The male who’d taken her from him, intending to harm her further.
We need to find her! Fuck, what if he’s already hurt her? Nes—
His bear roared, slicing at his mind with razor-sharp claws. Murphy winced from the psychic flare of pain, using it to ground him to the present.
“I saw the street they pulled into, and the direction they went from there,” Colter stated triumphantly. “My laptop’s in the SUV. I just need to tap into the town’s computer database and I can access whatever cameras they have. Stop lights, hack any business’ surveillance. I can track them as far as possible.”
“You think they’re taking her out of state?”
“Airport’s about three hours from here,” Marcus said. “We might be able to catch up, if that’s where they’re going.”
“I don’t think it is,” Dante cut in. “One scent in here … I noticed it a few days before I was taken. I let my bear out to run around the forest surrounding the town,” he explained. “There’s an abandoned barn on the outskirts of the town limits, located deep in the woods, about twenty minutes from here. That’s where they took her. I’d stake my life on it.”
Murphy stared him down, weighing his words even as hope stirred to life within him. “Good. You just did. We’ll search there first, but if you’re wrong …” He didn’t finish the sentence, but the words hung heavy in the air anyway.
If Dante was wrong, he was as good as dead. Murphy couldn’t take another betrayal.
Dante swallowed thickly. “I understand.”
“Look at this,” Colter instructed, pointing back toward the monitor.
The males watched as Colter rewound the feed, paused, and then began playing it again. The humans piled into the gray car, a few seconds later pulling cautiously out of the parking lot and onto the street.
Less than twenty seconds later, another car followed, a lone male behind a wheel.
The image was still grainy; the features were difficult to make out, but the resemblance to Nessa was uncanny.
Colter narrowed his eyes. “That’s—”
“Angelo,” Murphy supplied. “Why is he so far behind the other car?”
“My guess? He’s tailing them.” Colter pushed to his feet. “I thought you said he worked for Tony?”
“He did.” Murphy shook his head. “We’ll worry about that later. We’re leaving.”
I’m coming, Nessa,he vowed silently, his bear roaring in agreement.
Chapter 44
Ice-cold water drenched Nessa’s head and torso. She jerked awake, eyes peeling open sluggishly. Her vision was hazy around the edges, most of her surroundings out of focus. She blinked as a dark mass loomed over her, and then Tony’s smug smile filled her vision.
Nessa flinched, pushing herself backward to get away from him. She swayed, the tips of her shoes scraping the floor. Metal rattled above her, the sound as confusing as it was alarming.
What—
Blearily, Nessa looked away from Tony and up toward the ceiling. Her neck was in absolute agony from the injection site of that damned needle. What had they given her? A sedative? Her head throbbed fiercely, but she barely registered the pain as a wave of fear crashed through her.
Her arms were suspended above her head, bound together at the wrists by a thick rope. Metal chains worked through her bindings and then upwards, wrapping around a large support beam that connected from one end of the building to another. Her body was pulled taut, her legs dangling beneath her.
She looked back down; her gaze skittering over the soaked clothes clinging to her cold skin, and to the wooden floor covered in hay and old trash. Her ankles were tied together with another rope, leaving her completely incapacitated.
A shiver of apprehension rippled down her spine. The chains clanked together ominously at each slight movement, only adding fuel to her growing distress.
Where was she? She couldn’t get out of this on her own. She couldn’t even move! Her stomach lurched.
Nessa tried to stretch her body, to fully plant her feet on the ground, but she was too short. She couldn’t find purchase, and her body swayed again, the chains grinding together overhead.
“I hope you don’t mind your accommodations, Vanessa,” Tony began, his oily voice immediately making her feel dirty as it slithered over her skin. He grabbed her chin, forcing her head back upwards until their eyes met.
