Free Bound by Blood (The Contract Book 3) by Suzanne Steele

bullet in her captor’s head. I’m not sure how many more times I can walk away from this woman and do nothing.
    Flashbacks of our first kill flood my memory. I vividly remember when I jumped from the car that night with no thought of anything but saving Melanie. It was almost like I suffered a blackout. I remember having the thought that I should jump out and go help her but the next thing I knew, I was putting a bullet in the back of a man’s head, severing his brain stem, with no remorse for my actions. I went from thinking, to doing. Somewhere along the way, the once automatic act of processing consequences for my actions disappeared. I know how I get when I’m in rescue mode; I’m dangerous. I’m already fighting off thoughts of returning for her on my own, going through different scenarios on how I can sneak out while Miller is sleeping to come back and rescue her.
    The only thing keeping me from thinking about it more, to the point at which the idea will become a reality, is that I know Miller would kill me—literally. I console myself with thoughts of talking some sense into him. We can’t keep waiting to make our move. His voice cuts through my thoughts.
    “Didn’t you hear me?!? Get in the fucking car!” It’s then that I realize he has been talking and I haven’t heard a word he has said. I can tell by the look on his face he isn’t at all happy about it. Great, I’m going to get a lecture on the importance of reading one another and being in sync. This can only mean one thing… I’m in trouble.
    Trepidation washes over me as I hurriedly walk back to the SUV, listening for the sound of the locks disengaging. He purposely makes me wait. He’s just standing on the driver’s side, glaring at me and not opening the door.
    “Damn, Miller, do you want the guy to see us?”
    “Oh, I get it. You’re in charge now?!?”
    “Miller, you know that’s not what I mean. Please… let me in the car. I’m nervous.”
    “You should be.”
    Oh fuck! I am in so much trouble…
    I glance over at him as he pulls out onto the street to head home. His face is set like granite and I begin backtracking, trying to talk myself out of this mess.
    “Miller, I just have a hard time leaving her there every time we go to check on her. I keep thinking about the possibility of him killing her before our next visit. I feel like it will be my fault if he does. I don’t know why we can’t just go in and rescue her.”
    I’m talking, just trying to get any kind of response so I can get a read on him but, as usual, he is not giving anything away.
    Reasoning isn’t working so I resort to anger. “I don’t think it’s fair for me to be in trouble. You’re too hard on me.”
    I continue doing anything, everything, to get out of trouble but his face continues to be set in stone, looking out the windshield as he drives. He doesn’t acknowledge me the whole way home so I come up with another plan.
    We make our way in, briefly speaking to the doorman who is clueless to my plight. I fish my keys from my purse and, as soon as I unlock the door, I take off running and lock myself in my office. I’m shaking as I listen to his threats on the other side of the door.
    “Stormy, you better open this fucking door and I mean now.”
    “Nuh, uh,” is all I say.”
    “You have until the count of three or your days of working with me are over.”
    Of anything he could have said that is the one thing that would make me open the door. I don’t have time to brace myself before he bum rushes me. With one swipe of his hand, he scatters everything on my desk and commands me to bend over it. All I can think is that I’m glad my laptop wasn’t up there because without it, I can’t write. That would be the worst punishment anyone could ever inflict on me. I make a mental note to never reveal that to him. Being the sadist that he is, he would definitely use that knowledge against me.
    He bends down beside my face and smirks. “We have a