Page 22 of Nate Hayes

The figure froze.

And then slowly raised their hands.

It was a girl. Maybe seventeen. Wide green eyes, hair a tangled mess, a bruise blooming along her cheekbone. Her lip was split, her clothes torn.

“Who the hell are you?” I demanded.

She looked at me like she’d seen a ghost. “They took my sister. Please... don’t let them take me too.”

She was trembling, clutching a broken rake handle like it was the only thing keeping her alive. I kept my weapon trained on her, just in case—but something in her eyes told me she was more terrified than dangerous.

Axel stepped in behind me, gun raised, taking position just over my shoulder. “You know her?”

“Nope. But she’s not one of them,” I said, keeping my voice steady. “Look at her—she’s been through hell.”

I holstered my gun and stepped closer, hands raised to show I wasn’t a threat.

“It’s okay,” I said gently. “You’re safe—for now. What’s your name?”

She swallowed hard. “Siena. Siena Ricci.”

Axel and I exchanged a quick glance.

“Any relation to Alessandro Ricci?” Axel asked. “The family we’re delivering the kids to?”

Siena gave a shaky nod. “He’s my grandfather.”

Shit.

I knelt down in front of her. “Start talking. We’re escorting his other grandkids—Chloe and Ethan. They’re downstairs. We were supposed to bring them to him.”

Her face crumpled. “You can’t. You can’t go to him. That house—it’s not safe. The people working for him… they’ve changed. They’re not his regular staff. I heard them talking. They planned to kidnap all of us. Me , Chloe, Ethan. Something aboutinsurance. I escaped two days ago. I’ve been hiding here ever since.”

Axel muttered, “Well, that explains why we’re being followed.”

“Why didn’t you go to the police?” I asked.

“They’re in on it. At least the ones around the estate. I tried to flag down a passing car, but when they saw me, they sped off. I’ve been surviving on rotten grapes and rainwater.”

“Hell,” I muttered.

Chloe and Ethan. Grandkids of a billionaire. Suddenly worth more as hostages than as heirs.

“What about your sister?” Axel asked. “You said they took her.”

“She’s younger. Only twelve. They separated us. I think they kept her at the main house. They knew I was older, harder to control.”

The knot in my gut twisted tighter.

This wasn’t a job anymore. This was a rescue.

I stood up and motioned for Siena to follow. “You’re coming with us. We’ll protect you. But if what you’re saying is true, we need to move—now.”

We got back downstairs just as another bullet hit the outer wall.

The kids screamed, ducking again. I grabbed Siena’s hand and pulled her forward.

“Chloe, Ethan—this is your cousin Siena. She’s been hiding here. And she says you’re all targets.”

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