Page 87 of Chasing Sarah

“Fuck you, Colson!”

“Mouth,” Xander chastises, and I roll my eyes.

An hour later, I’m all but crawling into the house. Muscles I haven’t discovered yet are screaming to the universe for relief.

But I didn’t crack. I didn’t tell them the real reason to why I left and came back looking like I got jumped.

So, right now, despite the agonizing pain I’m in, I call that a win.

Chapter 31

I wake to my phone ringing on the nightstand. Sarah is tucked against my side. The air still holds the scent of sex.

When my phone begins ringing again, I shift slowly to avoid waking Sarah. She groans but turns to her side before falling back to sleep.

“What?” I whisper-hiss.

“Get to the estate, now,” Finn – one of the men working for Declan – says. His voice is laced with enough urgency, I’m already moving.

“What’s going on?”

“I’ll fill you in when you get here.”

Shit.

I waste no time in making sure I’m dressed, kissing Sarah on the forehead, and out the door in less than 5 minutes.

There are men everywhere when I arrive at the Moore Estate. The sun is just cresting over the city. Finn waves his arms, catching my attention when I park.

“Talk to me,” I order as soon as I climb out of the car.

“Paige was taken.”

I halt, spinning to face him. “What?”

He goes on to explain that Paige had snuck out in the night and took off into the forest. The men were alerted that an unidentified person was roaming the grounds and opened fire. By the time they had realized it was Paige they’d been shooting at, she managed to climb up and over one of the perimeter walls. When our men made it over,Markhad been on the other side and abducted her.

“Where is Declan?”

Finn gestures toward the mansion. “He was drunk off his arse last night. We woke him when we lost sight of her in the woods.” His hand slides down his face then he returns his gaze to mine. “I haven’t the heart the tell him she’s been taken.”

Meaning, I’m the one that needs to tell him. I’m the one who will make Declan’s world come crashing down because the woman he fell in love with was taken by her monster. Likely having already delivered her to the Bratva.

“Fuck,” I curse under my breath.

Here goes nothing.

I stride past Finn and enter the mansion.

“He’s in his office.” Ingrid – Declan’s housekeeper – motions to the closed door. Worry mars every inch of her aged face. I nod in thank you.

Declan stands facing the window of his office, staring off. The muscles of his back are stiff, his face appearing made of stone from lack of emotion.

I shut the door behind me and place my hands in my pockets.

“Paige was taken.”

He visibly winces as if he’d be struck. “What happened?” I barely make out the question. His frame becomes more rigid as I explain the situation. And as I say it, I’m reminded that I need to tell Sarah.