The phone vibrates in my hand. I glance at the screen eagerly, but it’s just Josh.
“Yeah?” I say.
“Fiona’s been kidnapped. Aaron nabbed her.”
It takes me two beats before my mind processes what my twin’s saying—and that he isn’t making a very unfunny joke. “How do you know?”
“Because I heard just now.” He lets out a breath. “I put a bug and tracker in her purse today in your office.”
“What?”
“I don’t trust her, okay? I wanted to be prepared, just in case.”
“You son of a bitch!” Realization hits me in the face. “I should’ve known something was up when you lingered in my office, wanting to host a family dinner. If Fiona hadn’t shown up, you were going to do it at the dinner, weren’t you?”
“Yeah, but it was for you.”
“How is this for me? I’m your brother, not some kid you have to watch over!”
“I know, but you’re too soft.”
Rage shoots through my veins. “Says who? Do you think I’m still her good fucking boy who gets his brother kidnapped?”
“Bryce—”
“We’re going to talk about this later. Now shut the fuck up and tell me:where’s Fiona?”
“Hollywood Inn in North Hollywood.”
What the hell?
“We gotta hurry. It’s Jude and Aaron both.”
“Fuck.” Jude is never the good news.
“I’m calling 911.”
I start to run, pausing at the sight of the Huxley cane gleaming inside the case. I grab it and rush out.
Chapter Forty
Fiona
I slowly surface from the dark, feeling a little fuzzy. What did Aaron do to me? Is the baby okay? Did he use anything that would hurt it?
A soft fabric is wrapped around my head, covering my eyes. The air is cold. A chill spreads over my skin, fueled by terror and despair. I’m propped against something soft on my left—maybe an armchair? My hands are bound behind me, but not my legs. But somehow I can’t bring myself to stand up and run. Weakness permeates my muscles.
I move my fingers, trying to feel for clues to my surroundings. The thin carpet is rough—probably cheap and worn. So not in the Obermans’ house. Despite the enormous debt Zachary saddled the family with, there are certain things the Obermans would never give up, and creature comforts are among them. Plus, Aaron would never drag me anywhere Sherry might notice.
There’s the sound of sirens. And a musty smell, probably from carpet or upholstery. Something creaks above me, and the air stirs. A ceiling fan? A woman yells something I can’t make out and a man screams back. Lovely.
Where has my adoptive brother brought me? And for what?
Certain aspects of my current situation mirror what happened incollege, the night everything changed. Goosebumps cover my skin, and I shiver.
“Aaron, this isn’t funny. Let me go.” My voice cracks, but I can’t help it. I’m terrified, my mind back to that night ten years ago. This time, it isn’t just me in danger, but my baby, too.
Aaron picked me up from a bar after I’d had a few drinks. He offered me a bottle of water, which I took because I was thirsty. Afterward, I passed out, and when I woke up it was in a strange room with Jude on top of me. My memory of the moment is fuzzy. Pain, Jude’s grunting in my ear, male laughter and my hazy vision.
