CHAPTER 1
LUCIEN
WHILE IN THE midst of going through hours of painstakingly important, albeit boring, data analyses, my cell phone suddenly begins to beep rapidly. Glancing at the screen, I realize alert notifications for Adeline's whereabouts are quickly piling up.
Growling, I pull up the app connected to her watch and stare at my screen in confusion…and anger. Seems my little captive is straying too far away from the mansion, and the protocols I put in place are alarming me of that fact.
"Where are you going, Adeline?" I wonder out loud as I watch her GPS coordinates moving on my screen.
I'd been too absorbed with my work today to even check on her whereabouts, and I curse myself silently in my head as I realize my fuck-up. I let my guard down with her, something I never fucking do, and that clearly was a mistake. And one I won't make ever again.
We've been getting along so well lately. Why would she run? And why now?I think to myself.
I just can't make sense of the limitless questions rolling around in my skull.
Clicking to her data page, my eyes scan her vitals. Based on the data that's showing, her heartbeat is elevated to a level that would suggest extremely rigorous exercise.
Adeline knows she's not allowed to venture outside the perimeter, so either she's blatantly disobeying me…or something else is going on entirely and she's in trouble.
Cursing under my breath, I jerk open the bottom drawer of my desk, remove the false bottom and grab my gun and clip. I'm not willing to take any chances.
Deep down in my gut I knew she'd try to run first chance she got…even if lately I've been trying to convince myself otherwise.
I leave my office and jog to the front of the house, snapping the clip into the gun and clicking off the safety.
I pass Jackson on the way. He shoots me a bewildered look, and his eyes widen when he sees the gun in my hand. "What happened? Luc, where's Adeline? Wait! Where are you going?"
I ignore his multitude of questions and run out the front door. My bare feet sink into the lush grass as I run. When I reach dirt and gravel, the stones and debris cut into my soles, but I barely register the feeling as a million different scenarios run through my mind.
Did someone betray me? Did she? Did her father and Giovanni finally come for her?
Her father is a powerful man. Even though I've covered my tracks, there are hackers out there that are still better than me and men with more resources…and much more to gain by taking me out.
My phone begins to beep again, but in a different, more urgent pattern this time. The app is indicating that there is no longer a heartbeat detected.
I stop suddenly as the blood flowing through my veins turns to ice, chilling me to the fucking bone. I stumble back, almost falling to my knees.
"No," I whisper, my voice strangled.
Gritting my teeth, I force my feet to move forward. I continue on the path towards where the GPS is still blinking on my phone. I force myself to continue on my search even if I might not like the end result…even if I find her…dead.
Up ahead, I see her tennis shoe lying on the ground, a sign that she was possibly struggling to get away from someone. Someone who might have been hurting her. Someone who might have alreadykilledher.
A fear I have never known before is coursing through me at the thought of losing her.
I can't lose her.
She has been the only light in my dark, dark world, and I'm not ready to give her up. Not yet. Maybe not ever.
Shaking off the unwanted and confusing feelings I suddenly realize I have for her, I begin to run towards the dot on the map. I need to find her.
And if she's hurt or dead, I hope whoever is responsible is ready to meet his maker today.
CHAPTER 2
ADELINE
HIS DIRTY FINGERS tear at my clothes, and I scream around the musty rag that Rafael had stuffed into my mouth just moments earlier. No one is going to hear my pleas. No one is coming to save me.
