I recoiled instinctively, clenching my jaw, and doing my best not to let the full impact of his statement show on my face. Eventhough he was trying to make me feel better, in his own blunt and brutal way, it had the opposite effect.
If anything, the thought of what might have happened if things had gone differently only served to heighten my fear and confusion.
Before I said anything else, a sudden crackle filled the room, followed by the familiar voice that had been haunting me ever since my abduction, this time over the speaker.
“Enough.” The stern tone left no room for argument. “Leave her alone.”
I glanced at the guard, who looked unconcerned. He simply shrugged before turning to leave the room.
On the one hand, I was glad the conversation was over. On the other, I had been cheated out of the answers I so desperately sought.
Once the door clicked shut behind him, I slumped against the wall, momentarily overwhelmed by my situation. The guard’s words echoed in my head, reminding me just how precarious my position really was. I didn’t know who the master was or why he had taken me, but I couldn’t afford to waste any more time trying to figure it out.
I pushed away from the wall. “Who are you?” I shouted. I didn’t know if he was still listening, but it was worth a shot.
“Patience,”he said in my head after a moment.“All will be revealed in due time.”
“Due time?” I was getting sick of all this evasiveness. “I’ve been kidnapped, held captive, and now your staff is telling me I’m lucky because I could’ve ended up as someone’s sex toy? Sorry if I don’t find that particularly comforting.”
“Your anger is understandable,”he said, his voice calm.“Your situation is not as hopeless as it seems. You are here for a reason, and that reason has nothing to do with the twisted fantasies of those who seek to harm you.”
“Then, what is it?” My pulse pounded in my ears. “Why am I here?”
“Like I said before, patience.”His infuriatingly calm reply only exasperated me even more.“In time, everything will become clear.”
“Fine.” I wasn’t going to get more answers right now. “Don’t expect me to just sit here quietly and wait for you to decide I’m ready.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it,”he said with a hint of amusement.“After all, what would be the fun in that?”
“Who are you?” I asked again, slapping my palm against the wall. “Why don’t you come out and show yourself instead of hiding behind speakers?”
“I promise that tomorrow, over dinner, we will have a proper face-to-face introduction, and I will answer all your questions.”
“Tomorrow?” I couldn’t keep the incredulity from my voice. “You expect me to wait another day just to find out who you are? Why should I trust anything you say?”
“It’s not like you have much of a choice in the matter, but I can assure you that I am a man of my word. Tomorrow, you’ll get your answers. Get some rest.”
How could I rest when I was locked up in a strange place with no idea why I was here or who was keeping me here?
Despite my racing thoughts, the exhaustion from the past few days finally caught up with me. Reluctantly, I crawled into the bed. While I waited for sleep, I tried to focus on anything other than my current predicament, especially since tomorrow promised a confrontation with my mysterious captor.
99
TY
The dim glow of the fireplace cast dancing shadows on the walls of my office. Dad sat across from me, his face marred with concern and memories long buried. We were discussing the threat Liam posed to our family and whether we should take Castro’s warning seriously.
“What I did to that pack all those years ago… it was brutal but necessary at the time. I can’t imagine the hate Liam must harbor for us.” Dad rubbed his temples, clearly wrestling with his past actions.
“He wants revenge, Dad.” I leaned back in my chair, gripping the armrests hard. “Then there’s Liza. We practically kidnapped her after killing her biological parents. It’s no wonder he’s furious. But would he go as far as murder?” My wolf bristled. “Would he be willing to kill his own sister just to get back at us? If so, why kidnap her in the first place?” I asked, trying to understand Liam’s twisted plans. Dad shook his head slowly, his posture filled with uncertainty.
Before either of us could speak further, the door burst open. Nico and Isaiah strode into the room, holding rolled-upblueprints, their urgency radiating off them like heat from the sun.
“These are properties we found associated with Liam. We’ve marked the ones reported to have the most traffic.” Isaiah tapped the roll of blueprints he carried.
The men spread the paperwork all out on the table, tracing the outlines of various buildings and properties.
Nico pulled out the closest location’s layout, scanning it for any sign of weakness or vulnerability. “Let’s focus on this one first.” He tapped the paper. “It’s only a few hours away from here, and it looks like it has some potential weak spots we could exploit.”
