“Better than nothing,” I said, grabbing a few and clutching them tightly.
The bathroom was my best option, being the most secure place in this unfamiliar prison because it locked from the inside. Grabbing the blankets and pillows from the bed, I shuffled into the bathroom and locked the door behind me with a resolute click.
“Ty, where are you?” I whispered as I sank down to the cold tile floor, my back pressed against the door. The thought of him out there, searching for me, gave me a small measure of comfort.
I wrapped myself in the blankets, shivering despite their warmth. The hard floor beneath me and the chill of the tiles werenothing compared to the fear that tightened its grip on my heart. As I lay there, I thought about my brothers. Ever since we were kids, Mason and Michael had always been so protective of me. If they knew what was happening, they’d tear the world apart to find me.
I forced my mind away from the terror before it could consume me. I’d faced worse than this. I’d get through this.
Sleep was fleeting and restless, filled with nightmares of shadowy figures, and cold, unforgiving eyes. It felt like mere minutes later when footsteps outside my door jolted me awake.
“Is someone there?” I called.
“Stay calm,”that familiar voice in my head said, spiking my fear even more.“You’re not alone.”
“Who are you?” Damn it. I wanted to see the person behind the voice. All I got in response was silence—a silence that stretched on for an eternity.
“Please.” Tears stung my eyes. “Tell me what’s going on.”
“Tomorrow,”the voice was, gentle but firm.“All will be revealed tomorrow.”
With a heavy heart and a resolve made of steel, I tried to sleep again. Tomorrow would be a new day. One thing was for sure—I would not back down. I would fight with everything I had to get back to Ty and my family, no matter the cost.
97
TY
The scent of blood permeated my nostrils when I stepped into Liza’s parents’ house. Isaiah was right behind me, his concern and anger etched on his face.
“Where is she?” My voice shook with barely contained fury. The once warm and inviting kitchen looked like a war zone. Glass crunched under our feet with every step we took. The table, where I’d shared so many meals with Liza’s family, lay on its side, the chairs tossed across the room, and there were splatters of blood everywhere. The bitter taste of fear and helplessness coated my mouth, making it difficult to swallow.
“Stay calm,” Isaiah said, placing a hand on my shoulder. His touch was meant to be reassuring, but all I wanted to do was to find and tear apart whoever had taken Liza and hurt her loved ones. “We’ll find her,” he added quietly as he began inspecting the wreckage, his sharp gaze scanning for any clues that might lead us to Liza.
I took a shaky breath to regain some semblance of control, but my wolf was agitated, pacing restlessly within me. The need to protect Liza, to have her safe in my arms, gnawed at my very being.
Isaiah gestured to something on the floor. I moved closer, clenching my jaw at the torn piece of Liza’s shirt, the delicate material stained with blood. The metallic tang of blood rose in the back of my throat when I picked up the fabric.
“Who did this?” I growled, my vision blurring.
Liza’s laughter, her smile, the way her face lit up when she was happy… those images haunted me now, taunting me with the possibility I might never see her again.
I looked up at a security camera mounted in the corner of the room. “Maybe we can find something on the footage.”
We huddled around the screen in the tiny security room. We needed to find Liza, and we needed to find her now.
“Got it.” Isaiah’s fingers flew over the keyboard as he pulled up the video feed from earlier that day. I scanned the screen for any clue that might lead us to Liza’s captors.
“Wait, pause it right there.” I pointed to one of the figures on the screen. Isaiah complied, and I leaned in closer, squinting at the image. “Can you enhance that? I think I recognize him.”
“Yeah, just give me a minute,” Isaiah clicked a few more buttons, then the enlarged image filled the screen. As the face came into focus, my blood turned to ice. It was Liam, Liza’s brother. The bastard had taken her right from under our noses.
“Son of a bitch.” I growled, clenching my fists so tightly, my knuckles turned white. “Liam.”
“Who?” Isaiah asked, confused.
“Liza’s brother. He must have planned all of this. If that son of a bitch is involved, God knows what else he has planned for her. Fuck!” I slammed my fist onto the table. “We need to find her.”
Liam stared at the camera with an alarming intensity. He’d taken her. It ignited a rage within me I couldn’t tamp down. If he hurt Liza, I’d tear him apart limb by limb.
