Page 18 of Blood Moon

“Fuck,” he muttered. “Well, if you see her, I need to know. Hopefully, she just got held up, and he’s being paranoid. My men are all on the lookout for her, but I have Pietro working his magic.”

Shit. Pietro wasn’t just a simple thug. He was a genius, and I knew he used some high-tech facial recognition software to find people who were trying to hide. If my decision hadn’t been maniacally impulsive, maybe I’d have thought of that.

“I will,” I lied and ended the call.

This complicated things. I’d need to push my timeline up. There would be no wearing her down. I needed to get her to take me back as soon as possible.

Because once Gabriel or Peter found out I’d abducted her, I was as good as disowned or dead. Gabriel would be furious—possibly bad enough that it wouldn’t matter that I was his brother. After all, I’d been nothing but trouble since Francesco’s death, and I knew it.

I needed this to work. If it did, none of this would matter and everything would be fixed. I picked up the small velvet bag. It had a considerable weight to it for something so small. The glittery substance inside seemed to be nothing more than a fine gold dust. Except I now knew it was so much more than that.

* * *

I’d been up all night, dozing fitfully off and on.

After donning the black camo pants and long-sleeve shirt, I laced up my boots and grabbed the mask. My next stop was my office, where I pocketed the velvet pouch. I ignored how it made my fingertips tingle. Then I hit the box of clothing I’d had delivered. Once I was outside the playroom, I pulled the mask over my head.

I entered and strode to the couch, where long blonde hair was cascading over the edge and practically touching the floor. Though I wanted nothing more than to grab that hair and kiss her, I pushed that need to the wayside. My possessiveness over her was getting out of control for a woman I’d slept with only once. Perhaps it was the fact that she’d been the secret obsession I’d had for years that drove my feelings. Who knew?

“Tinsley, wake up,” I said, hardening my heart the best I could. I intentionally disguised my voice—at least until we got to where we were going.

“Go away,” she grumbled sleepily before she covered her head again.

“It’s time to go,” I told her.

At that, she shot straight up. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were wide and hopeful.

“You need to get dressed,” I told her, setting the clothing and shoes in her lap. “We need to leave.”

“You’re taking me home?” she eagerly asked.

“After you help me go back a few years, then when we get back, yes, I’ll take you home,” I promised. Though if we were successful, this moment might never happen, and I might never meet her. I had no idea how that worked. Would my going back in time alter everything today? It would have to.

For a moment, she glared at me. Then she got up and regally walked to the bathroom with the armful of clothes. Once she was inside, she slammed the door.

I couldn’t help but chuckle.

It wasn’t long before she stalked out wearing the outfit I’d selected for her. She marched to the door and grabbed the knob, but it didn’t budge. “You still have it locked?” she snidely asked.

“Can’t be too cautious. I wasn’t sure if you’d agree,” I shrugged carelessly.

Placing my thumb on the biometric lock, I listened as the lock slid open. When she reached for it, I slammed my hand against it. “Not yet.”

She blew out a heavy breath. “Now what?” she barked.

That’s when I hurriedly jerked the black hood over her head and pulled the string. When she tried to pull it off, I grabbed her wrist. “Don’t take it off, or you won’t see your little bag of glitter again.”

She cursed at me, and I grinned.

Then I crouched down far enough to chuck her over my shoulder. If she saw my condo, it would be a dead giveaway. I don’t know why it mattered to me that I keep my identity a secret as long as I could, but it did.

She was kicking and shouting so I swatted her ass—hard. Her back stiffened, and she actually tried to bite my back through the hood and my clothes. I swatted her again, and she stopped.

I took the small service elevator that went down to the restaurant on the fifth floor. Each of our condos had a secret elevator for escape. Mine conveniently came out in the pantry of the restaurant kitchen. I found it extremely convenient when I wanted to cook something in the middle of the night.

“Where are we going?” she asked, but I didn’t reply. “Fucking dick,” she muttered, and I grinned at her feistiness.

At this time of the morning, no one should be there yet. I grabbed the keys to one of their catering vans as I passed the office.

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