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“Who took her?” I stand over Marco and Evangeline, my blood turning to ice as I hold the cage of three kittens in my hand. I know exactly what happened. Evangeline doesn’t even have to tell me. My enemies found out Sophia was coming here for these kittens, and they struck.
My phone rings.
I set the cage down.
It’s an unknown number. I answer.
“We have your bitch. If you want her back, give up your claim to the Estrada drug route from Colombia. If you refuse, we’ll kill her slowly and deliver each piece of her to you in a gift box.”
I hold the phone so tightly it creaks in my grip. “You’re already dead. For taking my wife, for referring to her in that manner, for even looking at her. I will have your blood on my hands.”
“Give up the claim, let the families decide who controls the coke. Agree to that, and you’ll get her back. You have twenty-four hours before we start delivering pieces.” The line goes dead.
Marco stares up at me. “Who is it?”
“Mercenaries. Red Dragoons, if I had to guess. But I’ll get confirmation soon enough, and when I find these people, I will show no mercy.” I dial a number. It sends me through a series of restricted switchbacks and false locations until the line clicks. No one answers, but I know he’s there. The only hacker in the world who can help me.
“They have my wife. Mercs. Find them. Price doesn’t matter. I’ll pay. I’m on my way to the airport. When I get to my jet, I want the coordinates in my inbox.” I end the call.
Marco lifts Evangeline in his arms, and she clings to his neck. I can tell he wants to come with me. It’s his sister who’s been taken, after all.
“I’ll bring her back.”
“I have no doubt of it.” He gives me a terse nod. “Make them suffer.”
“They will bleed for her, Marco. I promise you that.” I grab the crate of kittens and take off at a run.
I’m going to rescue my queen and destroy anyone who dares get in my way.
3
SOPHIA
I peek open one eye and try to make out where the hell I am. My whole body is heavy, but I don’t ache anywhere. I’m pretty sure I’m not tied up either. It takes my eyes a second to adjust as I notice a low humming sound.
Then it hits me. Oh God, I’m on a plane. This is not good. Through my lashes I see two men. The plane is pretty small. I try to see if Evangeline is here too. I pray she’s not.
This is a disaster. I’m in so much trouble. I know without a doubt that my husband is losing his mind right now. How the hell am I going to get myself out of this?
“I know you’re awake,” one of the men says.
“Shit, should I dose her again, Lark?” the other man asks. He takes a syringe out, ready to poke me with it.
“Let’s see if she can behave.”
I open my eyes fully and sit up from the leather bench I’d been placed on. This plane is old. The leather chairs are all worn. A musty smell lingers in the air. Whoever these guys are, they’re definitely on a budget.
“Where are we going?” I lick my dry lips. How long have I been out? My body is stiff from likely lying in the same position for a while.
“It doesn’t matter to you where we’re going.” Lark stares at me. He’s clearly in charge. Of this part of the job, at least. I don’t see him being some criminal mastermind. I’ve met a lot of powerful men and women in my life. You can always sense it. There’s a certain air about them. These men don’t have it. All my clothes are still intact, so that’s good. I reach up to touch my ear. “I got those already. The necklace and ring too.”
“So this is a robbery?” They took all of my jewelry. Are they going to ransom me next? They must be some sort of petty mercenaries. I’m almost offended.
“The jewelry was a perk.” He shrugs. “I’ll be keeping it.” He pulls my wedding ring out of his pocket. “I left the trackers that were on them behind, though.”
I let my shoulders drop, pretending to be hopeless. I need them to believe I’m not a threat. That I’m just some housewife with a powerful husband.
They really have no idea how insane my husband can be if they think that’s the only tracker he’d have on me. Nick would never settle for having something that could be so easily removed. He would have anticipated the jewelry would be the first thing to go.
When I asked Nick why he even put trackers on them, he’d told me so they’d think they’d gotten them all. I’d rolled my eyes at his answer. I was sure that my husband was being over the top. I’m going to be eating those words. He won’t even be smug about it. Nick will, however, tighten up my security more. It will be a long while before he’ll be letting me out of his sight again. That is, if I come out of this alive. These guys don’t seem terribly professional, and sloppy can get people killed. People like me.
