Page 82 of Sacrifice (Corrupt Empire 2)

James was silent for a long moment. I could hear his harsh breath down the phone.

“How?” he whispered.

“I turned my back for one minute to pay for parking and they ripped her out the car. I couldn’t get to her in time.”

“You’re going to get her back, right? You have to get her back.”

The fear in his voice cut me like a fucking knife. I had no choice but to get her back. Avery was the one person in this world I could not live without. I loved her with every inch of my soul. Except making that sort of promise was impossible. I had no idea where she was or who’d taken her.

“I’m going to try my damn fucking hardest. If you remember anything else, text me.”

“You have to stop this shit with her family. You’ve painted a huge fucking target on her back by getting her involved. You know that, right? If you really love her, then you’ll find her and keep her out of it. I don’t care how you take down her family, just stop putting her in danger.”

He didn’t wait for me to respond. The phone went dead. I took it away from my ear and stared down at it. I couldn’t even be pissed off with him for his outburst. James was right. I’d put her in danger. I’d put her in the line of fire and now I was paying for it.

James didn’t know Avery quite like he thought he did. She was more than willing to do this. She’d laid down her cards. Ready to end this shit for good. I’d given her an out when we discussed her going back into the world. I’d told her she could sign the company over to her uncle and wash her hands of it if that’s what she wanted. She didn’t. Avery told me we were in this together. No matter what. She needed the shit with her family to end just as much as I did.

“You look like someone punched you in the gut,” John said, pulling me out of my thoughts.

“Just got an earful for getting her into this situation is all.”

“What did he say?”

I looked up at him.

“They are organised. Low-level idiots don’t have earpieces. They’re likely carrying. This won’t be easy. That’s if we even find out where the fuck she is.”

John nodded. I stood up, slipping my phone back in my pocket and paced the room. I was still in yesterday’s clothes and I was in desperate need of a shower. How could I think about my own fucking comfort when my girl was missing?

I walked over to my boxing bag and slammed my fist into it. The pain radiated up my knuckles, but I didn’t care.

“Fuck.”

“If you need to beat the shit out of that, then go ahead. I’ll keep an eye on the search for you.”

I stared at the bag. Taking out my frustration on it would calm me down. It would help me regain my senses. Keep a level head.

I gave him a sharp nod and started unbuttoning my shirt. John got up and left the room. Wrapping my hands up, I took out my anger on the boxing bag. I slammed my fists into it over and over again, grunting from the impact.

All my fears poured out of me. The fear she would be hurt. That someone might force her to do things against her will. That she might be raped and abused. And lastly, the crippling anxiety I felt at someone taking her life.

I couldn’t stand it. I promised to protect her. To keep her safe no matter what.

Those promises were shattered in pieces on the floor. Would she be able to forgive me for letting her get taken? Would she still love me?

I hit the bag so hard, my hands felt like they’d been put through a fucking meat grinder. Shaking them out, I unwrapped them, finding bruised knuckles underneath it. Fucking myself up was not helping matters.

Since John hadn’t come back in, I stalked into the bathroom and turned the shower on. I stripped out of the rest of my clothes and got under the steady stream of water.

I remembered the last time I’d had her in here with me. She’d let me pin her up against the wall, her tits squished up against it as I fucked her from behind. I’d left marks on her hips where I’d gripped her too hard. She hadn’t seemed to mind one bit even though I apologised.

My princess.

My fucking goddess.

Gone.

I didn’t want to break down, but the leash I had on my emotions snapped. I let out an anguished howl, feeling my insides ripping to shreds. This was almost as bad as when she’d left me of her own free will. That crushed me completely. Whereas this left me angry, frustrated and ready to kill the motherfuckers who thought they could get away with taking my girl.

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