As I moved toward him, a slew of emotions rushed through me. Anger at Castro for putting us in this position. Guilt for betraying Ty and Liam by coming here alone. Underneath it all, a simmering promise that no matter what happened next, I would make sure Sabrina walked away from this nightmare unscathed.
I shifted and simply pretended I wasn’t stark naked. “Very well,” I said through a tight mouth, stopping just a few feet in front of Castro. “Now, let her go.”
His eyes glittered with amusement as he studied me, clearly enjoying the power he held over us. For a moment, I was afraidhe’d change his mind and that he’d decide Sabrina’s life wasn’t worth sparing after all. Then, with a cruel smile, he released her.
“Please, Liza, don’t.” Sabrina sobbed. “There has to be another way.”
My gaze flicked between Sabrina and Castro, his smug grin only fueling my resolve.
“Stay strong, Sabrina,” I said, my voice barely audible. “I promise you everything will be okay.”
With that, I took a determined step toward Castro. The ground shifted beneath my feet as though acknowledging the gravity of my decision.
His evil eyes gleamed with satisfaction, but I refused to let him see how much he affected me. I was doing this for Sabrina, and no one else.
“Good girl,” Castro purred, sickeningly sweet. “Now, come closer.”
“Let her go first,” I said, my tone unwavering. If he thought I was going to blindly follow his orders without securing Sabrina’s safety, he was sorely mistaken.
“Fine,” he reluctantly said, pushing Sabrina savagely toward a broken tree stump as she screamed.
Castro reached out and grabbed me, holding me tightly to him, the lecherous look in his eyes making me sick to my stomach.
I had to trust my plan.
122
TY
Asudden jolt tore me from my sleep, and an inexplicable sense of dread washed over me. My ears strained for any sound as my heart hammered. The first thing I noticed was the cold, empty space beside me.
“Liza?” I called out. Even as I said her name, I realized I couldn’t sense her presence in the house.
I bolted upright, my instincts screaming that something was wrong. The sheets tangled around my legs as I stumbled out of bed, my senses sharpening, trying to pick up any trace of her. Instead, the silence felt oppressive, like a soundproof dome had been placed over the room. With each inhale, I tasted the stale air. It held no scent of her.
“Damn it,” I muttered, my frustration mounting. Liza’s disappearance didn’t make sense. I pushed open the bedroom door, my footsteps echoing through the empty hallways. The wooden floorboards creaked beneath me, but I barely heard them over the blood pounding in my ears. When I reached the stairs, I caught a glimpse of moonlight filtering through the windows.
“Where are you, Liza?” I whispered, more to myself than anyone else. I needed to find her. The thought of anything happening to her had fear stampeding through me, but I couldn’t do this alone. I needed Liam.
“Liam!” I hollered, the sound echoing through the house. “Wake the hell up!”
In mere seconds, Liam appeared in the doorway, his eyes wide and alert, his chest heaving as though he’d just awoken from a nightmare. “What’s wrong?”
“Liza’s gone.”
“Shit.” Liam cursed again, running his fingers through his disheveled hair. “We have to find her.”
“Damn right we do.” I paced back and forth, my body as taut as a bowstring. “She must’ve gotten a message from Castro and went to him instead of telling us. Why the hell would she do that when we had such a solid plan?”
“Maybe we’re missing something.” Liam rubbed at his stubbled jaw, his expression troubled. “Either way, we have to find her. Now.”
“Agreed.” We shared a look of determination before setting off through the house. The air was thick with tension, making it hard for me to breathe, or maybe that was just the fear. Whatever the cause, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Liza was in grave danger, and it was up to us to save her.
“Any ideas on where she could be?” Liam asked, his voice tight as we raced down the hallway.
I glanced at the clock, my heart pounding. It had only been an hour since we’d gone to bed. Liza couldn’t have gone far. I tried to shove down the panic and took a deep breath.
“Let’s check the house first,” I said.
