Page 66 of Her Protector Daddies

“Don’t you worry your sweet little head about that,” Andrés replied. “Maybe I will. Maybe I won’t. Either way, he’ll wish I had.”

“Wrap it up,” Bailey said in my ear.

“So, we have a deal?” I stood slowly, forcing my focus onto my legs so they didn’t shake.

Andrés’ lips parted but before he could speak, a man stepped through the crowd and leaned forward to whisper in his eyes. Andrés’ gaze flickered slightly, and his thin brows pulled sharply together.

“Do we have a deal, or should I get another drink?” I didn’t want a drink, but the request was the phrase signaling I needed help.

Andrés’ gaze snapped to the burly man who suddenly surged forward and grabbed me roughly by the arm. I yelp of pain tore unwillingly from my throat as he dragged me forward so forcefully it felt like my arm was going to rip out its socket.

Andrés punched me hard across the face, sending me reeling to the side, and my legs gave out, but before I could fall, he grabbed the front of my dress and hauled me upright.

“Wait—!”

Another slap killed my words and Andrés shoved his hand down the front of my dress. His fingers closed around the wire and he ripped it off of me so quickly that the tape burned against my skin. My head pounded, my vision swam and I was held up by the burly guard.

“Just decoration, huh?” Andrés snarled and he grabbed my chin, pinching so sharply that my mouth hung open.

“It’s over for you, angel face.”

25

BAILEY

“Selena!”

Her name tore from me like a prayer while I sprinted at full speed toward the party. The second she used the safe phrase, I was out of the truck and running like the hounds of hell were biting at my ankles. Tyler was close behind me. As we reached the bottom of the stairs, feedback screamed in our ear followed by a deafening silence.

Her wire had gone silent.

I didn’t stop. I couldn’t. Every second I took to get to her was a second too long alone with Andrés and he was a man of terrible skill. I had to get to her before it was too late.

That was an all-consuming thought. I didn’t care for the men and women I bumped into or shoved out of the way in my attempts to get through the crowd faster. Tyler yelled something behind me but I ignored him, elbowing another couple out of the way as I ran.

The sheer curtains blocking the back section of the hall hung loosely, with no shadows lingering behind them. My heart pounded, sweat made my shirt stick to my back and my calves tingled from how far I was pushing myself to run faster and faster.

I leaped through the curtain, gun raised and ready to shoot the first fucker I saw, but as I skidded to a stop amongst empty chairs and a tipped-over table, I realized we were too late.

I was alone.

The back window was open, with sheer white curtains billowing in the breeze. Andrés was gone. Selena was gone. Blood splattered the floor surrounding the wire we’d given Selena to wear, leaving a trail toward the window where the window sill was scratched.

“Selena!” Tyler arrived a few seconds later, panting harshly as he came to a stop and saw the same thing I did.

“She’s gone,” I said hoarsely. I ran to the window, holstering my weapon as I did so. They couldn’t have gotten far, not in the time it took me to get here.

Hauling myself up onto the window ledge, I spotted something that made my heart plummet to the painful depths of my gut.

Selena’s shoe.

It lay upside down in the alley just beyond the window, a little to the right. That was all I needed to give chase.

“He has her, he fucking has her! Call it in!” I yelled to Tyler as I hopped over the window sill and dropped into the alleyway below.

“On it!” Tyler’s radio crackled into life as I sprinted up the alley and the last thing I heard was Jay’s pained tones as Selena’s disappearance.

My thighs and calves complained loudly by the time I made it to the mouth of the alley; no Selena and no Andrés in sight. Cars lined the street, all dark and silent, and after casting my eye over the closest one, I spotted one empty parking space. Given how busy the Gala was, it made sense that Andrés might have parked there.

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