Page 44 of Promise & Artem

Nero chuckled. “She’s too valuable to let go. The two of you together—your fighting and her healing—would make my league unstoppable. I have big plans.”

Artem looked at his dad, feeling helpless for the first time in his life.

“Let me talk to her,” Artem said.

Nero sighed. “Very well.”

There was the sound of a door unlocking and then Promise yelled, “You don’t have to manhandle me you jackass!”

Artem could have cried in relief at hearing her sassy voice.

“Talk to your mate,” Nero said.

“Artem?”

“Hey, sweetheart, are you okay?”

“I’ve been better. I’m at?—”

“That’s quite enough,” Nero said, and Promise grunted as if someone had hit her.

“You don’t have to hurt her,” Artem said, seething. His minotaur bellowed in fury that anyone would lay a hand on her. He wanted to climb through the phone and slaughter them all.

“I won’t, if she does what she’s told. And that goes for you as well. Be at the warehouse at nine tonight. Do as I say and you’ll both be fine. But Artem, be very certain of this one truth: she’s valuable for her healing powers, but you’re only as valuable as your next win. If you fail in any way, I won’t have any qualms about putting you down. You’re expendable. Remember that.”

The call cut off and Artem let out an angry bellow from his beast. His temples ached as his beast wanted to shift and hunt down the male who took his mate.

His dad grabbed him and gave him a hard shake.

“First of all, where is your sister? They were together.”

“She’s on the way here, she called me just before Nero did.”

“Good. Now let’s go to the Welcome Center. We need all the help we can get to bring Promise back here.”

“Dad,” Artem said, looking at his phone screen where a picture his sister had taken of him and Promise at the lake the day before was his wallpaper. “This is dangerous. I should go alone.”

“Hell no,” his dad said vehemently. “They took your mate and they threatened your life. There’s no way you’re going alone, don’t be foolish.”

“I just…maybe I should fight.”

His dad shook his head. “You’ll never be free and there’s a good chance you’ll die someday in one of the fights. We have to put an end to this.”

“I just want her back.”

“I’ll help you.”

Artem and his dad raced from the workshop toward the Welcome Center, his dad making several calls as they ran.

Be careful, sweetheart. I’m coming for you.

Promise had only been in the room by herself for a couple of minutes when the one goon had dragged her out to talk to Artem. How long had she been gone? Maybe a half hour.

Now he knew for sure who had her.

And he now knew that Nero thought he was expendable but she wasn’t.

There was something oddly calming about knowing that Nero wasn’t planning to kill her, but it was tempered by the knowledge that he wasn’t above hurting her regardless. When she’d tried to tell Artem where she was, the tattooed male slapped her hard enough to make her eyes water.

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