Swallowing hurts, but I do it anyway to get my tongue unstuck from the roof of my mouth. “Who are you?”
The man cocks his head to the right, staring at me like he is trying to make up his mind what to do with me. I want to yell at him. Demand that he let me go, but I don’t. I keep my lessons with Vance and Elio at the front of my mind.
Stay calm.
Try to earn the trust of your kidnapper.
Look for a weapon.
Find an exit.
I won’t ask him again what his name is. Instead, I wait, knowing that he took me for a reason and that soon he will tell me. I will wait him out, and in the meantime, I have to save my strength to get not only myself but the other woman out of this fucking mess. Finally, the man decides to give me something to work with.
“My name, you bitch, is Miles Grant.” I’m sure if I was standing close to him, spit would have landed on my face because of the way he snarled his answer at me.
Grant. Grant. Grant. I say the name over and over in my mind. It sounds so familiar, but the pounding is getting worse,and my thoughts are becoming more scattered by the second. Even though I don’t want them to, my eyes drift closed for only a second as more black dots dance in my vision. That is until the woman screams. I force my eyes back open and see Miles with the woman’s hair in his hands. He is pulling her face up, causing her to look at me. She has a bruise on her right cheek, dried blood under her nose, and her top lip is busted open.
“Heidi?” Recognition of the woman standing in front of me forces that tiny seed, saying, I know the name Grant, to grow. It sprouts, and everything becomes clearer. I’m not here because of what happened the night in the shed with Dean and Ned. No, I’m here because of what I did to help women get their own justice.
“Houston Grant.”
Miles lets out a deep chuckle as he lets go of Heidi’s hair. Her head drops back down as she quietly starts to sob. I want to tell her that it will all be okay. That I will get us out of here, but I’m not about to give a voice to my plan to fight. “Now you finally get it,” Miles growls. He rushes me within a second, wrapping his hands around my throat. I fall back onto my wrist, and had I been able to breathe, I would have cried out in pain, but Miles is currently keeping me from getting any air.
“You killed him, you cunt. All because that stupid bitch lied about him. And now you’re going to meet the same fate as him, but not until I have a little fun with you,” Miles says, tightening his grip on me until, once again, blackness covers me, and I pass out.
Chapter
Sixteen
GABE
The sound of deep barking right next to me has my eyes springing open. The first thing I see is Reaper standing next to my bed. All my instincts start firing instantly. The only reason Reaper would be waking me up is because something has happened to Tara. I turn the table lamp on because it’s still dark outside. Of course, the side of the bed that Tara was sleeping on is now empty, just like I feared it would be.
Turning my attention back to Reaper, I see blood streaming down his face. “What happened, boy?” Reaper lets out a low growl and crosses the room to nose Tara’s boots as if he understands what I’m asking. I’m off the bed in seconds and throwing open the closet doors. I pull down whatever shirt and pants my hands touch first.
“Come,” I say toward Reaper as I grab my phone and head downstairs. He follows me instantly, meaning he knows English and Italian commands. I pull up my contacts and call Reed. He answers on the second ring.
“What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know,” I answer honestly, jumping the last two steps. My eyes zero in on the opened back door. Reaper heads that way,and I follow him. He stops outside the door, puts his nose to the deck, and barks.
“Was that Reaper? What the fuck is going on?” Reed’s voice holds a hint of fear, and I feel it in my bones.
I bend down and look closer. “There’s blood on my deck, and Tara’s gone.”
“I’ll be there in five.”
I don’t pocket my phone nor let the memories of what happened last time Tara went missing take over like they are trying to do. Instead, I hit Demon’s number and repeat the exact conversation with him that I just had with Reed. He tells me that he and Elio are already on their way into town. They were coming to help Carlos but will now head my way. I might not have the gate surrounding my property like Reed or Nick’s high-tech system. Still, I do have cameras covering every inch of my property. Whoever fucking took my girl should be on there, and I will find them. Then I will end them.
Reaper follows me inside, where I grab my laptop and get comfortable at the dining room table. By the time the damn thing powers on and I open the software controlling the camera, the sound of my front door opening comes down through the living room. Reaper lets out a low growl, but he stops when I drop my hand on his head. “What do we have?” Reed asks, basically running to get to me.
“I’m checking the cameras now. Go grab my extra monitor out of the office.” I have a huge setup in there, but I don’t have time to move this in there. Reed takes off without being told twice. Within seconds, he is back, and the monitor is plugged in. I move the software to the bigger screen and hit a couple of keys, going back an hour seeing nothing I go back another.
Just as I hit play, the front door opens for a second time, but this time, multiple voices can be heard. Elio’s voice is the first one I can concentrate on. “No, Vance and Ricco come to me. Iwant at least five men with Ava at all times. The others need to contact Carlos’s second in command and do what he says.”
“Rodrigo, I’m sending six of Elio’s men to you. Remember what I said, no harm is to come to his girlfriend or child. I want Ned alive, but if that can’t happen, do what you have to, but we need confirmation that he is dead,” Carlos barks.
“There,” Reed says, pointing at the screen and effectively refocusing my attention on what we are doing.
