Shifting Gears (33 page)

So the other scary guy is
Ray.

“Maddox didn’t fucking tell her he’s
been looking for the good doctor all this time too. Oh shit, that
must mean you don’t know... Shit, not gonna spoil that. Gonna wait
till he’s in your face to spill that shit.”

I stop breathing.

“He knew you’d be the ticket to
finding him. Just like I did. It was a game between us. Just like
it always is. Who’s gonna catch the fish first. Seems Holt was
working with better bait this time. But you see, me and the good
doctor got some unfinished business we need to tend to. That’s
where you come in. I’m just counting on Maddox to give the old man
up for you. Guess we gonna find out, huh?”

The room spins, and Vinnie’s laughter
rings in my ears. I can barely make out what he’s just pulled out
of his back pocket. It’s shiny. And he’s walking toward me with it.
I almost fall over when he pushes me, and I’m forced to lean on him
as he tugs on my arm, pulling me into the bathroom.

As he lifts my hands in front of me, I
discover the shiny thing is handcuffs. He closes one cuff around my
left wrist then pushes me to the floor and clasps the other to the
sink.

His laughter hasn’t faded as he walks
out, flicking the light switch off, leaving me in the dark when he
slams the door shut. I turn my head and throw up. The pain in my
head is just as intense, and I’m still bleeding, the warmth of my
blood dripping down my neck. I’m losing too much blood.

My eyes are heavy. I need to close
them. I need to rest. Get some energy before I try to
escape.

Holt didn’t come back for
me.

He was looking for Doc.

The whole time.

Not for me.

He used me.

###

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed the
story of Holt and Niki as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Look for Gaining Ground, the sequel to Shifting
Gears, as the story of Holt and Niki continues.

Coming soon!

Jenny Hayut was born and raised in Virginia, in
a military town, where she still resides with her husband, two
children, and their shelter rescue, Georgia, an extremely spoiled
beagle mix.

Her love of writing began in elementary school
and continued through high school, where she enjoyed writing quirky
articles for the school newspaper and poetry for the literary
magazine. Alas, when she became a full-time wife and mother,
writing became an afterthought, but the dream to become a published
author one day still remained.

With encouragement from her husband and
friends, she decided to take to the pen once again and started
listening to the voices talking in her head, dying to be
heard.

In her free time she enjoys reading, bike
riding, hiking, and simply spending time with her family. She
attempts to maintain a flower garden and admits to baklava being
her weakest link.

Twitter:
@JennyHayut

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