Page 29 of Jared's Redemption

I wanted to rip her from his arms, but the sight of him pointing a gun at her stopped me. I sat back, my shaking hands clamped tight in my lap as he paraded her around the room.

“Killing two out of three of her parents was such a rush. I was disappointed to hear she slept through it, though. How annoying, right?” He preens, shaking Amelia awake.

“Stop that!” I shout, lunging forward as he stood her up on her wobbly legs.

“Lulu?” she says sleepily, rubbing her face as she looks around the room. Her wide eyes got even bigger as she rushed into my arms, a soft cry breaking through as she buried her face in my neck. I swore to her I’d get her back to her mommy and daddies, and I meant every word. I didn’t want to believe Steffen, but part of me wondered what had happened to my friend. Isabelle would have to be unconscious, or worse, for them to have been able to pry Amelia away.

The cold tile floor under my ass was painful, and I had nothing on except a borrowed oversized shirt and the puff coat. I rocked the little girl softly, humming under my breath as I did my best to comfort her. My mother sniffled, pacing the floor and avoiding looking at me every chance she had.

She was the least of my concern in this cold, dark and musty underground hideaway.

The trapdoor we had come through was well hidden, and I knew the chances of Jared being able to find it in time were slim. After one of Steffen’s men slid the front desk out of the way and lifted the door, I acted like I tripped and lost my shoe near it, but far enough away he wouldn’t be suspicious. I just prayed Jared would find it.

“Can you just stand still?” I hiss at my mother under my breath and she stops, casting me an apologetic look when she sees Amelia watching her. I zipped my coat around Amelia, keeping her warm and securely held to my chest.

“I’m cold. Moving warms you up.” She says, and I give her a droll look. My mother reaches down, brushing hair from my face in a rare maternal moment until Steffen walks up, yanking her away from me.

“Don’t touch her without my permission.” He says, jerking her close to his face as she stutters apologies, looking at the ground. Gone was the powerful woman who would shout at me for slouching, berate me when my pants stopped fitting and tried to command my entire identity. In her place was an obedient puppet cowering by a man.

He shoved her away, not sparing her a second glance as he spun on his heel to stare down at me. I held my head high, not backing down from his stare as I wrapped my arms protectively around the little girl.

“You’re filthy.” He says casually.

“I am. There doesn’t happen to be a shower down here, maybe a nice warm change of clothes?” I say sweetly, giving him a smile. Steffen reaches out, gripping my jaw in his hand to rip my head back.

“Don’t try to play me, pet.” He says the words like an insult. Amelia lets out a soft whimper, drawing his attention and I react before he can hurt her, spitting in his face. He slams my head backwards off the concrete wall, making my vision spot and blur as I slide sideways with a cry.

“Lulu!” Amelia shrieks, but I shush her with a fake smile, desperate to keep her safe.

“I’ve had it with her disobedience. If she makes a sound, makes a move, hurt the child.” He commands the guard at the doorway, brushing past him as I stay where I lay. My mother kneels next to me, brushing my hair out of my face.

“I am so sorry, baby.” She whispers, pulling my head into her lap. I bite my lip, digging deep to keep the tears from falling. I couldn’t feel sympathy for her, not when I was laying here in shame and agony. Not when I had a little girl pressed to my chest, her life in my hands.

“We have to be strong, right?” I whisper the words in Amelia’s ear, and she gives a quick nod.

Jared

I kick the chair across the room, losing patience as we comb the inside of the hotel. I found Lunas discarded clothes in what was her room, snow drifting through the broken window. The sight of blood staining the sheets made me sick and I couldn’t stand still. Needing to search every room, I was picking through the bottom floor with Markus. We had guards surrounding the entire property. There’s no way they slipped out all those men without us noticing. Alec and Isabelle were out there, trusting me to do this.

“Come check this out.” Markus says, waving for me to follow him into the lobby. My eyes scan every inch of the room, landing where he stands next to Luna’s other shoe.

“Son of a bitch.” I say under my breath, kneeling next to it as I carefully pick it up and look around once more. This one was still tied, so either somebody took it off her or she kicked it off on purpose. My eyes were picking over every inch of the area, but nothing stood out to me. Something was pulling me to keep looking, even though there appeared to be nothing out of place. We had to be missing something.

“Have they found the door to the basement?” I ask. Markus shakes his head, looking around with his brows drawn.

“If Steffen had this place built, then he could have a hidden safe room or some shit.” He mutters.

I pace the floor, growing impatient until the sight of her shoe lying cold and abandoned makes me snap, and I grip the front desk. A cry of rage rips through my chest as I pull it from the ground and topple the entire thing much more easily than I should have been able to. Markus snorts a laugh that lacks all humor, shaking his head at me before something catches his eye.

“What’s up with this carpet?” He says, kicking the loose carpet and frowning at the shape cut into it. I grab the corner, flipping it over to reveal a hidden door and finally, hope springs to life in my chest as I look up at him.

“See? He doesn’t have a basement because the coward built a safe room.” Markus says with a smug tone.

“Luna wanted me to find it. She left her shoe as a clue. She’s still fighting.”

“I bet she’s protecting Amelia.” He grins, nudging me with the toe of his boot.

“Let’s remind him what happens when he crosses our family and put an end to this shit show. I miss my little girl.” Markus says, pressing his earpiece as he does. “Time to check in, boys. Come to the front desk and collect your keycards.” He says, snickering at his own terrible joke.

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