“Before I passed out again, I truly thought I was being taken somewhere to be killed. The next time I woke, it was in the van with you.”
Rowan swallowed several times before she could go over her experience. He throat was so dry between the drugs and no water. “I got up early Friday to go for a run. I saw a man twice downtown watching me. He wasn’t wearing a mask. He is very large, dark hair, flattop. I was too far away to make out more than that. I thought I was being paranoid.”
Rowan briefly considered that the man was somehow connected to Delton’s dark web filth and had tracked her from the site. The possibility had paralyzed her for a moment. She’d been able to shake it off thanks to her weekly online therapy sessions. Dr. Sehoy said it was perfectly normal to feel fear. The doctor encouraged her to acknowledge that the fears were valid but to recognize that Rowan could control how they affected her.
“So,” Rowan continued, “I kept jogging toward the River Park trails. Do you know where that is?”
“It’s been years, but yes.”
“I stopped on one of the trails to answer a text and was grabbed from behind. I realize now, it was the man I’d seen following me. There was another man on the trail, too. The big guy called him G and told him to give me a shot. The man holding me said that if my boyfriend William gave his boss what they wanted then they would let me go. If William didn’t, he would get to keep me.” Rowan still shuddered at his words.
“So, you were taken because they still believed you were seeing each other, and I was probably taken because Will would be honor-bound to free the mother of his children. Good Lord, what a mess. Stanton Industries designs new tech and security programs. I suppose someone, somewhere, wants to steal a design.”
“William would never do anything shady?”
“Never. Absolutely never. Our children work in the business. He would never jeopardize their safety, and of course, he wouldn’t do anything that would hurt Owen, his father.”
“Then there’s really nothing to do but wait. Surely, whoever had us taken has already contacted Will. I’m not sure how much time has passed. I’m worried that they gave us more shots than we know of. It might have been less than a day or days for all we know.”
“I did get a little water once. You weren’t in the trunk with me then. I was taken Thursday night. You were taken at least twelve hours later. You’re right though, we don’t have any idea how long we’ve been drugged.”
“We definitely haven’t eaten in quite some time. My stomach feels like it’s caving in on itself and—” Rowan abruptly cut off her whisper, stiffening at the squeak of stairs. She wanted answers, but she also didn’t want the men who had stripped her clothes from her unconscious body to come anywhere near her.
Light blinded her when a door on the opposite side of the room swung open. She could just make out two blurry images crowding into what was definitely a basement. Windowless as far as she could tell. As her eyes adjusted, she quickly glanced to her left, about six feet away, Katy sat, leaning against the metal pole that her wrist was cuffed to. They shared a look before focusing on their kidnappers.
Rowan was relieved to see they each were carrying a bottle of water. Her throat was painfully dry. The biggest man saunteredtoward Rowan while G went to Katy, handing her the water bottle and what looked like a protein bar. Her stomach let out a low rumble causing the big one to smirk. Only G was wearing a mask. Big guy hadn’t bothered—that scared her more than anything had so far.
Why would a criminal let their victim see their face? Did he not expect them to be released? He stopped right in front of her knees and bent to clasp the back of her head in a painful grip, positioning her face toward his.
“Thirsty, Miss Byrne?” His voice sounded low and smokey.
Rowan swallowed, fear making her already parched throat burn. “Yes.” He took the bottle and rubbed it slowly across her lips. She didn’t dare breathe, praying this monster would stop touching her.
He kneeled on the floor, his legs touching hers. “I bet Stanton only needs one of you back. What does he need two women for? Would you like to stay with me instead,” he bent to whisper the last in her ear.
Even though her body was quaking in fear, the thought of what this man was suggesting…“I would rather be dead.” Instead of becoming angry, he looked amused.
“I like my women feisty. I bet you’ll be hell to break in bed. You should know—I’m extraordinarily patient.” Standing and addressing she and Katy both, he announced, “In case you’re under the impression that this will be over soon, you should know that my boss isn’t even going to send a ransom until you’ve enjoyed my company for seven whole days,” he chuckled at our gasps. “Four more to go, ladies.”
He finally dropped the water and protein bar next to her feet, backing up a few steps. My God, they’d been drugged for three days already. Her sisters, Nan and Hugh, had been frantic for seventy-two hours.
“Are we still in Oklahoma?” Rowan dared to ask.
He grinned, the scar on his cheek pulling his skin at odd angles. “While you ladies napped for three days, we’ve crossed into seven different states. I don’t want to be found, which means I won’t be. If I were to take you, no one would ever find us again. I’m very good at disappearing.” He and G moved to the door. He stilled with his hand on the doorknob. “We’ll be back in a couple of hours to help you ladies to the bathroom. You’ll have to be watched closely, of course.”
“I won’t need to go.” Rowan was sickened by the delighted grin on his face.
“No need for modesty. G and I helped you two take a piss yesterday. You both were so doped up you didn’t mind flashing us the good stuff. See you soon, well, maybe not too soon. G and I decided to spend a little money at the strip club around the corner. All those naked ladies will probably make us eager to see you.”
Nausea dipped fear tightened her stomach. He grinned after that parting threat. Once he flipped the lights off and shut the door, Katy and she were in complete darkness again, blacker than before after the bright light.
It felt like being trapped in Hell. If Hell was cold and colorless.
She heard Katy whimper. Rowan laid down on the cold, hard floor, curling her body into a ball, the bottle of water and protein bar forgotten. That man didn’t plan on letting her go. Worse was considering what might happen in a few hours.
25
“What do you mean?” Hugh demanded. Dean was updating Detective Jeffreys, Stanton, Hugh, his sons, and Rowan’s sisters about the intel on BlackOut, the tech company in Canada suspected of being behind the kidnapping.
