“You sure? The tracker says she’s right there.”
“Alexis Paige!” My voice rings out, echoing through the forest around me. “If you’re hiding from Mommy, you need to show yourself right now, little girl. You have until I get to five. One!”
I pause, my ears straining for any rustling, any cracking, any little sound that might lead me to my errant babygirl. But I’m only greeted by silence, and the growing dread in my stomach that she isn’t actually here.
“Two! I’m serious, little girl! This isn’t a game!”
More silence, and my throat tightens as the same terror I felt before begins to wrap itself around me, squeezing the very life from my lungs.
“Three… Four… I amnotplaying, Alexis Paige. Five!”
Nothing.
“Evander, she’s nothere.” I know it in my soul. I think I knew it even before I stepped foot in this forest, though I didn’t want to believe it.
“I’m on my way, and I’m bringing the others with me. Don’t worry Cat. One way or another, we’ll find your baby.”
Alexis
The trek to the docks must have worn me out even more than I’d realized because I wake, groggy and disoriented in the closet without even realizing I’d fallen asleep. Rubbing at my eyes, I blink to try and orient myself in the small dark space.
Pain rolls through my limbs as I try to move, and I wince as I shift up onto my knees, rubbing at my stiff muscles.
Food. I need food and to figure out where the hell I’m going to hide out while I’m on the ship. Sooner or later someone will need supplies from this closet, and the longer I can go without being discovered, the better. I don’t know anything about the men who ship lumber to the island, except for Tori telling me they’re all brothers and, from what I’ve seen, they’re all fucking giant. Even bigger than Gavin, if that’s possible.
Definitelynotthe kind of men a girl wants to be trapped on a boat with, all alone.
Fuck. I really didn’t think this through.
A pressure in my chest tells me I’m close to another bout of tears, so I force myself to breathe, to drag air into my lungs, willing them back. Not only do I need to be clearheaded and focused for my recon mission, I can’t afford to lose any more water than I already have. God only knows how much access I’ll have to food and water on the boat, so I need to be careful.
Once I finally have control of my emotions again, I gather my courage and reach for the handle on the door, slowly twisting it. I open it just a crack, enough for me to listen carefully, and when I don’t hear any voices, I slip out of the closet, gently shutting the door behind me.
There aren’t, unfortunately, any signs immediately visible to me that might tell me where to go. A glowing neon “Perfect hiding place this way!” would be really helpful right about now.
Lacking that guidance, I head to my right. Worst-case scenario, I can just turn around and come back the way I came.
Unlike the photos I’ve seen of cruise ships, these hallways are dimly lit, and there are no boisterous crowds or music or any of the other entertainment one could expect to find there.
But there are sounds. Noises that freeze me in place as I listen, trying to decide if I’m about to be discovered or if it’s just boat noises.
For what feels like hours, I wander that way. Up and down corridors, and stairs, freezing every few feet to ensure I’m not caught. Every now and then I do have to duck behind things or into other hidden closets to hide from someone.
My stomach is growling at me, very annoyed that we’ve clearly missed dinner, and I’ve just about given up on ever finding the kitchen when a gruff voice meets my ears.
“Gray isn’t going to be happy about it.”
“When is Gray ever happy aboutanything?” an equally gruff voice responds and they both laugh.
Whoever Gray is, he sounds like someone I donotwant to cross. But the more immediate danger is headed my way, as evidenced by the shadows gradually growing larger with every passing second.
Reaching behind me, I run my hand over the wall, and when I discover a handle I twist and shove the door open behind me, tumbling backward into a brightly lit room. I only have a split-second of relief before a deep, smoky voice reaches me.
“Well, well, well. What do we have here?”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Catharina
