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Damn. She would definitely miss Sokolov and she doubted he was the type of man who would wait. She should have had a better plan.

"What's in Glasgow?" Phin asked after a while.

"Um, a friend," she said. He had slowed the car and turned the indicator light on, exiting the highway. "Where are we going?" she asked.

"I just need to make a stop," he said nonchalantly. "I didn't know you had any friends in the country."

"Why would you say that?" The mist had increased, and while she could see the general area around her, it had definitely thickened, blocking out practically everything.

"I guess it was something I heard Alex say." The road they were on looked deserted.

"Where are we?" A chill slowly snaked its way up her spine.

"I have a treat for you," he said. "You can't see it from here because of the mist, but you'll know soon enough."

"Let's get back on the highway," she suggested, a knot forming in her stomach.

"But I've risked too much bringing you here not to see." The road came to an end, and he pulled over along the side.

It was the way he said 'I've risked too much' that turned her blood cold. She had heard him say it before. Everything came back to her. She was lying on the table in the distillery with Sokolov. She thought she had been hallucinating from the pain. 'I've already risked too much. I can't.' She remembered him begging.

"You were there," she said slowly, trying not to let the fear she felt in that moment consume her. "When Sokolov was torturing me. You were there. I remember your voice."

"Trust me." His voice turned as cold as ice. "I won't forget your screams. Even gagged, I could hear you."

"You're taking me to him?" she said. "I was right. The abbey wasn't the location."

"Oh, the abbey was the location at one point, but you made it so easy to come up with a new one." He turned toward her, his brown eyes now black. "You were right. Sokolov wouldn't deal with anyone but you. So, when Sin and those fools left without you, we came up with a new location, or at least you did. I overheard you in the library with Kian."

"There won't be anyone there when they get to the abbey," she said, relieved.

"There will be men to take them out. Sokolov wouldn't waste the opportunity to take out four men. I'm sorry, but I'm afraid you were right. Your husband is walking into a trap."

"Is Alex involved?" He would have to be, she thought to herself. He was the only one she'd voiced her concerns too.

"That fucking pompous arsehole, no," he spat the words. "The walls are old. Words carry through the cracks. It was easy to listen in on your conversation."

"Is Imogen here?" she asked, her voice shaking.

"That's one of the surprises, hen." He pulled a gun from the inside of his suit coat. "Now get out of the car and that fucking dog stays here."

She opened her door, getting out. "William, run," she said, letting the large red and white dog by. He raced into the trees lining the road as Phinneas pulled the trigger on his gun, shooting aimlessly into the mist.

His hand grabbed Charlie around her upper arm. "Get the bag," he yelled. She found the bag on the car floor and put it over her shoulder, shutting the door.

His fingers dug into her as they walked down a dirt path. She was tripping over her own feet. "I hope you're ready to see your mermaid."

* * *

Sin hung up the phone, putting it into his pocket. "That was Alex," he said to the other men in the truck as they waited.

"What did he say?" Gabriel asked.

"Charlotte is missing." His heart was in his throat and he tried not to show any emotion. They were minutes away from initiating their mission.

"How?"

"She never came to dinner, so Alex went by to check on her afterwards and she wasn't in the room. They searched the grounds, but they can't find her anywhere."

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