Free The Second Betrayal by Cheyenne McCray

rolled my eyes but I was too intent on watching for Madame Cherie. I stared at the side-view mirror and saw her round the corner. She tottered on the four-inch heels she wore despite the fact she was at least five-ten, six inches taller than me without her shoes. What with the heaviness of her boobs, her thin frame, and the heels she
    wobbled on—all up against my extensive training—she ought to be easy enough to grab in a hurry.
    Donovan climbed into the windowless back of the utility van and prepared to open the sliding door. I grasped the
    passenger-door handle. When the ma-dame was directly in front of the sliding door, I gave a quick nod to Donovan.
    He slammed open the door at the same time I bolted out of the front seat. It was his job to help throw her in once I grabbed her.
    I sprinted the six or seven feet between her and the van.
    The bitch pulled a can of pepper spray out of her small purse—and nailed me full in the face.
    "Fuck!" I was blinded as brutal pain burned my eyes, forcing wetness down my cheeks, soaking my balaclava. The spray set flame to my lungs, and my upper body spasmed as I started choking. My eyes, nose, and throat were burning too bad to even smell it.
    I tore off my balaclava but gulped in more pepper through my mouth and coughed even harder. I could barely open my
    eyelids a slit but saw her blurry figure turn to run. In Special Forces and during RED training I'd been sprayed while being forced to finish off my assailant. I hadn't lost either hand-to-hand combat exercise.
    This bitch was so not getting away. I was beyond pissed as I tackled her skinny ass and brought her down hard.
    She landed with a harsh cry and I heard a thump that was probably her head against the concrete sidewalk. A metallic sound skittered away. The pepper spray can, probably.
    I was ready to slug her just to make myself feel better, but someone jerked me away from behind. Through the blur in my eyes I saw Donovan grab the kicking and now screaming woman and literally toss her into the van.
    "I'll drive," Kerrison said from behind me—she must have been the one who pulled me off the madame. "You two take care of her. And please shut her the hell up."
    I was gritting my teeth too hard from pain to answer. Instead, I dove into the van and slammed the sliding door into place.
    Kerrison swung the van onto the street with tires squealing in a good imitation of a movie car chase. I stumbled before I went after the madame as she bucked and thrashed against Donovan.
    When I looked at the woman—the best I could considering that my sight wasn't any better yet—I saw that Donovan
    had not only cuffed her wrists but put plastic cuffs on her ankles as well.
    The language the madame used as she screeched was so expressive she might have embarrassed my commanding
    officer in the Army. Well, hardly, but damn could she let it out.
    Pepper spray straight in one's eyes isn't always followed by reason. But I managed not to slug her as I dropped beside her and Donovan. Can't hit a bitch when she's down.
    "The gag and the blindfold are by her head." Blood rolled down Donovan's cheekbone. Looked like the madame had nailed him with her pointy stiletto heel.
    I kept coughing, but I was blocking most of the pain now, like I'd blocked just about any kind of pain countless times over the years.
    My sight was less bleary as I was rocked back and forth while trying to crawl toward the gag. "Jesus," I shouted at Kerrison between coughs. "We've got her. Let up on the NASCAR driving."
    Kerrison said something that I couldn't hear and I realized my earpiece had fallen out. The madame jerked her head
    forward and nearly bit my arm as I reached for the black strips of cloth.
    "Knock her out or something," I said to Donovan. "Punch her." He shook his head in amusement as the woman stilled.
    "That's better." I gave the madame a sweet smile. Ha! Tell Smithe I couldn't be sweet. Well, act sweet at least. Another cough spoiled my attempt at keeping my