Page 123 of Royally Tempted

“They’ve got Luke and Jordan!”

It was as if time stopped for a second. Sasha kept going though.

“I don’t know who they are, but they want money, and... and…” she trailed off. “Hang on,” she said tightly.

“Sasha,whohas them!?”

Without warning, there was suddenly a crashing sound on the other end of the line — the sound of shattering glass mixing with Sasha’s blood-chilling scream.

“Oh myGod!” She screamed. “They’re here! Oh my God, they just smashed their way in the front door! Arianna!”

I screamed as I lurched from the bed, my whole world spinning.

“Sasha! Sasha,run!Sash—”

The line went dead, and the phone dropped from my hand.

I was spinning, the room tilting and my whole world crashing around me as I lunged for something —anythingto hold onto.

It was Hunter that caught me, pulling me tight against him as I shattered.

“What is it,” he said tightly. “What do you need?”

I pushed him away before I could stop myself, lurching for my clothes. “We need to get back to the city.”

My voice felt like it was outside my own head — mechanical and on autopilot.

“Ari, whats—”

I whirled, shaking Sean’s hand from my arm, knowing he was just trying to soothe me, but not knowing what else to do but lash out.

“My friend Sasha—” I swallowed the horrible lump in my throat. “I think someone justtookher. Her and her boyfriends.”

Damien frowned as he stood from the bed. “Boyfriends?”

I shook my head quickly, yanking a pair of shorts up my legs and stuffing the rest of my clothes into my bag.

“Yes, boyfriends.She’s with Luke Steel and Jordan Stone at—”

“Wait, your friend Sasha is Sasha Reed of Stone and Steel Holdings?”

I pulled a t-shirt down over my head and paused. “You know them?”

Hunter shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. Whatthe hellis going on?”

“Someone’s kidnapped them,” I said, the cold feeling sinking into my chest as I said the words out loud. “Someone’s kidnapped them, for ransom or something, and they just broke into their house while I was on the fuckingphonewith my best friend and took her—”

And then I lost it. All three of them surrounded me then, comforting me with their warmth and their soothing touches, and propping me as I was about to fall entirely. The tears came hot as I dropped my face into one of their chests, feeling three sets of arms circle around me and hug me tightly.

I looked up into Damien’s eyes.

“She’s pregnant,” I whispered, tears falling down my face.

“Let’s go,” Hunter growled as he and Sean pulled away.

“Already on it,” Sean growled, a phone in his hand. “Yeah, it’s me. We need the plane ready,” he barked into the phone. “Fuckingnow.”

My eyes locked with Damien’s. “She’s preg—”

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