“Fine, what’s the plan?”
“Well, we need to try, and see where this Standish exit leads us. I’ll try running facial recognition for the three of them in all the major ‘Up North’ towns.”
“Find them, Hutch!” He storms out of the room. I know he’s heading to the gun safe to start preparing to head north. That asshole will search on foot if it comes to it.
Those three words rattle around in my head for hours while I set everything up to scan for any of their faces. I know he won’t survive losing her, not after Stasi. I don’t think I’ll survive losing her and Dee. My door unlocks for the second time today.Goddamn these assholes can’t let me work in peace.
In walks Callum, his scruff pretty much a beard from his normal clean shaven look. His hair is a mess, like he’s been tossing and turning in bed. Glancing at the clock on my monitor tells me it’s three in the morning.Fuck, when was the last time I slept?
“Dee said you had a lead?” Callum looks at me with hope in his eyes. Does he care for the girls more than I thought?
“We have a location. He got off seventy-five in Standish.” I watch his face drop. Dee’s excitement of a direction at least must have made him think we found him.
“That’s it? You know how much land is up there? Woods, state land, fucking two-track trails with off-grid cabins? FUCK!” His frustration oozes off him.
“Callum, what is going on? Why are you falling apart bro?” I leave my computer to run the programs, and I walk over to him.
He’s squatted down in front of my closed bedroom door, head in his hands, his body vibrating with rage and terror. There is definitely something more than just his care for his future sister-in-law. Yes, she will be his sister-in-law. Dee and I have already been talking to a jeweler about creating two rings that nest together.
“It’s Kyra. I don’t know what it is about her, but I know I want her in my life. I want to claim her, love her, take care of her, make her mine.”
“Aww, baby bro. Do you finally have feelings?” I try to lighten both our moods with a touch of brotherly teasing.
“Yes, dick. I didn’t realize how much I liked her around until she got kidnapped.” I am pretty sure he’s been obsessed since the Halloween bonfire, but I’ll leave him in his delusions.
“We will find them, and I will help you win her. You know she’s got a fiancée, right?”
“Ya, Nyx said he’s an asshole and is abusive, so we gotta convince her to leave him.”
“You have our help, and I’m sure Nyx would love to help.”
He stands up, and he's got a little more of a smile on his face. Cal walks over to where Midnight is still snuggled on my bed. And gives him a few scratches on his head before leaving. Midnight hasn’t really left my room since we brought him here. I’m pretty sure he’s just as sad as we are.
“Okay, Graham Hutchinson. Sit your ass down and find our women. You are the only one who can find them.” I give myself a little pep talk, brew some more coffee and get to work.
CHAPTER 47
NYX
The sun is blaring through the bedroom window and shining directly in my eyes. I try to turn my head out of the assaulting light, but the pressure of my head lying on that side of my face makes me see stars. Flinching from the pain and the chain rattling. I open my eyes to look down at my wrists to discover that I am chained to this damn bed again. The memories come rushing back. The kidnapping, being chained to this bed, Nick thinking he can make me be with him again, all of it.
Fuck, how hard did he hit me?
My heart rate pounds in my ears, and the throb in my cheek keeps time with it. I’m sure the skin is split and there is a chance my cheekbone is fractured. To add to the misery, my stomach growls so loudly, I’m sure if Nick is here he would have heard it. I couldn’t even begin to tell you how long I have been in this cabin, surrounded by nothing but trees for as far as the eye can see. Kyra is trapped in this hellscape with me, and I have no plans to get us out. Between the pain and the hunger, I am lucky I can remember my own damn name. One thing that never seems to stray too far from my memory is them.
My yin and yang. Demitri, with his dark eyes and dark, tortured soul. Graham, whose campfire smell lingers at the edges of my memory, his golden retriever energy always brings a smile to my face. Hope of them finding us slips through my fingers every time I awake to the damn sun in my face, but there is still a small sliver that I cling to. I refuse to believe that Graham’s hacking skills haven’t figured out who has us. I think the big thing is finding us. This has got to be one of their hunting cabins.
“Kye, Sunflower? Are you awake over there?” I want to check on her. I don’t hear the guys in the cabin.
BANG! The front door slams open.
“Oh, Baby Girl, are you awake in here?” Nick stomps through the house, making every single floorboard rattle so damn hard I am pretty sure he will fall through one of these days. I gently close my eyes, so as to not aggravate my injuries, and pretend to still be sleeping.
I can hear him in the bedroom now. My heart rate picks up even further because he is so close and there is nothing I can do to defend myself. His rotten scent assaulting my senses, he smells of cigarettes, stale beer and the fact that I am sure none of us have had a good shower since we arrived. I have gotten one decent shower, and that is only because he couldn’t tolerate my stench anymore, but that was probably close to a week ago now. One thing I will continue to cling to is that he is in here with me and not torturing Kyra.
CRACK! Fucking hell, that fucking sucks!
His palm meets my face yet again. God, I am lucky he hasn’t raped me yet, but fuck this slapping me is bullshit.
