Page 16 of Midnight Rose

"She’s been taken."

The three words that I hoped I would never hear. Quickly I stand and head to my car, where I flip on the tracker that I had put into a necklace I had given her in Greece. She never takes it off, and now she will know why.

Then I relay all the information about where she is to the security guy.

"Now, what exactly happened?"

"We aren't sure. She went to her father's house to talk to him, and she was taken on the way out. I have men on it now."

The moment I'm in the car, I bark out directions. After I hang up with my security team, I place a call to Ruby's mom.

"What happened today?" I bark out.

"I think you would be good to remember who you're talking to," she says.

"She was taken while she was supposed to be having lunch with you. I suggest you tell me what you know, or you won't live to see the sunset."

"I told her about you, about how you demanded her. Then she went to talk to her dad, and that was the last I saw her." She doesn't even seem concerned that her daughter has been taken hostage.

Hanging up, I call her father.

"Tell me you have something on her," I say, ignoring the greetings, knowing he will know exactly why I'm calling.

"We talked, and while we didn't leave it on the best of terms, she seemed okay. Then I was informed that she was grabbed between the front door and her car. It seems one of my bodyguards has turned on her. That’s all I know at the moment. Though I sent my men with yours to help."

When I know more, I'll let you know."

Hanging up, I notice the tracker has stopped at the harbor and give directions to the driver, who thankfully speeds up.

Then I call my man back and relate the information her father gave me and the location on her tracker.

As we pull up, there's a group of my men and some of her father’s waiting for me.

"No one in or out of the harbor." I nod to one of my men, who runs off to carry out my instructions. Then I turn to the rest of the guys.

"If they were involved in taking her, then they don’t walk out alive. But the guard who turned? He's mine."

They go and spread out. Using the tracker, I have to pinpoint the location and hope it's close to where she is. Even more, I hope we are lucky that they didn't check for any tracking devices.

As I make my way down the dock, I think of all the waterways. When I get her back, I plan to put a tracker everywhere on her. In her shoes, her clothes, and her wedding ring and I will do it as soon as possible.

When we get to the boat, several men step from the shadows. I recognize them because they work for the family that she was promised to before me, the Gallos.

They are hurting for money and power, and aligning with Ruby's father would have given them what they needed to survive another few generations.

My men are trained and quick. The four men on the deck go down fast, their blood coating the white deck.

"This one says she is below deck, the room next to the kitchen." One of my men says as he holds one of the Gallo men in a chokehold.

I nod, and he slits his throat, and we split. Half the men go and clear the upper decks, and I head with the rest of my men to find Ruby. A few more men try to stop us, and all meet the same fate as the ones before. It seems they weren't prepared for us to catch up with them as quickly as we have.

We get to the room where we were told Ruby would be in. My men go in first as I steel myself for what we might find. Quickly my men circle and disarm the man who took her and turned on her.

My eyes search for Ruby. I find her on the floor in the corner. Her arms are tied behind her back and then tied to her feet. Her clothes are ripped, her body bruised, and there’s a bag over her head.

"Ruby!" I yell out.

She starts moving and making strangled noises, revealing she is also gagged. Not wanting her to see what I'm about to do, I go over to the man who took her.

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