Page 118 of Vow to Hate You

“I need you to listen,” she choked out. “Please. Is Ash with you?”

“I’m right here, Talie,” Ash spoke up, worry swimming in his eyes as he stared at the phone.

“I’m going to give you an account number. I need you to help me?—”

“Natalia,” I cut in, nerves thick in my voice. “What’s going on?”

The silence dragged on until I nearly snapped.

“I can’t tell you,” she whispered. “Trust me.”

“Ash isn’t doing anything until you tell me where you are.”

Her response was suddenly muffled, and I stiffened when another voice mixed with hers. It was deep enough to know it was a man.

“Who the hell is that?” I asked, the new voice only shooting more panic through me.

“Ash, I’m going to text a number and the bank name. I need you to do a wire transfer?—”

“No,” I cut her off. “Talk to me.”

“Do you care about your wife, Damian?”

My heart plummeted when Percy’s voice came through the speaker. Ash straightened up, a frown on his face as he grabbed his laptop, his fingers flying furiously over the keyboard. Rhyett rounded the desk, halting next to me.

“Percy,” I said slowly, trying to stay calm. “Why are you with my wife?”

“If you want her to stay safe, then you’re going to do what I say,” he continued, the unhinged edge to his voice causing my heart to race frantically. “I’m sending through a text with an account number and the bank. You and your friends will wire all of it to me. You will also give me everything in your accounts.”

“Don’t do anything you’ll regret,” I warned through clenched teeth. “Let her go, Percy.”

“You’ll never see her again,” he nearly screamed. “I want all the money—yours and hers. Or she’s dead.”

Ice chilled my veins. “Okay, okay. I’ll do it. Just calm down.”

“You have two hours. No calling the police or anyone else. If I don’t have the money in my account, you won’t see her again.”

“Let me talk to her,” I demanded hoarsely.

“Tell him how serious I am,” Percy spoke, his voice farther from the phone.

“Damian, he shot him,” Talie cried, her sob making my heart ache. “I don’t know if he’s alive?—”

“Enough.” Percy came back on the phone.

“I swear on everything I will kill you if you hurt her,” I growled, the words out of my mouth before I could think. “You’ll get your fucking money. But if there’s a mark on her, there isn’t a place you can run far enough.”

Rhyett’s hand landed on my shoulder, and he squeezed tightly, attempting to ground me. It wasn’t helping. Red lined my vision as I heaved out breaths. I was spiraling, and nothing would change until I had my eyes on my wife.

“You don’t get to threaten me anymore,” Percy spat out. “I’m making the rules now.”

“Do you remember how my dad wanted us to go to Georgia, Damian?” Talie asked in a rush. “But we couldn’t stay in the city at the apartment building we wanted? I want you to take me there when this is over?—”

The next thing was silence when the call was disconnected. I didn’t realize I was gripping the edge of my desk until pain spasmed down my fingers. I glanced at my white knuckles as I slowly let go of the wood.

“I can try to trace her phone, but it’s going to take a while,” Ash said tightly, his eyes not leaving his laptop screen. “Do we want to call the cops?”

“No. If he already shot someone, then he could hurt Talie.” Rhyett was right next to me, but his words sounded far away. “We could call Jude. He or Christian might have connections to track her down.”

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