Page 61 of Royal

He runs over. “What the fuck happened?” he asks, and I fill him in.

Gavin starts to apologize to me, but I don’t let him finish the words before I’m punching him hard in the mouth. “You do not speak to me if you value your life.” I glare at him.

“I will have River call you. Get your ass in the truck and get moving.” I drove my truck, and my bike is at the house.

Fuck.

I get in the passenger side of Shane’s truck. I’m fucking numb; this is a fear that’s shaking me to my fucking soul because it will kill me if someone is hurting Naomi. I should have kept her closer to me today.

“Stop that shit.” Shane breaks me from my thoughts.

“I will murder every fucker that touched her,” I roar and slam my fist into the dashboard of his truck, not caring if I break it.

“I will, too, but we got to keep a clear head until we find her, then we can rip them apart.”

I take a deep breath. “I will get her back. Those babies need their mother. And when I do, she will never leave the house again.”

Shane laughs but it has no humor, but he has the same look on his face as mine.

Fury.

The kind that burns to the pits of hell, where I will put them.

Naomi

My first thought when I come to is ouch. My head is killing me. My whole body feels like a one big bruise.

Whatever I’m lying on is moving. I open my eyes, groaning at the pain every slight movement causes. I expect to see light, but all I see is darkness with a subtle glow from what looks like taillights.

Wait, am I in the trunk of a car?

I can feel the car slowing down. The brakes are hit too hard and I’m slammed against the sides of the trunk.

I try to think back to what happened.

I went to the bathroom. I was washing my hands. A man I had never seen before came up behind me and hit me.

I know the man is someone I’ve never seen before, and he was wearing a cut of a club that’s not local or one I’ve heard of.

Then I remember that most cars have the pull tab in case someone is stuck in the trunk. I reach forward and feel along the roof of the trunk, but nothing sticks out. Fuck, they probably took it off.

The car slows down again. I hold my breath, waiting to see if I can hear anyone talking, and then we make a sharp right turn. Then the road becomes rough, and I know we are turning off the main highway.

I wonder how long I was out for. I can feel blood running down from the back of my head to my neck.

Royal and Shane must know I’m missing by now—the kids. The thought of them hits me hard. Donovan is too little to understand if I don’t return, but Presley has lost so much.

I try not to think about why this person would kidnap me or what he is going to do to me.

I gather all of my courage, even if the fear is slowly overtaking me. I push it out of my mind because that isn’t going to help me right now.

I will find some way to survive, no matter what they have planned for me.

A couple of minutes later, the car finally stops. I close my eyes tight, trying to control my breathing, pretending I’m still asleep.

The car turns off, a door opens, and I can hear the gravel crunching under someone’s feet. The trunk is opened, and the bright light blinds me, but I don’t flinch or move.

“Fuck, I’m going to have to carry this fat bitch inside,” he growls.

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