“The place is compromised. Move to location two when it’s safe but keep eyes out for them in case they come back before.”

“And if it does?”

“You handle it.”

The line went dead before he could ask for further instructions. The man cursed while silently wishing he’d never agreed to this job. Kidnapping kids was new to him, but it was a job, and one that paid well, though he now wished he’d asked for more.

The day he snatched the kid, she had some sort of episode that scared the hell out of him. He almost dumped the kid off anonymously to the nearest hospital, but his partner convinced him not to by reminding him how much money was at stake. Luckily, whatever it was didn’t seem to last long so they chalked it up to a reaction from being kidnapped, but when it happened a second and third time, we starting drugging her.

He looked over to the monitor where he could watch her sleep off the drugs. She was so still that he wondered if she might actually be dead.

He wanted to stop drugging her, thinking her little body couldn’t handle so much of it, but his partner didn’t think it was worth the trouble.

“What’s the word?” Freddy asked, zipping up his pants as he emerged from the bathroom.

“We have to move, but he also gave the OK to take care of them if they come back.”

“What the fuck does that mean? We can’t kill them.”

“Your guess is as good as mine.”

“Do you think we should go with Plan B? We don’t have much time left before they become suspicious.”

“I told Greg it was a bad idea taking two jobs. We can’t complete them all.”

“No, but they both pay,” Freddy grinned.

“He’s going to get us killed.”

“He’s going to get us paid. This family is as rich as they are fucked up. Just look at this house. All of this and no one even bothers to live here. If they are going to just waste money, why shouldn’t we help ourselves to it?”

“I don’t know, man—”

“Think big, Vick. Besides, with Greg in the hospital, we get a bigger cut.”

“I can’t believe he just bashed his head with a chair.”

The warnings we received about Keiran Masters did nothing to prepare us for seeing him in action. He secretly envied the younger man who was able to invoke so much fear with just his presence. When he spoke, everyone in the room tensed. Even his family and friends feared him. As he recalled the cold, dark eyes from the hospital that promised death, he wondered what it would be like to have that much power.

* * * * *

KEENAN

“Do you have anything on the house?” I asked as soon as we were through the door. Sheldon insisted on returning to her apartment, but I was having none of it. I dragged her back to my father’s house. Lake and Quentin were back from searching for Kennedy while Jesse still kept eyes on the house in Camden.

“It was so quick I’m not even sure if it happened, but the curtain there…” Jesse pointed to a window on the lower level of the house, “it moved just after you left. Could have been a draft or—”

“Or the people who took my daughter?”

“You really think it could have been your grandparents?”

“I don’t know, but I now know it wasn’t Mitch.”

“How?” Quentin asked.

“He’s dead,” I blurted. It was the only believable lie. If Q knew about Mitch, he wouldn’t hesitate to tell Keiran because that’s where his loyalty was.

I wanted to silently warn Sheldon from telling just in case, but Q watched me too closely as if trying to read me. “Fuck,” he barked. “Keiran isn’t going to like this.”

“I’m pretty sure it’s all Keiran would have wanted.”

“Only if it had been by his hands.”

I needed to change the subject and fast. I hadn’t had time to concoct a proper story to tell anyone about the impromptu trip. After Sheldon had told me about Kennedy’s condition, it was all I could think about. “It doesn’t matter now. It’s done.”

He hesitated only a second longer than necessary before asking, “So what makes you think your grandparents even know about her, and why would they take her?”

I struggled in my head with a reason for why they could be guilty but couldn’t find one no matter how hard I tried. I ran my fingers to the end of my hair and tugged with frustration.

“Are they even still alive?” Sheldon asked.

“I don’t know. I never suspected them, but I was hoping something or someone in that house could have told me something.”

“It would almost be too easy if it were someone you knew,” Jesse remarked.

A thought popped into my head that I couldn’t shake, and before I realized my feet had even moved, my hands were on Sheldon, pinning her against the wall. “I’m going to ask you this only once so have your brain advise your mouth not to lie to me.”

“Let me go,” she growled. If I weren’t very near to murdering her, I would find her pout cute.

“Keenan, have you lost your mind?” Lake yelled.

“Dude,” Q chimed in.

I blocked them all out. I couldn’t see anything but the fantasy of Sheldon’s life draining from her eyes as my brain began to form images one after the other.

“Have you had another motherfucker around my kid?”

The audible hitch in her breath and the guilt that flashed in her eyes did nothing to stop my growing rage. “What do you mean?” she stammered.

“You bitch.” I released her neck and took a step back. “Who is he?”

“Who is who?” she screamed. “There’s no one!”

“That’s not what your eyes just said.”

“So now you’re a fucking mind reader?”

“No. I’m your fucking mind reader. Shelly, don’t play with me,” I warned.

“You have no right to question my love life.”

Love? Was she in love?

Fuck that. I’d stop her heart with my bare hands before I allowed her give it to anyone else.

I turned to face the other occupants in the room who stood by shell-shocked. Quentin held on tight to Lake’s arm while she continuously tried to tug from his grasp.

“Get the fuck out.”

I watched them all scramble while my heart pounded against my chest. Q shut the door, but not before giving me a warning look, one I wouldn’t be heeding.

When I turned back, Sheldon was gone. My feet moved swiftly around the first floor as I searched high and low for her. I didn’t bother to call after her knowing she wouldn’t answer.

She had many places to hide but nowhere to run.

The thought of the chase made my cock harden until it was practically beating against my jeans with anticipation.

CHAPTER TWELVE

SHELDON

I HID IN Keiran’s old room of all places. I don’t know why I ran. There was nowhere for me to hide, but I thought maybe if I stayed out of sight long enough, it would give him enough time to calm down.

I’d never seen Keenan with a temper like he’d had today.

I was even more surprised at my reaction to him.

I couldn’t, in all conscience believe when my body trembled at the sight and sound of him it was only in fear. My body betrayed me each time he looked at me. His eyes seemed to send me a message that I couldn’t yet decipher, but I knew it held a promise that I wasn’t sure I would want him to keep.

“Shelly, open the door.” The smooth tone of his voice belied the predator he was.

“I can’t do that.” I willed my shaking hands to stop along with the sweat running to the end of my fingertips.

“I would prefer it to breaking down this door, and I know you would too, so be a good girl and let me in. You don’t need to hide.”

“I’m not hiding. I wanted away from you.”

“Because you’re guilty?”

“Because what I do during my spare time is none of your business. Look, these past few days have been stressful. I think we need some time apart.”

“We’ve spent enough time apart, and I promise you won’t live another day without me.” I heard the apparent threat and shivered from the cold promise. I found myself crying despite my promise not to weaken.