Page 84 of Blackmail of a Billionaire

He flicked his eyes back to the report on Kyle while he grabbed his phone and accepted the call. “James, are you being slowly driven insane by shoes and handbags, or have the ladies let you go?”

A groan sounded on the opposite end. It stopped his heart, and he tightened his grip on the phone. “James?”

The man offered a pained cry. “Mr. Harrington…”

He sucked in a breath before he continued. Frantic voices sounded in the background.

“Are you okay?”

“Call 911!”

Sirens wailed as more shouts resounded. Grant’s tension grew, his pulse racing and his heart hammering. “James, what happened?”

“They’re gone, sir. Both of them.”

“What do you mean gone? James, what happened?”

“Mrs. Harrington and Sierra…someone took them. They’ve been kidnapped.”

The words echoed in his ear, each syllable a hammer blow to his heart. His vision blurred, and his breath caught in his throat. The world stood still as his chest tightened. Julia and Sierra, in danger, possibly hurt. The thought was unbearable, igniting a frantic urgency in him. He had to do something. But what?

CHAPTER 22

JULIA

Julia’s head jolted upright, a sharp gasp cutting through the stale, musty air of the room lit by a single bare bulb. Her senses reeled, assaulted by the pungent scent of dampness and the cold, hard touch of the metal chair against her skin. Her limbs were numb and stiff, and her shoulders ached.

As the room swirled in a dizzying dance, Julia fought for focus, her vision blurring in the dim light. A relentless throbbing pulsed in her temples, swirling together with the uneasy churning of her stomach. She slid her eyes closed, trying to ease the wave of nausea that passed over her.

Memories of the frightening event that led to this filtered back through her mind as the scent of dampness permeated her nostrils. Visions of the gunshot flashed through her mind along with the horrifying sight of James collapsing as blood bloomed on his shirt. A mix of fear and disbelief churned in her stomach. Their simple shopping trip had spiraled into a nightmare.

She’d been kidnapped, then drugged. She winced as the needle hole in the crook of her arm pinched.

She opened her eyes, a moan escaping her as she tugged at her arms and legs, both bound to a hard metal chair. Tears sprang to her eyes before spilling onto her already wet cheeks.

Each shallow gasp seemed to echo in the space, amplifying her panic. She squeezed her eyes shut, her heart pounding in her ears. A sob escaped her, shaking her shoulders. She gave in to the moment of panic, letting her chin fall to her chest.

A whimper from behind her stopped her sobs. She sniffled, twisting to glance over her shoulder. The whimper rose to a terrified cry.

“Sierra?” Julia called.

“Julia?” Her shrill voice, laced with raw panic, echoed in the large, empty room.

“Sierra, listen to me,” Julia said, keeping her voice steady. “I’m right here with you. We’ll get through this together.”

“How are we going to get through this, Julia?” she spat before her voice broke again. “We were kidnapped.”

Julia blew out a shaky breath through her lips before she spoke, trying to keep her voice even and calm. “I know. But we’re both still alive, Sierra. That matters.”

“For now,” Sierra shot back before another whimper escaped her.

“Sierra, you need to calm down.”

“I can’t!” she screamed. “I’m trapped. I can’t breathe.”

“Yes, you can, Sierra.” Julia twisted to eye the woman behind her. “You’re not trapped, you’re okay.”

“I can’t breathe. I can’t–”

---