Page 131 of Coerced Queen

“Anya and Livy left to get Claire back.I’m dropping you a pin with the location as we speak.”

My limp and aching knee forgotten, I cross the parking lot with long, frenetic strides.“How long ago?”

She hesitates.

“Nicole,” I bark.“How long ago?”

“Five minutes.”

Fuck.

Dante starts running, calling out an order to the men who follow us.

I pull up Anya’s location on the app that tracks her phone.It’s ten minutes from here.

“Why didn’t she call me?”

“Raphael said she needed to go alone.Well, with Livy.”

Nicole carries on explaining about the tracker they planted on Anya.While she talks, another call comes in.

Livy.

“Fuck,” I say, my throat so dry my voice is hoarse.“It’s Livy.I’ll get back to you.”

Dante is already in the driver’s seat of our car.A guard gets the door on the passenger side for me.

I answer the call while I get in.“Livy, where are you?”

Her voice doesn’t falter.She comes across as a woman who’s unshakable.“I’ve got Claire.She’s safe.I’m heading home.Anya is still with Raphael.There are five men with automatic rifles.Raphael has a handgun.Glock.I didn’t get the caliber.”

I go stone cold.

“Did you get the location?”she asks.

My answer is brusque.“Nicole just sent it to me.I’m tracking Anya’s phone.I’ll dispatch a car to meet you on the way.Wait for them before you approach the house.”

“Got it.”

“Livy.”

She waits.

Dante pulls off with screeching tires.

“Take care of my baby girl.”

“I’ve got her, Sav.Go get Anya.”

“Fuck,” Dante says when I hang up.

I send an instruction to the team at the house to trace Livy’s route via her phone and to get protection to her asap.Then I type out a quick message to Nicole to update her.I want her to examine Claire when they arrive to make sure she’s okay.I tell her the guests can leave.I want every-fucking-body except for the guards out of my house when my girls get home.

“You holdin’ up?”Dante asks.

I clench my teeth so hard my jaw aches.Slamming a fist on the dashboard, I utter a raw cry.Pain shoots up my knuckles, sparks of electricity running through my bones.I barely register the ache.All I can think about is how angry I am with Anya for being so reckless.So stupid.For not letting me in on what went down sooner.For walking into Raphael’s trap.But most of that anger is directed at myself.For denying my feelings.For never telling her.For having waited too long.

Dante drives like a maniac, breaking every speed limit.

---