“I need to speak to my sister.” The words come out stronger than I feel, but I force authority into them anyway. “Right now.”
Luka's expression doesn’t change, but something in his posture tightens. “You are in no position to demand anything.”
The dismissal in his tone ignites a reckless heat in my chest. I swing my legs off the bed, standing on shaking knees that threaten to buckle but hold through sheer stubbornness. Vega lifts his head, watching me with those intelligent eyes that seem to understand more than any dog should.
“Kidnapping is against the law,” I snap, my voice rising despite every instinct that warns me not to provoke a man who clearly operates outside the boundaries of legal consequence. “You can’t just drag people off the street and lock them in rooms, no matter how expensive the sheets are.”
He remains motionless by the door, immovable as granite, but I see the slight tick in his jaw that tells me I have struck a nerve. “Your understanding of my capabilities is limited.”
“How long?” My hands ball into fists at my sides. “How long do you plan to keep me here?”
“Until I have what I need.” His answer comes with the cold finality of a judge leaving no room to argue.
The words steal the breath from my lungs.Until he has what he needs.And if I can’t give him information I don’t possess about a man whose name means nothing to me, then what?
My anger drains away as quickly as it flared, replaced by fear. I hate the way my voice breaks when I speak again and the tears that sting the back of my eyes.
“Hope is sick.” The words tumble out in a rush, no longer a demand but a plea. “She has severe epilepsy. That means she can’t be alone for too long, and stress can trigger seizures that could kill her if no one is there to help.” I take a shallow breath, my chest tight with panic that has nothing to do with my own captivity. “She’ll wake up, and I won’t be there. She’ll worry. The worry will cause an episode. Please.”
Thepleasestrips away a layer of pride I can’t afford to lose, but I force it out anyway because Hope matters more than my dignity. She has always mattered more than anything else.
“I just need to tell her I’m okay. That’s all. One phone call. Please.” My voice drops to a whisper, all the fight draining out of me and leaving only desperate honesty. “She’s twenty-three but she depends on me. If something happens to her because you took me, if she has a seizure and no one is there?—”
I can’t finish the sentence. I can’t voice the nightmare that plays behind my closed eyelids every time Hope's medications fail and I find her on the floor with blood on her lips from where she bit her tongue. The terror that one day I won’t be fast enough, or get to her in time, and she’ll slip away while I stand helplessly and watch.
Luka studies me with those guarded eyes, his expression a wall I can’t see past. Vega’s soft breathing and the faint whisper of wind against the windows are all that break the silence. When he finally moves, it’s to pull his phone from his jacket pocket. He doesn’t hand it to me or step closer. He just holds it in one large hand, his thumb hovering over the screen.
“You will tell her you are safe,” he instructs, his voice cold but not cruel. “You will say you had to drive to Denver for a last-minute supplier run. Specialty beans. Equipment parts. Nothing more.”
The excuse is believable enough, but it’ll still sting, because Hope will wonder why I didn’t tell her sooner. My chest aches from the lie, but the relief hits hard enough to make my knees weak.
“Yes. Yes, I will,” I promise. “Thank you.”
But he doesn’t dial. Instead, he watches me with an intensity that makes my skin prickle.
“If you deviate from those instructions,” he continues, each word laced with warning, “if you attempt to communicate your location or circumstances, the call ends immediately. And you do not get another one.”
The threat is clear. This isn’t mercy. This is calculation. A tool to keep me compliant and ensure my cooperation by dangling the one thing he knows I can’t bear to lose.
I nod, not trusting my voice, and watch as he finally touches the screen. The phone rings once, twice, three times before Hope's sleepy voice answers.
“Hello?”
The sound of her voice nearly breaks me.
6
LUKA
The phone rings. Once. Twice. Three times.
“Hello?” Hope's voice come through, fragile from sleep.
Sage exhales hard. “Hope? It's me.”
“Sage? Oh my god, where are you? I woke up and you weren't here. I called and?—”
“I'm fine,” Sage cuts in quickly, smoothing her tone. Her hand trembles at her side, but her words flow with forced calm. “I had to leave town unexpectedly. A supplier in Denver called last night, offering specialty beans and equipment parts we can’t get shipped. I drove there to pick them up, and I'll be here a couple of days to meet with him.”
