Finding Romeo

Chapter 12

(Talia's POV)

I felt a sharp pain as the big man punched me in my stomach, causing me to cough and double over in pain. Air rushed raggedly in and out of my lungs as I straightened back up, looking right into the large mans eyes.

"Pull something like that again and you'll be in a lot more pain then you are now. We'll break every bone in your body with the exception of those pretty little fingers of yours, we need those," the man snarled and I had no doubt he meant what he said. He seemed like the kind of guy who wasn't afraid to cause someone a bit of pain, the ache in my stomach was just a taste of what was to come if I didn't play things right. I had dealt with men like him before and I knew I needed a plan.

A really, really good plan.

"What do you want with my fingers?" I asked, might as well see what these idiots wanted with me. Hopefully it wasn't something disgusting that had to do with certain parts of their bodies. I'd die fighting before that would happen.

The shorter, thinner man that I had recognized earlier stepped from behind me, still holding the gun, though now it was pointing at the floor. I weighed the odds of me surviving if I went after the gun at that moment, but figured the big guy would squish me before I could shoot him.

The other guy however, would be a much easier target to take out.

He was the weak link, I knew who he was, what he was up to and what he was capable of. I just needed to figure out the big guys weakness.

"We want your hacking skills and your brains. It was smart of him to find someone as good as you, I don't have your skill set to go up against you properly. And if we can't win against you then what's our only option?" He paused before continuing. "To kidnap you and use you to do the job instead!" His eyes sparkled and he seemed to think of himself as extremely smart.

Tony McCruer was not that smart of a guy though. In fact, if I had to bet, I would bet on the big guy being the brains of the operation.

I had to admit it was a good idea, just not foolproof. And desperate, so, so desperate.

"Why would I help you hack into Mr. Vladimirs security so you can get inside his mansion and assassinate him?" I didn't mention that they really didn't need me. With me here kidnapped, not able to keep them from hacking in, they could easily do what they've been wanting to do all along. If I told them that or they figured it out, I'd most likely be a rotting corpse in a dumpster by morning, so I kept that little tidbit out.

"We have a gun and weigh a lot more then you. You will do what we say," Big guy said.

Point taken.

"Okay, so let's say I do help you. Then what? You kill me afterwards anyway. I die either way," I say, shrugging as if I didn't care if I died now or later.

I cared, a lot.

On one hand, I wouldn't have to deal with Brad, Mr. Ew, the cops, old enemies and these idiots anymore.

On the other hand, I would be dead. Forever. That would suck. I wouldn't be able to find out who Romeo was, I wouldn't see how Kim and Koteo's relationship ended up, I wouldn't get to see Luka's handsome yet extremely annoying face again.

"You're right. We probably will kill you," Tony said, nodding.

"The more helpful you are the less painful your death will be," Big guy said with a grin.

Well, that was just wonderful. "How about this. I help you, you don't kill me, and we all go our separate ways," I say, trying to reason with them.