Page 19 of Hold Me Before You Go

The van was still on. I took that as a sign they weren’t going to come back here just yet. They could’ve pulled over to use the bathroom.

An idea popped into my head.

I bit the inside of my cheek, pondering it.

If we were in public, I could scream. My kidnappers didn’t think about gagging me, which was a poor decision on their part. I could scream, and someone could hear me, call the cops, and then I’d get to safety and call Grayson—

But what if we weren’t in public?

What if I screamed, and they came back here to drug me again. Or do something worse?

I couldn’t risk it. If I was drugged one more time, there was no telling how my body would react. There was a very good chance I might die because of it.

Jake, one of Grayson’s men, ran a blood test on me a few weeks ago, and he informed me that the drug Leo used on me was a new compound. There wasn’t much knowledge on it yet, so the side effects were unknown.

No.

I couldn’t risk that.

So, I stayed quiet, rolling to my side as quietly as I could. Behind my back, I wiggled my fingers, pushing through the tingles shooting through them.

A second door slammed, telling me both of them were out of the van now. A few seconds later, I heard a door open again, and then the van was shut off.

Then, they were both gone, leaving me alone.

What I didn’t know was the worst was yet to come…

Chapter Five

Grayson

Hayes and I were quiet as the elevator took us up to the thirteenth floor, Tic-Tac’s carrier on the floor between us. The sun was about to rise, and Carrie had been missing for over eighteen hours. The flight down here was a blur. I’d spent the entire time trying to keep myself in check while Hayes was in the cockpit.

The elevator dinged, and the doors opened to reveal the Red Snake team waiting for me, ready to go to hell for me.

Ash was no longer wearing an arm sling, the bruising on his face finally healed, but agony still lingered in his eyes. Jake’s ginger hair was pulled back, his glasses sitting high on his nose, his tablet in hand. Dominic’s jaw was tight, ready to go into battle, two guns strapped to his hips. All the men were dressed in black cargo pants, combat boots, and black, long-sleeved thermals.

Without a word, I picked up Tic-Tac’s carrier, and his quiet meow filled the strained silence. Ash’s eyes were the first to drop to it. “Everything is set up in your office for him, Gray. He’ll be comfortable there until we get her back,” he promised.

Would we?

Would we get her back?

Or have you lost her forever?

The voice inside my head wasn’t logical. It was my demons, trying to derail me.

Hayes and I stepped out of the elevator as I gave Ash a single nod, thankful that none of the boys were giving me bullshit for falling in love with a fucking cat. My eyes met Jakes and I jerked my chin. “You got what I need?”

He nodded once, a muscle jumping in his cheek just above his thick beard.

“Alright, boys,” Hayes began. “Meeting room. Two minutes.”

We broke apart, and I headed straight into my office to set Tic-Tac’s carrier on the floor by the couch before opening it. I didn’t beckon him to come out, knowing full well he was scared shitless from the flight. He’d come out on his own time. Surveying my space, I spotted a self-cleaning kitty litter box, some toys, and a plush bed tucked into the corner of the floor-to-ceiling windows.

The sound of my cell ringing cut through the air, and I turned, staring at my desk as I pulled it out, not bothering to check who was calling.

“Grayson,” I greeted, my voice distant as exhaustion slammed into me.

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