Page 90 of Cruel Abandon (Fallen Royals 5)

Blinding pain explodes from my ribs, and I fall onto my side. He kicked me.

He grabs my wrists and picks me up, throwing me over his shoulder. It would be better if I just… blacked out. Let whatever’s going to happen, happen.

He’s fucking kidnapping me and threatening Liam in the process.

The trunk of his car opens, and he drops me in. There’s no ease, no ceremony. My head hits the corner, and my vision goes dark.

24

Liam

I stare at my phone, unsure of what I just heard.

Colt.

Pressure points.

I don’t have to wait long, just another few seconds before a text from an unknown number arrives: Fight in twenty minutes, LBU Chapel basement.

“Fuck!” I yell.

I dial Theo’s number and hold my breath until he answers.

“I got the text,” he says without preamble.

“They have Sky,” I say. “I’m going to kill them.”

He pauses, and I realize I’ve given away a lot more of my hand than I normally do. Still, he’s my best friend. If I can’t be honest with him, who can I tell? Who can I count on?

Finally, he says, “Okay, do you have a plan?”

“Fight whoever they want me to, then beat their sorry asses inward.”

He chuckles. “I’ll meet you there.”

Colt has Skylar, and I can only imagine in what sort of condition. Maybe she doesn’t know what’s going on and is just along for the ride.

Doubt it.

My phone beeps another second later, and an image from Colt comes through.

Skylar, leaning against a wall in a dimly lit room. Hands bound, a thick piece of tape over her mouth.

Oh, I’m going to do more than beat him. He’s dead.

25

Sky

Don’t look back.

Pain. Immeasurable pain, but I barely feel it. The roaring in my ears fades to silence.

I jerk awake, like someone threw cold water on me, and scan the room. It’s dark, just a horizontal bar of light coming from under a door. I should get up and get out of here, but my body is slow to respond.

A few problems: I don’t know where I am.

I don’t know how I got here.

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