Page 2 of Taken By the Dark Billionaires

Now she had possibly screwed everything up.

She raised her hand again to the extravagant door knocker, forcing herself not to chicken out. But the instant before her ice-cold fingers could make contact with the heavy iron ring of the door knocker, the door swung open. She found herself facing a trio of people—two women and a giant man, their expressions stiff.

“Hello—” Sutton began.

“Thisis the girl?” One of the women asked—the shorter one—clearly appalled at the sight of Sutton. “At least she’s on time.”

“I’m sorry, I was wondering if I could speak to either Mr. Collins, Mr. Flynn, or Mr. Black, please,” she asked shakily. That eerie feeling she had since staring at their door returned in buckets now.

“That is not how things are done,” the other taller woman sighed, turning her nose up at Sutton. “I suppose there’s nothing we can do about her being The Perfect One. Bring her in.”

The two women walked away, and Sutton found herself not only a bit confused by their words but also a little intrigued by the attire of the woman. Who was she to judge their floor-length crimson-red cloaks with golden belts around their waists?

The burly man, dressed in an ill-fitting suit, who had been standing beside them, wrapped his hand around Sutton’s arm and pulled her in.

“Come on,” he said.

“I… I just need a moment to speak to either Mr—”

“And you will. So come on now.”

Perplexed, Sutton allowed herself to be led by the man further into the house while every instinct inside her screamed at her to leave.

“I’m sorry, but maybe I can come back another time?” She asked apologetically.

“No time better than now. You want to see the Masters? You will. Easy.”

She was led down a passage and then toward an elevator, where the two other women were already waiting. Something was so wrong with the whole thing that the hair on her arms started to stand on edge.

“I think I’ll come back another time,” she said, trying not to offend anyone but also knowing she had to leave immediately. She would have to make a run for it to get to her car, which she had parked quite far from the actual entrance because that’s where her GPS had dropped her off. But their property went on for days, and she had to walk quite a distance to finally arrive at their door.

Her fingers felt thick as she held her purse, but the man tightened his grip on her arm to the point where it hurt before he pried her purse from her.

“I thought she was compliant,” the shorter of the two women said.

“I think it’s natural to become fearful at this point, given the branding that she has to undergo.”

Branding?

Suddenly panic-stricken, Sutton managed to free herself from the man’s grip using all her strength. Her intention to run back out of the house. God, she was still clutching the container of cupcakes like a lifeline.

“Well, get her in order,” the shorter woman said. “We can’t have the Masters hear this commotion.”

Sutton didn’t get very far. The man caught her and dragged her into the elevator.

“No, wait, I think maybe you’re mistaking me for someone else,” she said, bewildered. “I’m here to see—” She renewed her efforts to free herself before the steel doors of the elevator closed them in, but the burly man took out a gun from the back of his pants.

Oh god, she couldn’t die now. She was her nieces’ and nephews’ only chance at a decent life. She had to make sure that her sister didn’t relapse and that her ex-husband didn’t kill them all in a rage.

“You don’t do as you’re told, I’m going to start killing all your family members. One by one, I don’t care who they are. Man, woman, or child. I know where you live, and I know your family. Then I’m going to start with you. You got all that? You going to do as you’re told?”

How could they possibly know her family?

Was this because of the package she had failed to deliver? A strange thought struck Sutton. Tammy had gone all out frantic that the orange envelope wasn’t delivered, so was this Sutton’s punishment for not completing the task?

Oh, god help her.

“It was a mistake. There was an accident, and I couldn’t deliver the package—”

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