Then I saw the blood smear on the wall.
I dragged in several breaths. Then a few more.
Fuck. She was hurt. My hands clenched into fists. My raw knuckles twinged.
“Cole.” Nash gripped my shoulder.
“Cole, get a lock on it.” Landon’s voice was low and calm. Like he was talking to a wild animal.
“You won her in a fight tonight?” Nash asked carefully.
“Her name’s Lili Armstrong. Her father’s a trainer. He owed Chadwick Goodyear money and offered Lili up to settle the debt.”
Nash cursed ripely. They all knew about Goodyear.
“Kamensky wanted Lili, and Goodyear made her the prize to encourage him to win the fight. I decided that wasn’t happening.” I looked around the room. “I was going to get her car and things in the morning, then she was leaving town.” I met his gaze. “I thought she was safe.”
“Two guys in suits busted in, dragged her out. On the security footage, she looked dazed.”
“They’ll belong to Goodyear,” I clipped out. “I want to see the footage.”
Nash looked at Landon, something passing between them.
“Nash, I want to fucking see it.”
He nodded, then pulled out a tablet. I watched as he pulled up the feed from the hallway security camera.
When I saw the men half carrying her down the corridor, rage coiled in my gut. It was like a damn cobra, ready to strike. Her head was lolling to her chest, and she was only wearing my T-shirt. Her legs were bare and she wasn’t wearing any shoes. There were clear spots of blood on the tee, but I couldn’t see where she was hurt.
“I was supposed to get her safe.” Dark calm descended over me. “I have to get her back.”
Nash gripped my shoulder again. “We’ll help you.”
Landon nodded. “Whatever it takes.”
“Let’s get down to the security room,” Nash said. “Find what they were driving and where they took her.”
I was supposed to keep her safe and I’d failed.
I wouldn’t fail her again.
CHAPTER 7
LILI
Blinking my eyes, I came awake with a hard jolt.
My heart raced as I scanned the room. It looked like an ordinary bedroom, with wood floors, and heavy curtains over the windows, but there was no furniture. I was curled up on the hard floor, and everything ached. As I shifted, I heard the clank of metal and felt coolness on my wrists.
I was handcuffed.
Panic fluttered in the base of my throat. I closed my eyes. The back of my head throbbed a little where I’d hit the wall in my hotel room. I lifted my hands awkwardly and probed my head. There was some blood matted in my hair, but it seemed like it had stopped bleeding.
Cole’s T-shirt and my panties were the only things I had on. I was cold, goosebumps skating up my arms.
I had no idea where I was. The men who’d dragged me out of the Avernus belonged to Goodyear. I swallowed, my throat tight. They’d stuffed me in the backseat of a car, and covered me with a blanket. They’d kept me covered when they’d brought me in here. Wherever here was.
A little light seeped around the edge of the curtains, so I guessed it was morning.
