Page 36 of Mysterious

“I checked, and the SUV is still here. The doors are locked, but I looked in and saw no one. I think I saw something red that looked like blood a couple yards away, though.”

Fuck. Blood means someone’s hurt.

“Okay, I need you to call the police. Tell them we’ve got the FBI on it here, but three people are missing down there and at least one is likely in need of medical attention. Have them call me at this number and coordinate with us here.”

After I finish the call, I throw my phone across the room, furious that I let this happen to Mia and my guys. What kind of fucking chief of security am I if I can’t keep the one person I’m supposed to keep safe from being taken right off the goddamned street?

Drew walks back in and picks up my phone where it landed after it hit the wall. “Chill out, man. You need to keep your head right now. You care about her and the guys, so keep things level, all right?”

Nodding, I stuff my phone into my pants pocket and let out a deep sigh. “I should have been there with her. I’ll never forgive myself if all three of them don’t come back safe and sound when this is all over.”

“They will. Nothing’s certain yet, so let’s think positive. Have the FBI been called in?”

“Yeah, Andrea is handling that. I need to find Brett and Kip. I think we need to head down to Miami. Not that I don’t think the cops can handle things, but I’d feel better if we were closer to the scene.”

Drew grabs his jacket off the back of the chair next to the window. “I agree. When do we leave?”

As we walk out into the hallway heading toward Jack’s room, I quickly try to find the best way to get there. It has to be by plane. We could drive, but that would take too long, and even if we have to wait a few hours to get a flight, flying will still take less time.

“You get ready and get Jack in on all of this. I’ll get us a flight out as soon as I can this morning. Make sure you bring him up to speed on all that’s happened.”

I stop to reserve us three tickets, and Drew gives me a reassuring pat on the back. “Stay positive, man. Nothing’s bad until we learn it’s bad. Until then, it’s all good. Don’t forget that.”

“Yeah, you’re right. Thanks, Drew.”

Left alone in that hotel hallway, I try to convince myself he’s right, that we’ve heard nothing bad yet, so we shouldn’t worry. But I can’t stop myself from picturing Mia being held hostage in some terrible place with people who don’t see her as anything but a way to get millions of dollars.

Even worse is the thought that two of my guys I brought onto this job could be lying hurt somewhere bleeding out or worse.

Fuck, I can’t think like that! I need to get my shit in gear and be the man Mia and my guys need me to be right now. That means buying plane tickets and getting the fuck down to Miami to find them. Self-loathing can wait until after we save them from the assholes who thought it was a good idea to kidnap Mia.

CHAPTERSEVENTEEN

Mia

My wrists feelraw after all these hours of trying to escape from these ropes. Fucking Michael! I swear to God if I get out of this alive, I’m going to make sure he pays for this.

I can’t think that way. Not if I get out of this alive. No, Liam would never let this asshole kill me. No way. I don’t know how, but he’ll find a way to rescue me and make this shithead pay dearly for taking me.

Desperate to find some way out of here, I scan the room to see if there’s anyone here other than Michael and me. I haven’t seen anyone yet, but someone could be hiding out in another part of the building. I need to figure out a way to get out of these restraints. Even if I don’t know where I am, if I could run, I know I could escape.

“Always fighting reality. You know, if you’d just go with the flow, you wouldn’t have ended up in this mess in the first place.”

I see Michael walking toward me wearing that smug look he’s had on his face nearly the whole time he’s kept me here. Why does he think he’s going to get away with this? He must be insane.

“It’s not reality. This isn’t reality,” I say, trying to egg him on to explain what the hell all of this is about. “Kidnapping people isn’t normal, you know.”

Rolling his eyes, he shrugs like this is all in a day’s work for him. “Famous people get kidnapped all the time. It doesn’t make the news because they pay off the kidnappers and keep the whole thing hush-hush, but it happens a lot.”

“People are going to miss me. I’m not sure how you think this is going to work. I’ve got hundreds of people on my staff between my entourage, my security, and my management team, not to mention everyone on my tour crew needing me to make it to Houston in just a couple days to perform. You don’t think they’ve contacted the authorities to search for me?”

He shakes his head and grins. “No, I don’t.”

“Are you joking? My mother will be up one side of the police and down the other when she finds out I’m gone, and you can trust me, she already knows. I have no idea how long you’ve kept me here, but you can be damn sure the moment she found out, she made sure to call everyone up to the President himself to get me back.”

There are few things about my mother that I truly appreciate, but her desire to make sure I’m safe and sound at all times is one of them. Most times, that trait of hers is nothing but oppressive, but at moments like this, I’m sure it’s coming in handy.

When Michael doesn’t respond, I know I’ve touched a nerve with my mention of my mother. “You may have convinced her that she should give you another chance to work for us, but you know her. Once she fires someone, she’s done with them. I’m guessing you told her some sad story to make her hire you back, but Andrea Shanoff isn’t someone you should rely on for tender feelings. I learned that years ago. I would have thought you’d understood that too after being around us for so long.”

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