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Derek is dead.
My brain keeps looping. I’m on a merry-go-round that I can’t get off.
Someone’s hands feel all along my sides, sliding over my arms and down my legs. My shoes are being removed and checked and placed back on. It’s Lynn. What is she doing?
“I don’t feel any wires, Doug,” Lynn says from her knees. “She’s clean.”
“I doubt that,” Luka mutters, coming to my side. “They wouldn’t let her come here unprotected.”
“Savannah,” my father snaps at me, making me look over, “Derek and Cole were in negotiations with the men who took you. They were going to hand you over for a price. The American wants you. His men are the ones who kidnapped you. He came after me…us,” he points to Lynn and Luka, “saying we needed to pay for what was taken from him. They were blackmailing me for the money. I tried to pay, but it was never enough. They nearly sucked me dry. All I wanted was to get you back, but I couldn’t find you. No one could.” He leans toward my frozen body. “I will not let them take you away from me again. Derek wouldn’t have let you stay without a fight.”
This doesn’t make sense. I can’t get my brain to work. I need to snap out of the fog.
My hands fly to my chain, but it doesn’t feel right. It doesn’t give me the comfort I need.
“The necklace,” Lynn says, reaching over and tearing it from my neck. She drops it on the floor and smashes it with the heel of her shoe.
What the hell?
Lynn bends over and picks it up. “Yup, wires.” She chucks it in the corner of the room and moves in front of me, looking into my eyes. “Savi, we need to leave. They know you’re here, don’t they?”
I don’t move a muscle, then lean to the side and vomit next to her. She jumps back, gasping in disgust.
“Shock,” I hear Luka say through a mouthful of bloody meat.
I nearly vomit again.
Lynn’s shiny shoes step toward me. “No shit, Luka. You’re as helpful as ever.”
She hands me a napkin, and that’s when I see it.
Oh my god!
The silver bracelet with the heart dangling from the center. I quickly snatch the napkin and wipe my mouth in fear I’ll lunge at her. I can’t believe she’s the mystery woman with the heart bracelet! What does this mean? Is Lynn somehow behind this? Why would she take a picture of me the same night I was taken? Why was she even there?
“We’ve got to move,” my father orders as he pulls me to my feet, my head spinning. He eyes my pin then roughly removes it, ripping my shirt in the process. He drops it in his water glass and yanks on my limp arm to follow.
“We’ve got company,” Luka says as we follow him into my father’s personal office. “They’re in the elevator.”
“Let’s go.” Lynn wraps her arm around my waist then stops.Shit.She looks over at me as she unclasps the bracelet, my last tracking device, breaking it in two. Grabbing my wrist again, she leads us through a door that I’ve never seen before. It reminds me of the one in the safe house leading to Cole’s bedroom. I force Cole out of my head. I’ve got to pull myself together, but I’m still reeling from the memory of Derek’s lifeless body in the dining room.
After several flights of stairs, we are in the parking lot where my father’s limo is waiting.
“Savannah!” Everyone turns to see Paul holding a pistol pointed at us. “Let her go.”
“You’ve done enough damage, Agent Paul,” my father yells back.
Paul looks directly at me. “Savannah, walk toward me.”
I’m so confused, and physically nothing is working. I just stand there, not sure if I am up or down, left or right. I wish I could snap out of this fog.
“More are coming,” Luka whispers with his phone to his ear.
“Savannah, walk toward me,” Paul repeats.
I feel my father shift as if shielding me with his body, and I hear that godforsakenpopnoise and see Paul plummet to the ground.
“No!” I scream and try to rush over to Paul, but my father hooks his arm around my waist and pulls me to the car. “No! Paul!” He shoves me in and jumps in after me.
