Page 85 of Samson

“What do you mean, taken?”

“Kidnapped.”

“By who?”

Samson stared at his reflection in the car window before he opened it. He’d spent so much of his life living for himself, and it was all for nothing. “They’ll kill her if I don’t go.” He looked up at Arthur. “Pray for her. And me.”

“I will.” Arthur nodded. “You can too, you know.”

Samson nodded lightly as he opened his car door, but praying was the furthest thing from his mind. “I’ve gotta go.”

“I won’t stop praying until I hear from you.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

Delilah hurried down to the restaurant, bringing up Samson’s number for the millionth time. Her life wasn’t worth more than Samson’s daughter, but before Luca went into surgery, he’d made her promise not to tell him anything, and also to get to therestaurant and make sure they opened as usual. He didn’t want anyone to catch wind that something was wrong. But she knew it was wrong. It was all wrong. When had she become this person?

Her world was crumbling around her once again, and she was powerless to act. It was exactly like before. There had to be a right thing to do. It should be simple, but her head and her heart conflicted so badly it made it impossible to do anything beyond the basics.

She’d spent the last hour begging God to be real and to do something. She wanted that sense she’d had as a child to return, but only her desperation grew.

Her thumb was poised over Samson’s number as she moved into the dining room. She willed herself to press it. It was a simple act that carried the weight of so many lives in it.

Finally, her finger dropped onto the screen and dialed. She pressed it to her ear and looked up when she heard a phone ringing in the room.

Samson was standing there, pale even in the dim light.

“Samson?” She hung up the call. “I?—”

“You have to leave. Now. Go quickly. It doesn’t matter where. Just go.”

“No, you don’t understand.” She rushed over to him.

“Please, Delilah. You have to trust me.”

“But can you trust her?” A voice came from behind.

Delilah swung around. It was a man she’d never seen before.

“Who are you?”

“She has nothing to do with this,” Samson said. “She doesn’t know anything.” He pulled her close and whispered in her ear, “Run, and don’t look back.”

“Actually, I’d like her to stay,” the other man said before he looked behind him and nodded.

Marc came into the room, dragging a teenage girl with him. She was gagged, and her hair was a mess. Tears streaked her face.

“Riley,” Samson said breathlessly as he took an aggressive step forward, but Marc lifted a gun to her head.

Delilah pressed a hand to her chest as though she could keep her heart from pounding. “It’s too late,” she said to herself.

“My name’s Burak Demir, by the way.” He held out a hand to take Delilah’s, but she didn’t move. “Very well,” he said as he dropped his arm back to his side. “I had hoped we could be friends since you’ve done me such a great service.”

“I’ve come like you asked,” Samson said. “Let the girls go.”

Marc snickered. “Delilah’s not here under duress. She’s the reason we found your daughter.”

“What?” Samson’s questioning eyes locked onto hers.

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