“I have no idea where she is. I only know she’s not here.” Now get out of Garrett’s house.
The man reaches behind the waistband of his jeans and pulls out a gun, which he points at Peony and me, sending my heartbeat skittering to a standstill, blood pooling to my feet. “Not a good enough answer.”
“I-I really don’t know where she is.”
He steps back from the doorway and gestures with a wave of the gun to the hallway. “Move!”
I do as I’m told, my mind spinning a thousand miles an hour. Garrett taught me self-defense, but none of the lessons will be of any use in this particular scenario, with Peony in my arms. Plus, the risk of her getting hurt is too high.
“We’re going for a ride.” The man points toward the front door.
Fuck. Now what? We won’t stand a chance once we get into his vehicle.
His dark expression warns me to get moving. I slowly walk to thedoor, my mind still spinning. His heavy footsteps follow me. I don’t have to look over my shoulder to know the gun is aimed at my back.
Peony hiccups a sob, her body still trembling. Her crying isn’t as loud now, but her fear pumps through my veins with the rapid beat of my heart.
“Let me put her in her room first.” As long as Peony is safe, I can breathe a little easier. Joanne should be here soon, so Peony won’t be left alone for long.
“No. She’s coming with us.” He attempts to smile at Peony, but the curve of his mouth only makes him look that much more menacing. The increased trembling of her body confirms it.
I turn from him, using my body as a shield between him and Peony, who’s perched on my hip. “Why? She’s just a toddler. She hasn’t done anything wrong.” And neither have I. Whatever his issue is with Athena, it’s exactly that—between him and her.
It has nothing to do with Peony and me.
“She’s coming with us,” he repeats, his tone not leaving room for negotiation. But that doesn’t mean I won’t try. For Peony’s sake.
“Where are we going?” I’m stalling for time while I think of a way to get him to leave without us.
His irritated frown makes it clear he has no intention of answering my question, and he gestures again with the gun for me to get moving.
If Peony was older, I could put her down and fight the man while she hid. But she’s too young to understand what I’m saying if I tell her to run and hide.
And she won’t be able to get away from him fast enough should he quickly overpower me.
He opens the front door and waits for me to step outside.
I make a move to put on my sandals.
“No shoes.” He shoves me hard in the back, sending me stumbling toward the doorjamb. I regain my balance in time to keep from slamming into the wood.
The sinking sensation in my stomach grows heavier. But even then, I pray for a miracle. Any miracle. No matter how small. Anything to help us get away.
I step onto the stoop. Any hope of escape dies a rapid death. He didn’t come here alone. A tall, white muscle-bound man in a black T-shirt and black jeans is leaning against the passenger door of the black SUV now parked on the driveway. It’s behind my car, preventing my escape should I be able to outsmart the men.
His tattooed, tanned arms are folded over his thick chest, but the gun casually held in his hand doesn’t skip my notice.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuckfuckfuckfuck.
What the hell did Athena do to bring these two men searching for her?
The dense garden of trees and shrubbery provides privacy between Garrett’s property, his neighbors, and the street. Usually, I appreciate that privacy, that sense of seclusion.
Now, it’s a prison wall, preventing everyone from seeing the danger Peony and I are in.
And now, that same thick garden, beyond the driveway and flower beds, mocks me with the possibility of escape.
A very slim possibility.
