Page 30 of Gray

Shaking, she quieted, unable to fight Ivan as he gagged her. Grabbing Lena’s unlocked phone from his men, Ivan snapped a picture of her crying on the bed in nothing but her bra and panties. He laughed as he scrolled through her contacts.“I’ll send this photo to the men you work with along with my demands. I think they’ll enjoy the picture,” he sneered, his eyes filling with lust as they raked over her. “It’ll be the last time any of them ever sees you again.”

***

Gray ran his hands through his short hair, frantic. This couldn’t be happening. It couldn’t. He’d just seen Lena earlier. Kissed her goodbye before he took his car in for an oil change. Spoken with her on the phone with plans to meet at Ford and Clara’s. She was just picking up the food. She was supposed to be okay.

And now she was gone, kidnapped by the same twisted predator who’d taken her before.

Devastation roiled through him, making it hard to breathe. Gray sucked in some air, panic nearly overtaking him. He needed to keep his shit together, but his own nightmares were coming back, the memories crippling. He’d been held captive, too. He’d been tortured. Helpless.

And now that same damn thing was happening to Lena.

“No!” he roared, his hands clenched in menacing fists. The room stopped, looking at him.

“We’re going to find her,” Jett said, clapping him on the shoulder. Gray let out a breath and looked at his boss, seeing the pure rage behind Jett’s calm demeanor. Jett was always in control, the epitome of cool, calm, and collected. This time, however, it was personal. Jett had known Lena longer than any of them, and Gray didn’t miss the absolute anger boiling within his boss.

Gray nodded, too angry to speak.

“Where was Lena picking up the food?” Jett asked, his eyes alert.

Gray swallowed, realizing he didn’t even know. “I’m not sure.”

“Oh, I think at the market on Jefferson St.!” Anna called out, rushing over. “I mentioned that I love the cakes there.”

Jett nodded, eyeing the team that had gathered around him. “We know she made it there because of the text she sent earlier. She had the food. We need a couple guys to head over there, but we also need to get with West. While the text the team received was anonymous, everything about this points to Ivan Rogers.”

“On it, boss,” Luke said, signaling to Ford.

“We’ll head to the shopping center,” Ford said. “There’s got to be security cameras there. Witnesses.”

“Her car,” Gray choked out. “If she picked up the food but never left, her car might be there.”

Jett was already nodding. “I know she got the platter and cake. The store will have surveillance cameras. Was she being followed? Watched? Did she leave the premises? We don’t know if she was taken in the parking lot or already on her way here and ambushed.”

“I’m going with them,” Gray said, anger pulsing through his bloodstream. “If that was the last known location of Lena, I want to be there. I want to find her car.”

“We could also check her home,” Nick said, eyeing Gray. “Presumably, she was headed right to Ford and Clara’s place, but what if she changed her plans?”

“Shit. You’re right,” Gray muttered. The zip ties. The fucking zip ties he’d found in her driveway. Was someone watching her then? Gray wanted to be everywhere at once, but that couldn’t exactly happen. He’d have to rely on his teammates, just like on any other op. Except this was the most difficult mission of hislife. They’d rescued Lena from hell once before, but now he’d kissed her, slept with her body pressed against his own, made love to her. Dizziness nearly overtook him.

“Take a deep breath,” Sam said, coming to stand by his side. “You’re the strongest man on the team for the hell you went through, but Lena needs you right now.”

He ground his teeth, nodding. His buddy was right. Gray needed to pull himself together. Imagining the worst wouldn’t help his girl. He needed a clear head. A laser sharp focus. Every minute counted.

“I’m okay,” he said, eyeing Jett and his teammates. “Don’t bench me on this.”

“Not a chance. Time is on our side,” Jett said, echoing his thoughts. “Lena’s been gone thirty minutes, tops. We need to find out where they took her. Where they’re headed. If they move her to another location, it complicates the hell out of things.”

“Let’s roll,” Ford said.

Gray was already turning, rushing to the front door.

“I’m driving!” Luke yelled.

Gray didn’t argue. Ford was climbing into his own vehicle, which made sense, but Gray would ride with Luke. If they discovered any clues or hints as to where Lena had been taken, they might need to split up. Gray wasn’t exactly in his right mind to obey traffic laws and road safety. Rage coursed through him, but with each second that passed, an eerie feeling of calm began to set in. He could compartmentalize his thoughts, focusing only on the mission. Gray was in the zone, and nothing mattered other than retrieving their package from the tangos. The fact that itwas Lena? He’d have to sort through those emotions later. She needed him, and he couldn’t fall apart now.

Ten minutes later, Luke’s tires squealed as he tore into the parking lot. Gray’s gaze swept the area. Cars lined the spaces; shoppers pushed their carts full of groceries. Ford pulled in behind them, rolling to a stop at the curb in front of the store.

“Do you see her vehicle?” Luke asked, beginning to circle the lot.

---