Page 56 of Eternally Bound

I watched the man hit Daniel with the force and a piercing scream left my lungs. His eyes dazed with pain and then the light left them. He must have lost consciousness. I continued screaming, praying for someone, anyone to come. Arthur was around, he was always nearby. All the years of exercising my lungs as an opera singer were poured into this scream.

I held on to Daniel's big body slumped into my arms, unwilling to let go. From the corner of my eye, I noted men running our way, and I thanked all the saints that were listening. They were still too far away though, just little figures in the distance.

The guy who hit Daniel backhanded me, and I fell backwards, my cheek exploding in pain, but I was unwilling to let go of Daniel. I held on to him as I stumbled backwards from the force of the impact, my body hitting the car.

The guy’s hand wrapped around my neck. “Let him go, or I’ll shoot him in the skull,” he hissed.

My heart thundered with fear, making me dizzy from its force. I weighed my options in the flash of a second. The men were too far away, if he decided to shoot, they’d never make it to us in time.

“Now, bitch,” he added in a growl.

I let go of Daniel’s body; it slid down mine as I tried to lean him against the car. The guy pulled me away from him and lifted me effortlessly onto his shoulder. Within seconds, I was shoved into a van. I scrambled onto my knees, my eyes scanning my surroundings.

The hum of the engine roared to life and the vehicle moved.

I couldn’t let him take me, the chances of escaping slimming with each passing second. I inhaled a deep breath and then screamed again, my lungs burning.

“Shut up, or I’ll shoot you now,” the low voice threatened from the front of the van, and I instantly stilled. It was a different man. It made sense. One waited for Daniel and I, while the other had the vehicle read to take us. Or me.

Daniel will come for me, I thought. I knew he would and then he’d make these assholes pay.

These had to be his uncle’s men. The ones I had evaded thanks to Daniel. The same ones that killed Callen.

I thought back to Daniel when our eyes met right before that man hit him. His words. The ruthless man that loved me and would kill anyone that touched me. With a startling realization, I had to admit to myself that I would kill anyone that dared touch him.

The van didn’t drive for long. As it came to a stop, the door slid open and I was wrenched out of it and to my feet. I tried to shove against him, but it was fruitless.

“Daniel is going to come for me,” I told him defiantly.

Without warning, the man hit me across the face with the back of his hand, and I stumbled at the force of the hit. My cheek still throbbed from the first slap across the face, but now it full on flared, the taste of blood burst on my tongue.

“Bring the woman inside.” A man’s voice reached from behind, and I turned my head in its direction. I had never seen him before, but it didn’t take a genius to realize who it was. Daniel’s uncle. Hector Carrington.

“Beautiful Ainslee McLaren,” he purred, giving me a smile full of malice and creepy fascination. “I can understand my nephew’s fascination now.”

He yanked my head back and laughed. The cruel gleam in his eyes promised pain and retribution.

“I had to make a lot of plans to get you,” he hissed, his hands in my hair curled into fists, yanking my hair even harder and making my scalp hurt. But that wasn’t the worst part. It was his icy expression, matching the harsh winter air. Shivers ran down my spine, his gaze on me making me feel nauseous.

I kept my mouth shut. Instinctively, I knew edging on this man would be stupid. There was cruelty and the tinge of something scary in his eyes. As if he sensed my fear, he grimaced displaying his cruel smile, relishing in it.

“Smart,” he said, behaving like we were having this conversation at my own will. As if he didn’t kidnap me or murder Callen. “Take her inside.”

Someone behind me pushed me forward and my feet felt heavier with each step closer to the building. The wind howled around us, I could practically hear Daniel’s voice whisper carry on the wind.

Hold on, Nightingale. I’m coming for you.

He would come for me. I was certain.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Daniel

Arthur’s eyes were the first thing that registered. Second was that Ainslee was gone. In a rush, I stood up and grabbed my head. There was a hard lump in the back of my head.

“Where is she?” I growled, the clear skies above me. I lifted my upper body off the ground, my car door still stood open. The damn hit on my head hurt.

“They took her,” he said darkly. “One of our men followed, but he lost them.”

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