Page 96 of Captive Heart

I squint at the door, listening carefully for any signs that there might be someone still inside. Ares motions to a thin wire laid across the threshold of the door.

The hairs on the back of my neck rise. A trap has been laid for us.

I take a few steps back and jerk my head toward the doorway. Aiming my gun directly at the door to cover my brother, I try to control my harsh breathing. Ares puts his weapon in his waistband and kneels, examining the poorly-laid tripwire.

He grabs it with the precision and deftness of an old pro, lifting it very slightly. He frowns and looks up at the door for a second, then carefully places the wire back on the ground.

Fishing in his pocket, he pulls out a little black multitool. I glance behind me, sweeping my gaze over the lot and the building.

Everything is deadly still.

In seconds Ares has a pair of needle-nosed snips out. He looks at me, motioning that I should back up further. I drag my feet a few steps back, my gaze intent on what he’s doing.

He sucks in a breath and cuts the wire near both sides of the door. He double checks his work and stands up, working his fingers into the space around the door.

I hold my breath as Ares lifts the busted up door up and moves it away, walking into the darkened room. Following him on quick feet, I’m inside the room in seconds.

Ares leans the door against a blank white wall. Nosing my gun through the door into the bathroom, I find no one inside. I return to see Ares doing a quick check underneath the narrow single bed. I scan the room, taking in the rough bedspread that has been mussed very slightly and Persephone’s shoulder bag.

My heart slams against my ribs. The only sign of anything untoward is the iPad, which is laying on the floor, it’s navy cover hanging open at an awkward angle.

I gave Penny that iPad. But there is no Penny to be found.

My head pounds as I look at the evidence laid before me. I swear, I’m trying to fit all the puzzle pieces together, but I feel hopelessly slow.

Was Persephone actually taken? The scene suggests that she was. Just a busted door rigged with explosives in the middle of nowhere.

We didn’t even pick this hotel until a few hours ago… so how could anyone have known where we would be?

Ares has turned his attention on the explosive device that is sitting by the doorway. He nudges it with a finger.

“This is staged,” he says, his voice low and urgent. “I dinnae even think it is even capable of detonating.”

“Fuck.” I keep my gun trained on the doorway and slide my phone from my pocket. “Where the fuck are Eros and Penny?”

I sidle over to check the bathroom again. Ares shrugs, his eye catching on something on the floor near the bed. He bends down to pull back the thin duvet and reveals a black canvas bag.

He uses his booted toe to drag it out into the middle of the floor. His expression is unreadable as he unzips the bag.

“Fuck.”

I walk over and see that he’s exposed a colorful stack of euros. My eyebrows shoot up.

“What the fuck is that doing in Penny’s room?” My mind whirls. Added to the other pieces of the puzzle, it doesn’t seem to fit with what I’ve found so far.

“Uhh…” Ares says. “It could be from us.”

I glance at him sharply. “What?”

Ares clears his throat. “Well, Eros and I?— “

“Stop.”

We both glance at the doorway, surprised to see Eros there. I bound out of the room, shoving Eros aside. But Eros is alone.

“Where the fuck is Persephone?” I scream. Whipping around, I pin both of my brothers with an accusing gaze. “Ye had better fucking have a good answer.”

Eros puts his hand on his gun, looking cagey. Ares glares at Eros. When Eros pushes his cheek out with his tongue and looks pissed off, Ares explodes.

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