Concern prickles along my spine as I push the door open slightly.“Daphne?Are you all right?”
The room beyond is dim, curtains drawn against the morning light.I step inside, medical instincts taking over as I scan for my patient.The small space is sparsely furnished: a twin bed, a dresser, a door leading to what I assume is a bathroom.
Daphne sits on the edge of the bed, her back rigid, hands clasped tightly in her lap.She doesn’t turn when I enter, doesn’t acknowledge my presence at all.Something’s wrong.The silence in the room feels thick, oppressive, nothing like the peaceful quiet of early morning.
“Daphne?”I approach slowly, setting my bag on the dresser.“I brought that medication I promised.Should help with the morning sickness.”
She turns then, and the look on her face stops me cold.Her eyes are wide with terror, her face drained of color.A single tear tracks down her cheek as she stares at me, silently pleading.
Before I can process what’s happening, the bathroom door swings open.A man steps out, older, heavyset, with Riggs’s same cold eyes.In his hand is a gun, aimed directly at Daphne’s head.
“Well, well,” he drawls, lips curling into a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes.“If it isn’t the infamous Dr.Blane.Right on time.”
My blood turns to ice as I realize the trap I’ve walked into.No security alarm.No prospect rushing in.They’ve already been neutralized.
“You must be Daphne’s father-in-law,” I say, keeping my voice steady despite the fear clawing at my throat.My eyes flick to Daphne, silently assessing her.I see no visible injuries, but the gun is pressed against her temple hard enough to leave a mark.
“Jason’s uncle, actually,” he corrects.“Riggs’s father.The man your boyfriend murdered.”
I raise my hands slowly, palms out in a universal gesture of surrender.“Look, I don’t want any trouble.I’m just here to check on my patient.”
“Your patient,” he repeats, the words dripping with contempt.“My nephew’s whore, you mean.Carrying his baby while she hides behind the Devil Souls’ protection.”
Daphne flinches at his words but remains silent, her eyes never leaving mine.I can see her shallow breathing, the rapid pulse fluttering in her neck.Shock, fear, maybe both.
“She’s pregnant,” I say, emphasizing the word.“Whatever your issue is with me or with the Devil Souls, she’s an innocent party.Let her go, and we can talk.”
He laughs, the sound harsh in the quiet room.“Innocent?This bitch knew exactly what family she was getting involved with.And now she wants to give the baby, Riggs’s blood, to strangers?”The gun presses harder against Daphne’s temple, making her whimper.“I don’t think so.”
My mind races, assessing options, escape routes, anything that might get us out of this alive.The prospect outside must be incapacitated, not dead.Otherwise, the sound would have alerted others.Zach knows I’m here, but he thinks I’m protected.How long before someone realizes something’s wrong?
“What do you want?”I ask.“If this is about revenge for Riggs, I wasn’t even there when it happened.”
“But your boyfriend was,” he snarls.“And taking you will bring him running right to us.An eye for an eye.A loved one for a loved one.”
So that’s the plan.Use me as bait to draw Zach out.My stomach drops as I realize what this means.They want to kill him, and they’re willing to go through Daphne and me to do it.
“And what about her?”I nod toward Daphne, whose trembling has increased.“What’s your plan there?”
“She’s coming with us too,” he says, as if it’s obvious.“That baby is part of Riggs’s bloodline.
Daphne makes a small sound of protest, quickly silenced when he jerks the gun against her head.I take an instinctive step forward, doctor’s instincts overriding self-preservation.
“Careful, Doc,” he warns.“Wouldn’t want my finger to slip.”
I freeze, heart hammering against my ribs.“Okay,” I say, forcing calm into my voice.“I’ll do whatever you want.Just don’t hurt her.”
He smiles, an expression that chills me to the bone.“Smart man.Now, here’s what’s going to happen.You’re going to call your boyfriend.Tell him there’s a problem with Daphne, that you need him to come here right away.Alone.”
My mind rebels at the thought of luring Zach into an ambush, but I nod slowly, buying time to think.“My phone’s in my car.”
“Use hers,” he orders, nodding to a cell phone on the bedside table.“And don’t try anything clever.I’ve got men outside who’ll know if you say anything you shouldn’t.”
I reach for the phone with steady hands that belie the chaos inside me.Daphne watches me, her eyes conveying what she can’t say aloud.Fear, apology, desperation.
“It’s okay,” I tell her softly, though we both know it’s a lie.
As I pick up the phone, a plan begins to form.It’s fragmented, risky, but better than nothing.I need to alert Zach to the danger without tipping off Riggs’s father.Need to give him some clue that this is a trap.
