Page 80 of Owen (Storm Enterprises)

LAYA

My vision blurs again as my mind tries to make sense of what is happening. I was shopping with Brynn; we went into the baby store, and I took Romeo to change his diaper, then I felt a sharp pinch at the back of my neck. Oh my God… Romeo.

I snap my eyes open, only for complete terror to rip through me.

My mouth is gagged, and I glance down to see I’m tied to a chair by my ankles and my wrists are bound behind my back. I shuffle, hoping to loosen the ties, to no avail. I’m in some warehouse. It’s dark, but the daylight from the windows offers enough light for me to see the silhouette of men lined against the large doors. Each holds a machine gun, adding to my panic.

Then I turn to my head to the side, hoping to locate my son, but my heart stops when a man drags Brynn across the floor by her hair. She’s lifeless, and he’s treating her like he’s taking the trash out. A wail erupts inside me, battling to escape against the limits of my restraints.

“I wouldn’t cry over her if I were you,” a dark voice drones out lazily, and my eyes locate the man in the shadows.

He sits with his legs spread out, watching me, scrutinizing me, and I feel his gaze deep inside my soul, chilling me to my bones. It’s calculated, cruel, and unjust. Every part of me screams that this man is the devil himself, and I know deep in my heart that Carlos has something to do with him. For the first time since his cruel death, I wished him dead all over again.

“She wanted more money to bring the baby with her.” He tilts his head toward Brynn, and I mewl at the betrayal. Surely, she wouldn’t, not my friend. Sickness rolls inside me. What the hell did she do?

“She learned you’re not the penniless friend you claimed to be. Jealousy can make you do just about anything. Even sell your friend and her baby out,” he asserts, and I hate myself for not telling her my truth sooner, but I hate the person she must truly be more.

My eyes flick around the room in utter devastation as tears surge from my eyes while I search desperately for Romeo, silently begging him to cry for me so I know he’s okay.

“She negotiated well, and I told her what she wanted to hear.” He flicks his finger toward the man holding Brynn, and he drops her to the floor with a thud. Her head lolls toward me, and I wretch against my gag as blood pools around her.

Oh shit, they slit her throat.

They. Slit. Her. Throat.

Someone please help me.

OWEN

Tate gave me an ultimatum. If he didn’t hear from me within an hour of my arrival, he would call for reinforcements.

Knowing the reach of the Carrera family left me no choice but to meet his demands. There’s no way I’m putting my wife and son in danger to save my ass. Azrael needs the memory card from me, and I can only imagine it’s for leverage. The fact he wants no one else involved confirms it. He wants a swift exchange, and I’m willing to give it to him. I’d give him anything, and he knows it.

I press harder on the accelerator as I make my way toward the abandoned warehouse complex just outside of the city center, and I can only assume he chose this location for the fact it’s home to numerous buildings, all deserted. All more than likely hiding his men.

When my SUV approaches the metal gates, trepidation sweeps through me. There’s a good chance I won’t come back from this, but I refuse to go down without a fight. This is essentially suicide, yet I don’t have it in me to care. All I can think about is my girl being scared and needing me to comfort her, and hoping with all hope that she has Romeo in her arms.

My phone beeps, alerting me to the fact I’m within proximity to Laya’s phone, so I pull up outside one of the buildings, not missing the snipers on the roof who aren’t even trying to hide. I brush a hand over my jaw as I contemplate tucking a gun into my boot, but the thought of them discovering it and harming Laya as punishment makes the decision easy, and I decide against it.

Instead, I slip out of the SUV unarmed.

The door to one of the warehouses on my right opens, and a man armed with a machine gun steps out.

I feign confidence and pull my shoulders back, giving him the perfect view of my full height and power as I stride toward him.

“Where are they?” I spit out, eyeing the piece of shit with disgust.

He nods, and an onslaught of bullets whizz through the air.

“Son of a bitch!” I clamp my jaw shut as pain slices through my thigh, one then the other, my shoulder too, and as quick as the bullets started, they stop.

It was a test.

To disarm me if necessary and check if backup would arrive.

Of course, I pass with flying fucking colors. I did exactly what the prick asked. Now he needs to follow through too.

“Bring him in,” the guy grunts, and men appear from nowhere behind me.

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