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“See,” Levi muttered, “the streets will be flooded.”
I damn well hoped they found Madisen in time. Millar was a loose cannon and not one we planned for. One thing was for sure: Derek was going to kill Millar very, very slowly.
Madisen
I think a day had passed since Millar had taken me. During that, I’d slept most of it, healing the wounds I’d gained. My body was black and blue where the seat belt had cut into me. It hurt to breathe, and I believed my ribs were bruised. Millar had left me alone and uncuffed, which meant I had been free to explore the room. There wasn’t much there, but even so, it didn’t pay to underestimate a McKenzie. Thinking of myself as such made me feel stronger. The room had two doors; one led to the hallway and one to a tiny closet of a bathroom. It was there I’d seen the old curtain hanging on a wire.
After taking it down, there had been nothing else to strip the covering with, and I had ended up chewing through it. I’d need a dentist after this. Furthermore, only having one hand didn’t help. Between my left hand and teeth, I managed to untwist the wires and break one off. I hung the curtain back up, not wanting Millar to be suspicious should he check on me.
Darkness had fallen ages ago, and I waited until the house fell silent.
Since he’d left me there, nobody had spoken to me except to open the door, check I was there, and then lock it again. I had drunk water from the small sink, but I was starving. Not eating didn’t help my healing, but sleep had.
I sat for another half an hour and then crept to the door. Slowly, I tried to pick the lock, and as minutes ticked past, I wanted to cry.
With my right hand, this would have been so easy. But I’d never practiced with my left, and it was so much harder. The throbbing in my hand, shoulder, head, and ribs did not help either. Millar’s men hadn’t given me any painkillers. Sadistic bastards.
Finally, there was a click. A sigh of relief escaped me as I twisted the handle, and the door slowly opened. I peered outside into the dark hallway and didn’t see anyone. Quietly shutting the door behind me, I crept down the hallway, alert to any sort of movement or noise.
I stepped towards the stairs, and that’s when I saw the first man. He was standing at the front door, clearly keeping watch. Shit, to get downstairs, I had to get past him. There was no other escape. The window in my bedroom had been nailed shut, so this was it. I choked on a laugh as the guy pulled out a cigarette and stepped outside. None of my father’s men would ever have been so stupid. On tiptoes, I moved rapidly down the steps and hid in the shadows. I could see the red glow of the end of the cigarette. Remaining on my tiptoes, I crept down the hallway, figuring there had to be a back door to this place.
Finding the kitchen next, I swallowed a groan when I saw the guard on the door and then, as I hid, the front door opened and shut.
Footsteps headed towards me, and I looked frantically around in the darkness. My left hand caught on a handle, and I opened the door and darted inside. The smell made me gag instantly, but I closed the door, trapping myself in with it. Nasty smells I could handle; being found, I couldn’t.
Two men spoke outside the door, and I froze in place. Dim light shone through a window, and I realised I was in a basement.
Chapter Twelve.
Levi
It had been thirty-six hours. A day and a half since Madisen had been snatched, and nobody had found a trace of her. Somehow, Millar had avoided cameras and was now hiding somewhere with his woman. Was Madisen suffering? Was she hurt? Levi’s mind tortured him over and over with the same questions. He’d barely slept, ready for the call that would say they’d located her. Despite Chance’s phone continuously ringing, there’d been nothing.
The one piece of good news was that Riley and Dane had both woken up and were going to be okay. Derek’s other three brothers had arrived and joined in the search efforts, and despite several hundred people looking for her, Madisen remained missing.
He sat in Hellfire’s church, needing to be alone. If he lost Madisen, he’d lose everything. Levi couldn’t bear the thought of not seeing her smile or hearing her laughter ever again.
Someone entered church and grasped his shoulder tightly before sitting down next to him. He looked up into the understanding eyes of Bear.
“When Thalia was taken, I felt sick, unable to concentrate. And we didn’t have the people out looking for Thalia like we do Madisen,” Bear said.
“Because we thought we knew where Thalia was,” Levi replied remotely.
“Yup.”
“We have no clue where Millar is. There are no ties to him here. The fucker may even have left the state now.”
“Not likely. We got every route covered. Millar’s still around here. I had a thought, and we’ve got Leila tracking any property that has been bought recently that would fit the parameters we’re looking at,” Bear said.
“Houses sell every day. That is a needle in a haystack, brother. I appreciate it, but I don’t think it will find her,” Levi replied.
“Yeah, but Millar’s gonna need somewhere isolated, not large, as that could catch attention. And with an easy escape route. Leila’s narrowing the list down,” Bear said.
Levi sat up. This was the first glimmer of hope he’d had.
“You think she’s going to find something?”
“No,” Bear stated. Levi deflated. “I know she is.”
