Page 85 of Second Chance Serenity

“They didn’t complain.” Carter crosses his arms. “And neither of them asked for representation.”

He glares around Carter at the two men who are visibly shaken by his arrival. “We’ll make sure we cover that.” Zeke straightens. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, this meeting is over.”

“We’re far from through,” I growl, meeting his gaze.

Zeke smiles at me. “I assure you, this will be the final interaction I have with you.” The way he says it alludes to more. His tone. The grin that follows. Separately, I’d believe them to be nothing more than the arrogance of a man who believes he’s untouchable.

But together they make my skin crawl.

The door bursts open, and Lance moves inside. “We have to go,” he tells me. “Now.” His gaze lands on Phillips, and he crosses the room, putting himself nose to nose with the attorney. “I’m coming for you, Phillips. One way or another, you’re going to know what it means to cross our team.” He growls the words, fury dripping from each and every one of them, which only worries me further.

Lance never gets mad.

He’s one of the most even-tempered men I’ve ever met.

So what happened?

“I look forward to the challenge,” Zeke replies, then steps aside and gestures for us to leave the room.

Carter retrieves his briefcase, and we step out into the hall.

“What is it?” I ask, noting the worry on Elijah’s face as well.

“Jaxson is in the ICU, and Silas is in the emergency room.”

I can feel the blood drain from my body, leaving me cold. “And Reyna?”

Lance’s gaze meets mine. “She’s been taken.”

CHAPTER 28

Reyna

My pulse has skyrocketed, and it’s all I can do to keep the car on the road. Liam is in the passenger seat, his gun pointed directly at me. Palms sweaty, I grip the steering wheel, my thoughts running a million miles a minute.

Will Jaxson survive?

Silas?

What will Michael do when he discovers I’m gone?

“It was you, wasn’t it? The one that called and breathed on the phone?” I ask.

“I had to hear your voice once more after our date. I needed it.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“I’ve already told you. I’m saving your life.”

“By kidnapping me?”

“You don’t understand, Reyna. My brother is a killer. He ripped me out of my freshman year of college and forced me to join his business. He threatened me with the lives of my friends if I didn’t cooperate. And when he was busted for drugging that girl’s drink—” Liam trails off. “I thought I was finally free. That I could put the past behind me…but then Zeke came and he ruined everything!” He yells the words, the calm, sweet man I’d come to know no longer present.

It's like a switch flipped in his brain and suppressed the normalcy I’d seen. “You could do what’s right, though. You could testify against Zeke and then go back to your life.” I risk glancing over at him.

He’s eyeing me with frustration, as though there are pieces of the puzzle I’m failing to put together. “You don’t understand. You don’t get it. How could you?”

“Then explain it to me. Make me understand.”

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