Chapter 143 Kidnapped
Ryder once described Renee as someone who “never played by the rules.” Whenever she used the skills he taught her, she always twisted them into something uniquely her own. Her defining trait was also glaring–she struck hard and without mercy. Propriety didn’t concern her–only victory did.
In her own defense, she was a woman after all, so why should she fight like a gentleman?
The three men never expected her to go straight for their weakest points. One recoiled in a panic, while another, slower to react, took a brutal kick where it hurt most. With two of them staggering, Renee seized her opening. She gathered her strength, fists cutting through the air like steel, and delivered precise, devastating
blows to their temples.
A sickening series of thuds echoed in the empty lot–flesh colliding with bone, the sharp gasp of air leaving lungs, the dull slap of bodies hitting the ground. By the time the pain registered, all three were writhing in
agony.
“Do something!” one of them rasped, still clutching his side.
Renee’s senses flared–too late. She caught the movement near her ear, turned sharply, and threw up a hand to block–A sharp sting bit into her skin. Her gaze snapped to the man in front of her, the syringe still clutched in
his fist.
“Shit,” she hissed, her vision already blurring.
Then–blackness.
The four men wasted no time hauling her into the van before speeding off, leaving behind only faint traces of the struggle–soon to be swept away by the flow of passing traffic.
When Renee’s eyes fluttered open, she found herself bound tightly to a chair, the coarse ropes biting into her skin. The dim, crumbling warehouse around her reeked of rust and neglect.
The four men lounged on the ground, casually playing cards. Scattered around them were crumpled fast–food containers, the remnants of their last meal.
Renee’s eyes flicked around the room, analyzing every detail. The warehouse was old and worn, with a few high windows that could serve as an escape route–if she could just free herself. The real problem, though, was the tight ropes digging into her skin.
“She’s awake!” one of them muttered.
Heads snapped in her direction.
Their gazes were sharp with resentment, the bruises she’d given them still fresh. One of them pulled out his phone. “I’ll call her.”
Her?
So, a woman was behind this. Who could it be?
Renee leaned back slightly, forcing herself to stay calm. It wasn’t surprising–she had plenty of enemies. The real question was, which one had sent these idiots after her?
The man put the phone to his ear. “Yeah, she’s awake. What do you want us to do with her?”
“Got it. I’ll send you the pin.”
The call ended. The others turned to him expectantly.
“So? What did she say? Is she coming?”
“Yeah. She wants us to keep her alive for now. Dunbar, give her some water. We don’t want her passing out
again.”
Dunbar sighed and stood up, grabbing the closest thing he could find–a food container they had eaten from
earlier. He filled it with water and handed it to Renee.
She took it without hesitation, bringing it to her lips–then, with a flick of her wrist, the plastic container slipped from her grasp, crashing to the floor.
The water splashed across the ground.
“Shit!”
“The hell was that?!”
The men jumped up, furious.
Renee shrugged, spreading her hands. “Oops. Butterfingers.”
“You trying to piss us off?!” one of them growled.
Renee’s gaze drifted lazily toward him–her first victim, the one she had sent flying earlier.
“If you’re a real man, untie me,” she taunted, her voice dripping with amusement. “Let’s go again. A guy who already lost to me should know his place. Four of you couldn’t handle one woman, so now you resort to cheap tricks? That’s just pathetic.”
