Page 96 of Thaddeus

If there’d ever been a time in my life I needed a miracle, it was right then.

“Okay,” Patty agreed shakily. “What do we do?”

Thank God, she was on board. I really wanted to live through this.

“Let’s talk to the others. You’re gonna have to help me convince them.”

“I don’t want to die.” Tears welled in her eyes and some of the fear I felt started to slip away.

I had to pull my shit together, even if I was deathly afraid, I couldn’t show it. Not if I wanted the women to believe we had a chance to escape.

I can do this. Come on, Emerson, you’re a really great actress. Get it together and come up with a plan.

After my short mental pep talk, I gathered all the strength I could muster. For myself, for Thaddeus, and for the women locked in this box with me, I’d put on the performance of a lifetime.

I couldn’t sit huddled in the corner and give in to my fear. I hadn’t endured ten years without Thaddeus to lose him again. Not this way. Not now. Not when his ring was on my finger and we were so close to the beautiful life he’d promised.

I closed my eyes and I swear I could hear Thad’s voice. I’m coming for you, agápi mou. That’s what he’d say. I knew it. And if he said it, he meant it.

When my eyes opened, I was ready.

I was going to fight like hell to get back to Thaddeus.

Thad

I watched in horror as two men exited my room. One holding a lifeless Emerson. The other closing the door behind them. Neither were concealing their identities. They must’ve picked the patio door lock, because they hadn’t entered the way they were leaving.

It had taken Garrett five minutes to hack into the hotel’s security and email us the footage. It had taken me longer arguing with Declan to allow me to watch it. We’d gone into a stare down, and as much as I respected Dec, I wasn’t above kicking his ass and terminating my employment with Z Corps in order to find my woman.

And the first step in finding her was watching the video of her being abducted.

“You running the men?” I asked.

“Yeah. So far nothing,” Garrett answered. The man didn’t have to be in front of me for me to feel his frustration. “Listen, Thad—”

“Don’t,” I cut him off. “Not one goddamn word. I’m holding on by a thread, I don’t want platitudes and niceties. I know you all have my back and you have hers. I know we’re gonna find her, because there is no other option. I don’t need to be told jack shit about that. I don’t need to be handled, either. So, with respect, Garrett, just find me the intel I need to bring my woman home.”

“Copy that, Thad. I’ll be in touch.” Garrett disconnected and my team was staring at me.

My barely checked temper was getting ready to snap when my phone rang.

I snatched it off the table and I didn’t bother to check the caller ID.

“Bench,” I snapped.

“She’s in Mexico, right across the border.”

“Autumn?”

“It will be faster for you to come in by boat. Literally across the border on the beach. There’s a string of cafes on the boardwalk. Third one in. There’s a sculpture of a heart. It’s blue. If you’re back is to it, you’ll see a structure that looks like storage. There are two shipping containers in there. She’s in one of them.”

“Where are you?” I asked.

“Sitting at the bar across the street.”

“Stand down,” I demanded. “We’ll be there in forty minutes tops, now you get the fuck outta there.”

“Not a chance. Word is there are buyers in town. Yesterday’s offering wasn’t up to standards and her body washed ashore this morning. Which means they’ll be going back to that container to pick another woman. I hate it for all of them, but that woman will not be my sister. I’m sitting here, watching, but I will not approach unless Emerson is tonight’s pick.”