Dutch
The needle goes in her arm the second I walk into the bathroom, and rage like I’ve never felt hits me. It’s a match on top of gasoline, and my vision turns red as I lunge for the man holding her.
Iris falls hard to the ground as my fist lands in the attacker’s face. He grunts as I feel his knee connect with my ribs, and a sharp pain goes through my chest. How the fuck did they find us? I was so careful, but there must be more at play here than even I realize. Otherwise why would they be so desperate to get her back?
My other fist rains down the attacker’s back as he doubles over and falls to the cement floor. He makes a soft moan and then he’s out cold. I’m in motion to grab Iris and get the fuck out of here when three more guys come running in.
“Get the girl,” one of them barks, and I move in front of her limp body on the floor.
I can’t think about what they gave Iris and if she’s okay. I have to focus on getting her someplace safe first.
“Try it and those will be your last words,” I hiss through clenched teeth as I crack my neck.
It’s been a long time since I had to use all my strength, and right now I’m thankful for all my years of training. My body is big, but I’m quick as the first guy rushes me.
My feet are planted solidly on the ground, so when he connects, I grab him by the back of the neck and lift him off the ground. Without hesitating, I slam him back on the concrete and use my boot to crack his jaw. The sound echoes in the space, and I hold my fist up, ready for the next one.
The last two guys come at me at once, and I kick out, nailing one square in the chest. He goes flying backwards against the concrete wall while I use my elbow to knock out the other guy’s front teeth. He screams like a little boy as I spin around and finish him off with the heel of my boot. My promise for those to be his last words will be true as he drinks out of a straw for the rest of his life.
Seeing the threat has been contained—for now—I lean down and scoop Iris up in my arms. Quickly, I put my ear to her mouth, and I can hear her breathing softly. Whatever they gave her must have been a powerful sedative.
Looking around the bathroom, I see there is another door at the back that looks like the janitor’s closet. If there’s a way out there, I need to take it. These won’t be the only men after her, but for right now I’ve got to get her to safety.
I kick the lock and break the handle for the door to swing open. There’s a large window in the back of the closet, and that’s good enough. I toss Iris over my shoulder and hold her steady as I open the window and make sure no one is waiting outside for us. Carefully I carry her out with me and creep around the side of the building. In the distance I can see two more suited men by a van that has to be what they were going to use to transport her. Thinking about my options, I scan the parking lot and see what I’ve got. Once I’ve got a plan, I’m in motion.
There’s a flash-bang in my bag for emergencies, and this would be the time. I slide it out and throw it through the window so it lands in the middle of the guys inside the bathroom. I count to three and when it goes off, the two men by the van come running to the bathroom, and I hold onto Iris as I run to their van.
Placing her in the backseat, I see the keys are in the ignition and I thank those dumbasses for being so bad at their job. I pull the door closed, get behind the wheel, and peel out of the parking lot before anyone is the wiser. I’ll have to dump this ride soon in case they have some kind of tracking on it, but first I need to put some distance between us and them.
“Dutch,” I hear Iris moan behind me, and I glance back to see her sleepy eyes open just a fraction.
“It’s okay, little bit. I’ve got you.” I reach behind me and she takes my hand and gives it a weak squeeze. She might as well be tugging on my heart. “Go back to sleep, you’re safe with me.”
“Okay, Daddy,” she mumbles, and I feel something sting my eyes.
What the fuck? I reach up and there’s water on my face. How the fuck did that happen? There’s no rain.
I drive for what feels like enough time that we can make a clean getaway. There’s a diner with a long-haul trucker park up ahead and a used car lot next to it. Perfect.
It takes me all of ten minutes to find us a new car, get Iris settled in the passenger seat, and pull out onto the highway. I even grabbed us some food in the process and made sure Iris had lots of water. She’s got to flush that shit out of her system, but I don’t know how much actually got in her.
Worry eats at me that I wasn’t able to keep her safe, and now I don’t know if I’ll be able to fulfill my duty the rest of the way. Not having much of a choice, I take out one of the burner phones in my bag and dial the number I memorized when we were kids.
“If you’re calling me, there must be a problem,” the voice says on the other end.
“I need a favor, Sergio.” There’s a long pause, and I can almost picture him waiting to see what I’m about to say. “I need safe passage to Germany.”
“Done,” he says, agreeing without question.
“I’ll be at your safehouse in about three hours,” is all I say before ending the call and throwing the burner cell out the car window.
Chapter Eleven
Iris
My eyes are heavy as I try to open them, but for some reason they aren’t cooperating. I hear the sounds of someone pacing, and it never seems to stop. Panic rises inside of me as the memories come rushing back. I’d been injected with something, and the whole world had gone black in the blink of an eye.
My heart starts to pound at the fear of where I am and who is with me. This is all so freaking crazy. Why would my parents send someone to drug me? A tear slips free at the thought of not having someone on my side to take care of me. The feeling of being lost and alone is overwhelming, but then the image of Dutch appears in my mind. I need him. What if something happened to him too?
A whimper forms in my throat as my body finally catches up.
“Little bit.” Warm hands cup my face, and it’s Dutch’s voice, gentle and soothing. Relief fills me knowing he’s here, and I don’t want to think about how I tried to get away from him in the beginning. “You’re crying.” He wipes away the tear that escaped. “Damn it, Iris, open your eyes.”