Silver Or Lead

SILVER OR LEAD MAFIA FOR HIRE BOOK 1 DARCY HALIFAX Published by Paladin Publishing Silver Or Lead Copyright © 2023 by Darcy Halifax Cover design by: Covers by Aura Editing and proofreading by: Messenger’s Memos – Fiction Editing Services Formatting by: Darcy Halifax All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of Darcy Halifax, except for the use of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. SILVER OR LEAD MAFIA FOR HIRE BOOK 1 DARCY HALIFAX CONTENTS Content Guide Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Epilogue Want More? About the Author Also by Darcy Halifax Paperbacks DEDICATION Welcome to the world, Darcy! I dedicate the dick-rot to you, Kelly. Thank you. CONTENT GUIDE Please be advised that Silver Or Lead contains content that some readers may find triggering. This is book one in a dark(ish) romance with a guaranteed HEA. There is no bullying or violence between the MCs. For a full list of triggers (to avoid spoilers here), please follow the link to my website. Content Guide CHAPTER ONE The dark hood over Angela’s head was suffocating. Every breath felt thick, and her heart pounded furiously to make up for the lack of oxygen. Or so it seemed. A good deal of her racing heart was from pure terror. It seemed ludicrous that just ten minutes prior, she had been getting into her car in the parking lot at the hospital where she worked as a surgeon, and now she was rolling around in the trunk of a stranger’s car with her hands bound behind her back and a hood over her head. It wasn’t her first time in this kind of predicament, and she reminded herself that she could breathe through the thick fabric. So, she ordered herself to take one measured breath in, then exhaled slowly. She repeated the action three more times before she was able to breathe with more ease and wonder just how she had gotten into the situation. A group of three men had walked over to her, and her well-honed spidey senses flared to life. But, like an idiot, she ignored them when one of the men spoke politely. “Excuse me, are you a doctor?” the man questioned. Angela confirmed that she was indeed a doctor, then the man grimaced and said, “I’m really sorry about this.” He moved with lightning speed, wrenching her hands behind her back at the same time as a black hood was pulled over her head. She had gotten a few kicks into some shins before she was shoved into the trunk of a flashy car. Now, here she was, being driven to a second location like a victim. But she wasn’t a victim. She never would be again. Which was why, when she felt the car slow down and eventually stop, she tucked her feet underneath her in preparation for the trunk to open. She strained, listening to the sound of the doors opening and closing, followed by some muffled voices. She quickly looked down, shaking her head vigorously and dislodging the black fabric. She gasped, blinking and trying to see anything at all. But there was nothing but her in the surprisingly large space. When the trunk opened suddenly, she pushed up from her knees, ramming her head into the chest of her nearest abductor. He grunted but didn’t go down. “Shit! Grab her!” the man yelled. She found herself in the arms of not one but two men as she was hauled bodily out of the car. They continued to carry her — swearing all the way as if she was the problem — across what looked to be an underground parking garage. It was large, with polished concrete floors and dozens of vehicles. Unfortunately, she was unable to get a good look at any license plates before she was loaded into an elevator. The man she had rammed into grabbed her jaw, forcing her to look at him. “Will you calm down? Nobody’s going to hurt you,” he said. Angela yanked her head back. Her skin was already crawling from the unwanted touch. “Like I haven’t heard that before. Fuck you!” she snarled at him. He shook his head, stepping back and not saying anything else. She watched the numbers on the elevator go up and up until the doors finally opened on floor fifty. She was finally placed on her feet as the men dragged her from the elevator, down a hallway with closed doors, and into an open area with couches. She took in every detail she could, from the soft-gray walls to the plush carpet beneath her feet. She realized she was in a very expensive building, and the underground area must have been a private garage. “Hey.” Her abductor clicked his fingers in front of her face. “I’m going to untie you because you’re going to need your hands. Don’t try anything stupid, Doc,” he ordered her. Angela had no intention of listening to him, but she nodded her head, feigning submission. Her right fist shot out the moment her hands were freed, striking one of her kidnappers in the throat. The large brute of a man choked, his blue eyes going wide before he bent forward and coughed. Angela took great satisfaction in the look of shock and pain on his face as he struggled to