by Morgan James
A combination of fatigue and anxiety pulled at me, and my lashes fluttered. I needed to stay awake—figure out how the hell I was going to get out of here. Of their own volition, my lids closed again and I forcefully blinked them open wide, snapping to attention. I needed to focus. I needed to...
Exhaustion hovered over me, settling deep into my bones. I allowed my eyes to drift closed, and the heavy darkness of unconsciousness wrapped around me like a cloak. I had to fight back—and I would. Soon...
MY EYES FLEW OPEN A scant second before my body was thrown forward, and a sound of surprise lodged in my throat as I was tossed to the floor like a ragdoll. I landed face-first with a hard jolt, and a horrific roaring sound from all around me filled my ears. Stars danced in front of my eyes; it felt like my brain was rattling around my brain inside my skull as I rolled awkwardly to my back. The light strips lining the cabin overhead flickered to life, and I blinked at the sudden brightness.
It took me a minute to figure out what had happened as the airplane began to slow to a halt. We were here—wherever here was—and I must have slipped from the seat when the pilot hit the brakes. My arms were still strapped behind my back, and I rolled to my left hip to take the pressure off my shoulders. I scooted my feet beneath me and awkwardly pushed up on one elbow until I could lever myself up into a sitting position.
I staggered to my feet, then slid back into my seat all the way at the back of the plane, taking a minute to get my bearings. The aircraft was small, separated into just a handful of seats, but I couldn’t see who was in front of me, and I didn’t hear anyone speaking or moving around. No one had seemed at all concerned about my fall, which was disconcerting but not necessarily surprising.
All of a sudden, a figure rose from the front row, and my breath caught in my chest as the man turned toward me. My stomach clenched, and a surge of hatred rose up as Spencer met my gaze. His eyes were cold, devoid of emotion.
“I should have guessed you would be involved,” I said as he stopped next to my seat.
Spencer didn’t say a word, just wrapped one hand around my arm and pulled me from my seat. “Let’s go.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you,” I snapped.
I resisted, pulling against him, and he leaned forward, his face close to mine. “You don’t understand how this works. They give the instructions, and we follow them. You need to cooperate before they kill both of us.”
Dread curdling in my stomach, I reluctantly allowed him to pull me to my feet and guide me from the plane. Two large black SUVs waited on the tarmac, and a handful of men, dressed in black and armed to the teeth, surrounded the vehicles.
Another man slid from the backseat of the SUV in front and sent a cold smile Spencer’s way. “You were due in half an hour ago.”
I recognized the face from the dossiers Fox had been working through. It was something fancy and pretentious. Sebastian.
“Yeah, well, they had an issue with the first plane and it pushed us behind schedule.”
Sebastian shrugged, and his gaze landed on me. I repressed a shudder at the way his dark eyes slid over me from head to toe. “Looks like your wife,” the man remarked.
“I’m his sister-in-law,” I spat.
Spencer squeezed my arm. “Shut up, Eva.”
I watched as the flicker of surprise crossed Sebastian’s face. Yeah, I hadn’t expected my mother to sell me out, either.
“Big plans for me?” I taunted. “I hope you know what you’re doing. You won’t live to see morning if you touch me.”
Spencer gave me a little shove. “Just get in the fucking car.”
“Push me around some more, you abusive prick,” I threw back at him. “We all know what you did to Elle.”
Even with only the glow of headlights, I could see the tinge of anger sweeping up Spencer’s face, and a muscle ticked in his jaw. “Shut your mouth.”
“You’re worthless,” I spat. “No wonder she wanted to divorce you.”
The words had barely left my mouth when his palm connected with the side of my face. I stumbled backward under the force of the blow, and my feet, still unsteady from the combination of the drugs coursing through my system and the flight, got tangled up beneath me. I toppled backward, and pain exploded across the back of my scalp as my head connected with something hard. The breath left my lungs when I dropped to the pavement, flat on my back, everything spinning in a vicious circle around me. Light danced before my eyes, mingling with the stars dotting the vast navy expanse overhead.
Every cell of my body ached, but I didn’t have time to recover as a hand latched onto my arm and yanked me to my feet. Spencer grabbed my hands where they were bound behind my back and jerked them upward. I let out a stifled shriek as my shoulders protested the unnatural angle, and my knees buckled, sending me hurtling face-forward toward the pavement again.
Thank God Spencer still held my wrists, saving me from more damage to my face as he caught me and dragged me back up. I could taste blood, and I swept my tongue over my lips, wincing when I found the sensitive spot that had been split open. As my vision began to clear, I shot a quick glance at the guards standing around in a semi-circle. All wore identical expressions of disinterest, as if this was something they encountered every day. They would be no help, then.
My cheek stung and my head throbbed, but I dredged up the effort to pull back my shoulders and face them head-on. “Disgusting, all of you. And you call yourselves men.”
Although I was expecting it, the blow to my ribs took my breath away and I crumpled to the ground. Spencer loomed over me, his handsome face twisted into a sneer. “Just don’t know when to quit, do you?”
My insides seized and I curled into myself, trying to ward off the pain radiating through my body. I knew talking back would only make things worse, but I refused to go down without a fight. “Fuck you.”
From somewhere behind me, a smooth, cultured voice that I was beginning to recognize as Sebastian’s chuckled. “I like this one. She’ll be fun to break in.”
The implication made my blood run cold. Fox had told me something similar once, but there was a world of difference between the two men. While Fox banished every insecurity, every reservation I’d ever had, he’d broken down the old shell I’d been living in. He’d made me stronger, better. Sebastian and Spencer were depraved; they thrived on pain and misery, and I didn’t doubt Sebastian for a second. He would derive great pleasure in trying to break me.
“Shame we couldn’t have just killed you.” Spencer leaned down and fisted one hand in my hair. I grimaced as tears sprang to my eyes, but I refused to let them out as he pulled me to my feet. “You’re even more obnoxious than your sister. I thought Fox would have straightened you out, but you’re a crafty little bitch, aren’t you? You may have escaped him, but I guarantee you won’t be so lucky this time.”
The way he said it stirred something in my mind. Did he know that Fox and I were together—that we were married? Though I was tempted to scream it aloud, I clamped down on the urge, holding the information close to my chest. It could be my salvation—or my death sentence. Until I had a better grip on the situation, I would just keep quiet.
I was acutely aware of how much Fox despised Spencer—he wouldn’t hesitate to kill him, especially after what Spencer had done to me tonight. What would Spencer do if he knew I was married? Would he convince the others to let me go? Or would they kill me and risk his vengeance? It was worth a try. Maybe I could get Spencer alone, explain to him that Fox was my husband.
“No smart remark to that?”
I met Spencer’s antagonistic gaze and forced myself to play along, acting the subservient captive. “No.”
His eyes narrowed suspiciously, and he grabbed the back of my neck, then marched me toward the first SUV. “Let’s go. You’ve wasted enough of my time tonight.”
Spencer forced me into the backseat, shoving me into the middle. He climbed in behind me, while a guard slid into the seat beside the window. It was a
smart tactic, trapping me in the middle so I couldn’t escape. I stared out the windshield, seething with anger as two more men climbed into the front. Having my hands tied behind my back limited my options to fight back. Being surrounded by armed guards narrowed those possibilities to almost nonexistent.
Sebastian and the remaining guards piled into the other SUV, and we pulled out of the tiny airfield. I wondered if anyone had been there watching. Wasn’t that some kind of regulation—that they had to be manned any time a plane came in? The better question was—would anyone report the things they’d seen? Spencer and Sebastian obviously had the means to pay people to turn their heads, especially if my mother was truly the one pulling the strings.
The thought made me sick all over again. My father was crooked, but my mother was... evil. I couldn’t believe she’d sacrificed me knowing full well the ramifications. If these men had their way tonight, I wouldn’t see the light of another day.
I prayed with every fiber of my being that Fox would already be looking for me. Although I wasn’t certain of the exact time, I was sure that by now, he had to know that something was wrong. I’d been kidnapped, and I feared that Rodrigo was dead. I refused to focus on him right now; I needed to think about how to escape or at least draw this out until Fox found me. My cell phone had been taken, so there was no way to track me that way. I cursed myself for not telling him I was going to visit my mother—at least then he would have had a lead.
We drove for what felt like hours, winding through the dark, rugged wilderness. We passed through one small town, then turned off, heading deeper and deeper into the woods. All semblance of life disappeared. There were no houses, no lights... no one to run to for help. We bumped along over ruts and tree roots, and gravel pinged softly against the undercarriage as climbed northward.
We finally crested a hill, and the house came into view in the bright moonlight. The SUVs parked in front of the house and Spencer grabbed my arm, then dragged me from the vehicle. My arms ached from being bound behind me, but the pain was no match for the fear coursing through my veins. One of the men moved ahead of us through the dark and unlocked the door. The night was cold, and I shivered, goosebumps spreading over my arms and legs.
Spencer’s fingers dug into my skin as he shoved me up the two wide steps and into the cabin. The guards moved efficiently, turning on lights and building the fire. I glanced around, taking in everything as Spencer led me through a large living room, past a set of stairs that led to the second floor, then down a short hallway. There were several doors on each side, and he pushed me through the last one on the left before flipping on the overhead light.
“Make yourself comfortable,” he said as he turned and walked out.
Once he was gone, I moved toward the window, inspecting every inch of the room.
“Planning your escape?” My heart stuttered as Sebastian appeared in the doorway, his dark eyes locked on mine. “You can try to run. You can try to hide. But you won’t leave this house.”
I steeled my spine as I stared back at him. “Killing me would be a mistake.”
A slow smile lifted his mouth, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. “And why is that?”
“My mother is the mayor of Chicago. What do you think the media will say when both of her daughters disappear?”
He stepped closer and shrugged. “No one has to find out. A picture could appear on your social media from time to time, showing you flitting around Europe. No one would ever be the wiser.”
It was on the tip of my tongue to tell him about Fox, but I still wasn’t sure that he wouldn’t just kill me quicker and get rid of the evidence that I’d ever been with them. “If you think you’ll get away with this, you’re wrong. They’re already on to you. Your time’s running out.”
“We’ll see about that.” A cold smile curved his mouth as he closed the distance between us. One hand trailed up my thigh, and I sucked in a breath as he delved beneath the hem of my skirt.
I shifted to move away from him but his forearm was suddenly across my throat, pinning me to the wall. I jerked as he forced his knee between both of mine, forcing my legs open and shoving his hand between my legs. I couldn’t stop the tears that sprang to my eyes as he pushed my panties aside and cupped my center. His fingers slid between my folds, and I clenched my eyes closed at the harsh intrusion, unwilling to let him see me cry. My stomach roiled and I gagged as bile rose up, threatening to send my lunch splattering all over his expensive suit. I let out a stifled shriek as his hand moved to my clit then pinched—hard.
Sebastian released me and I slumped back against the wall, terror streaming through my veins as he leaned close. “That’s just a taste of things to come. And trust me—by the time we’re done with you, Eva, you’ll wish you were dead.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Fox
We arrived in the wee hours of the morning while the moon was still high in the sky. As I had requested, someone had procured a vehicle, and it sat in the corner of the lot. With a nod, I sent Xavier and Callum ahead, and they looked over every inch of it. William watched on curiously as Xavier dropped to the pavement and swept the light of his flashlight over the undercarriage.
“What's he doing?”
I threw a look his way, marveling at how he could be so naïve. “Looking for GPS devices, bombs, anything that could delay us.”
His eyes widened at the mention of bombs, as if the possibility had never even occurred to him. While Xavier checked underneath, Callum retrieved the key from the back tire and opened the cab. He popped the hood and checked inside the engine compartment before signaling that it was all clear. Xavier followed with a similar motion, and I jerked my head at William. “Let's go.”
He and I climbed into the back, while Callum slid into the driver seat, Xavier on the passenger side.
I looked at William. “Where do we go from here?”
“Turn right out of the lot.” William pointed off to the side. “There’s a two-lane highway a few miles up that will take you most of the way there.”
For the next hour, we drove in near silence, all of us tense and worried. Every second that ticked by increased my irritation. William stared out the window, watching for familiar roads and landmarks. Finally, he pointed off to the left. “I think it's this road.”
Callum made the turn, and headlights swept over the pitted country road, lined with trees on both sides. We drove for several more miles, William glancing side to side in agitation. “I know it's here somewhere,” he murmured.
“You better not be leading us on some wild goose chase,” I warned.
He threw me a dark look. “I want to help her as much as you do.”
“Coming from you, that doesn't mean much,” I snapped. “Six months ago you traded her to absolve your debts.”
“I told you before—” he started.
“Your word means nothing to me,” I cut him off. “You have two choices: either find my wife, or I gut you and leave you in the woods for the animals.”
“I don't know!” he cried out. “I was only here once, and everything looks different in the dark.”
I pulled my knife from the sheath inside my shin. “Think harder!”
William jumped, his eyes flashing with fear as they landed on the sharp blade. “Jesus, Fox, please!”
I pressed the blade to his throat. “Last chance.”
“I'm trying! I... Wait!” His gaze sharpened as he stared out the windshield, then pointed. “Take a right up there!”
Callum flicked a look in the rearview mirror before turning down a narrow dirt and gravel road. Dust kicked up behind the car, and the moon overhead was obscured by the canopy of trees. We hadn’t passed a single house—not even another car—in the entire time we’d been on the road. If they wanted privacy, they’d certainly found it out here. Instead of reassuring me, it only made me more anxious.
Privacy meant no one to overhear screams for help. The thought sent ice sluicing through my vein
s, and I looked at William. “Look familiar yet?”
“I-I think so,” he nodded, and his Adam’s apple bobbed when the blade of the knife scraped his skin.
My lip curled into a sneer as I studied him. “Better hope Callum’s a good driver, otherwise...”
Another minute passed before William nodded frantically. “This—this is it. The cabin should be just a few miles up.”
“Good.” Callum steered the SUV off the road, concealing it as best he could behind some dense foliage that grew along the side of the road. Xavier looped a zip tie into a large circle, then passed it between the seats to me.
“No, please, I—” William was already shaking his head, but he stopped abruptly when I pressed the knife deeper into the flesh of his throat.
“Hands behind your back.” He did as I asked, slowly maneuvering both hands to his lower back where I looped the tie over his wrists and secured them together.
As I worked, I spoke to my men. “Find our coordinates and check his information.”
Up front, Xavier pulled out a tablet, checking our current coordinates against any known residences listed.
“Boss.” He passed the tablet over the seat to me. “Looks to be about a mile and half northeast. All wooded, terrain’s about a forty-degree incline.”
I quickly scanned the screen, then nodded. “Let’s go.”
I turned back to William and delivered a final warning. “Don't do anything stupid. You try to run, you call for help, you even fucking breathe wrong and I will kill you.”
With a flick of my wrist, the blade of the knife I still held slashed through his shirt, and blood welled along the shallow cut.
“Son of a bitch!”
“That's for Eva,” I said as I stepped from the car. “If anything happens to her, you can expect far worse than that.”
Leaving William alone and cuffed in the backseat, Xavier, Callum, and I moved ahead on foot. We were woefully under-armed, considering the circumstances. I had no idea how many people would be at the cabin, but I was betting we’d be grossly outnumbered. The pilot was one I knew and we'd at least been able to pay him off so we could smuggle our firearms aboard.