Page 115 of Coerced Queen

When I make it to the reading nook, Anya is gripping Rosemary’s shoulders, shaking her.

“Tell me,” Anya screams.“Tell me where she is!”

Rosemary’s head lolls to the side, her body like a rag doll under Anya’s assault.

“Anya.”I fasten my fingers around her arms and pull her off the woman.“She’s unconscious.”

“Tell me,” she yells again, fighting me like a wildcat.

I capture her between my arms, pinning her back against my chest.“She can’t answer you.”

She kicks and flails her arms, trying to push me away.“I want my baby!”

“Stop it,” I say, lifting her off her feet.“Calm down.”

My harsh tone has the desired effect.She stills, going limp in my hold.

Her heartbeat pounds against my chest, mirroring the wild galloping of my own.

Despite the anguish, I keep my voice even.“You’ll hurt yourself.I know what I ask is difficult, but you have to keep your head,tesoro.”

“She’s gone,” she says with a sob.“Gone.”

The sorrow and devastation in those words slice right through me.I turn her to face me, murder already coursing through my veins.“We’ll find her.”

Anya collapses in my arms, her knees giving out.“Sav.”

My name is a cry for help on her lips, a sound of agony that cuts me to the bone.

I press a kiss on the crown of her head, swallowing down my volatile emotions in lieu of rationality because getting our daughter back depends on my ability to think with a clear head.“We’ll find her.I promise you that.”

Nicole comes running with Livy on her heels.“What’s going on?”

Anya pushes away from me, trying to stand, but her knees wobble again.She stabs her fingers through her hair and looks at her friends with ghost-white, tear-streaked cheeks.“She’s gone.Someone took Claire.”

“Dear God,” Nicole says, covering her mouth with a trembling hand.

Livy jumps into action.“Here, Anya.”She takes her arm and leads her to a chair.“Sit down before you keel over.You need to be strong, understand?”

Trusting Livy to take care of Anya, I pat Rosemary’s cheek.She doesn’t react, but her skin isn’t cold like a corpse’s.

I feel her pulse.

It’s strong.

“What’s wrong with her?”I ask Nicole.

Nicole shoves me away and peels open one of Rosemary’s eyelids.“She’s knocked out good.I don’t see blood or obvious injuries.”She runs her fingers along the vertebrae at Rosemary’s nape before carefully checking her skull.“No head trauma.”

Dante arrives with two men in tow.He comes over while the men continue down the hallway.

I bark out an order.“Get the video feed from the security cameras outside.”

“Already done,” he says.“The feed is being sent to your phone as we speak.”

“Wake her up,” I tell Nicole.

Nicole straightens.“You need to call an ambulance.”

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