Ryland’s bedroom, stuffing last minute necessities into my shoulder bag. Worthy had already taken our luggage downstairs to load into the car. From there, we would head to Wyatt Tower to pick Ryland up and go to the airport afterward.
In my twenty-seven years, I had never once been out of the country—I know, right?—and I couldn't believe I was about to in mere hours. Karin had pouted about not being invited, but I had promised to go together with her next time.
Because this weekend, I wanted Ryland all to myself.
Just before I passed out in exhaustion last night, he had promised all kinds of activities once we got to Paris, both sexual and non-sexual.
I couldn’t wait.
Biting back a grin, I applied a final touch of lipstick in the mirror. Then I hurried down to the basement parking lot, eager to see Ryland again and be on the plane to Paris.
A black sedan was already waiting for me when I stepped out of the basement lobby into the parking lot. From the semi-tinted windows, I could just make out Worthy’s silhouette in the driver's seat, and another man at the back, probably a bodyguard that Ryland had put on duty for me.
I slid into the backseat, smiling to myself.
The instant I shut the car door, the locks clicked shut.
Before I had time to comment on the urgency, I was thrown forward as Worthy floored the accelerator. The tires screeched on the concrete floor as the car lurched and began speeding towards the exit of the parking lot.
I gave a startled laugh. “We're not in a hurry Worthy, slow down—” I broke off when I met the driver's eyes in the rearview mirror.
This man wasn't Worthy.
Confused, I parted my mouth to ask who he was, but another voice spoke first.
“Hello, Allie.”
I stiffened at the familiar voice, slowly turning my head to look beside me.
Please, please don't let it be who I thought it was…
A guy in an all-black suit lounged beside me in the backseat. He had been half-hidden in the shadows of the parking lot, so I hadn't noticed his face.
But now that the car was out on the roads with the morning sun streaming in, there was no mistaking the dark hair that tumbled over his forehead in untamed waves, the watchful amber eyes that were the color of gold. They were like a doll's—beautiful but with no emotion in them.
“Theo.” The blood leached from my face. “What are you doing here? Where’s Worthy?”
Theo half-turned to give me a side look, but even with his casual position, I felt like a rabbit facing down a wolf.
“Your chauffeur's currently lying in a janitor's closet in the parking lot,” he said casually.
At my horrified gasp, he exhaled. “He's not dead, I just knocked him out. As for why I'm here…”
I froze as Theo reached out to stroke my cheeks with the back of his knuckles.
“I'm here for you,” he murmured, his golden gaze taunting.
I swatted his hand away angrily. “What are you doing?” I demanded. “Ryland said you were on our side.”
Theo shrugged, looking nonchalant. “He got it wrong. We’re presently on our way to meet Estelle. She’s pretty excited to see you again.”
Oh god.
This couldn't be happening.
“You asshole,” I said unsteadily. “If either of you lay even a finger on me, Ryland will kill you.”
“Oh, we're not going to hurt you. Much,” Theo added with a faint smile. “We're just going to borrow you for a bit, then we'll return you for a small sum.”
Cold sweat trickled down my back at his words.
We had been betrayed.
And not only that, I was being kidnapped.
Turning to the car door desperately, I grasped the handle and yanked as hard as I could. It didn't budge.
“Stop this car!” I snapped, but the driver kept speeding us down the road with no indication that he even heard me.
“Don't look so scared, it only excites me,” Theo remarked, turning to look outside the window as if he were bored by my antics. “And I'm not going to hurt you, if you cooperate. But if you don't,” he shrugged a shoulder. “All bets are off.”
“You already shot at me once, don't you dare pretend—”
“That wasn't me. Trust me, Allie, if I'd wanted you dead, you wouldn't be here right now.”
I froze at the impassive way he said it, feeling truly afraid now.
“Where's Ryland?” I whispered, shifting to the corner of the seat, as far from Theo as I could. “Did you…did you hurt him?”
Theo shot me a disinterested look. “He's busy. I'd say he's even enjoying himself right now. Estelle paid off his admin girl to keep him occupied while we picked you up.”
He angled his head, watching me. "And when I say keep him occupied, I mean fuck."
My chest gave a painful kick.
I had no doubt that Ryland loved me, but the thought of another woman trying to seduce him made me physically sick.
“Isn't there a problem with that plan?” I countered, feeling less confident than I sounded. “If Ryland cheats on me, that means he won't care enough to ransom me back.”
“Oh, he cares, that part's obvious. But you know Ryland.” Theo smiled at me as if we were sharing an inside joke. “He doesn't do commitment; it's like a cardinal sin to him. That girl’s his type too, all ass and tits, so he won't turn her away. By the time he's finished fucking her brains out, we'd be long gone.”
My nails dug painfully into my palms. “You're crazy,” I choked. “You and Estelle are both insane.”
“Probably.” Theo reached into his jacket pocket and produced a few cable ties, each as wide as my little finger. “Now, I'll need you to hold out your hands for me.”
“Fuck you!”
“I might let you, if you ask nicely.” Theo cocked his head. “Or must we do this the hard way?”
He reached into his jacket again, withdrawing something bulky this time.
A gun.
I froze as he laid it on his thigh in silent threat.
“Give me your hands,” he repeated softly.
I swallowed hard, and slowly held them out.
The moment Theo took his eyes off me, I darted for the gun.
But Theo had expected that.
He easily snared my wrists in one hand, smiling down at me as if I were a misbehaving kitten.
“So predictable,” he drawled. “You're disappointing, Allie.”
“Let go!” I screamed, feeling truly panicked now.
But Theo didn't budge even with my struggling. His iron grip was firm as a manacle as he trapped my wrists in one hand, effortlessly securing the cable ties around them with the other. The heavy-duty plastic dug into my skin as he tightened them, squeezing my wrists together painfully.
I fell back into the seat when Theo released me, glaring at him with hatred.
“Ryland will definitely kill you now,” I vowed.
“If he finds me,” Theo returned coolly. “But he won't, not until it's too late.”
I ground my molars, fury nearly choking me, but against Theo, I was as good as powerless.
“One last thing.”
Theo held one hand up, letting a strip of black cloth dangle from his fingers.
“I need you to close your eyes for me…”
***
I stood over the laptop at my desk, adding my final comments to a report before sending it to Langdon's email. The position I’d created for Allie had been left empty when she left, and I had been too busy trying to find her to interview for a replacement.
So I’d taken the most obvious option.
I threw my Head of Security into the job.
Langdon handled it pretty well, surprisingly, even with his whining about being deskbound. But I paid him extra to keep his mouth shut, so there he stayed.
The arrangement worked out fine for me anyway. It meant more time I could spend with Allie instead of trying to find a new assistant.
I shut my laptop and shoved it into my briefcase, smiling to myself like an idiot.
But who could blame me?
I was headed for my first proper vacation in years, with the hottest woman in the world. Just thinking of all the things I planned do to her in bed—and out of it—was enough to give me a hard-on.
Overall, I thought I did pretty damned well for myself.
The only problem that remained was Estelle. Theo had not replied to the voicemail I'd left last night, but I didn't have the patience or the luxury to wait on him.
In the meantime, Cam was working on extracting information from the bastards who had shot at Allie.
And by extracting, I meant beat the shit out of.
It was only a matter of days before they broke and we had our dirt on Estelle. Not as perfect as getting her convicted of the murder, but it was better than nothing.
And if we played it right, we would have our freedom. I’d be free to offer Allie the rest of my life once I had it back.
I couldn’t fucking wait.
A soft knock came at the door just as I picked up my briefcase and slung my jacket over my shoulder.
“Enter.”
The door clicked open, and shut again. I gave a cursory glance to see Aurelia standing by the door.
“Leave it on my desk,” I said, checking my watch. “If it's urgent, drop me an email and I'll follow up during my flight.”
The time was just past twelve. Worthy would already be waiting downstairs, along with Allie.
I tamped down a grin as I strode to the door, coming up short when I saw that Aurelia was still standing there.
“What's the problem?” I frowned.
“Mr. Wyatt,” she began. Then she cleared her throat. “Ryland.”
My frown deepened.
My employees didn’t address me by name. Ever.
“What is it?” I said sharply. “I'm running late, so make it quick.”
Aurelia raised her chin and looked up at me then, wearing an expression that I recognized all too well in a woman.
What the fuck…?
I stared, stunned into silence as she reached up to her blouse and began to undo the buttons.
“I want you, Ryland,” she said softly, her eyes heavy-lidded as she watched me. “I always have. And I know you want me too. I can see the way you look at—”
She broke off when I strode past her and flung my office doors open.
“Langdon!” I barked at the man at Allie's old desk. “Get your fucking ass in here!”
Aurelia gaped as Langdon made his way over way too slowly for my liking.
“What now? Is it—holy shit?”
Langdon stared slack-jawed at a red-faced Aurelia, who had frozen in the middle of her undressing.
“Get her out of here,” I snapped. “And make sure her reference mentions this stunt she just tried to pull. In. Detail.”
I gave Aurelia a disgusted look. “And if you even consider turning this into a harassment suit, you can kiss this city goodbye. I’ll make sure you never step foot in here again.”
Langdon took Aurelia’s arm, but she shook him off and spun to me with a wild look on her face.
“What do you see in her?” she demanded. “She's a skinny, uneducated nobody! You wanted me first—”
“The fuck did you just say?” I stared incredulously. “Did you just insult my woman to my face?”
“She's not your woman! She doesn't deserve you!”
“Aurelia, I suggest you stop talking before things really get ugly,” Langdon said shortly.
I was stunned. I’d never been so pissed-off in my life. By some miracle, I just barely stopped myself from shaking the silly bitch.
“You're fucking delusional,” I growled. Turning to Langdon, I jerked my chin. “Ban her from all our properties. I don't have time for this shit.”
I strode past them impatiently.
“She's not there,” Aurelia suddenly said behind me. “She's gone by now, and you won't—”
I barely heard her next words.
I spun around and reached her in two strides, and she gasped when I grabbed her arm in a tight grip.
“The fuck are you talking about?” I snapped. “What do you mean, gone?”
Aurelia twisted her face, staring sullenly back at me.
“Talk!”
“I don't know!” she burst. “This older woman and a guy just came to me and asked me to stall you for an hour. They said they wanted a chat with her.”
No.
Agony exploded in my chest, nearly sending me to my knees.
“Where is she?” I said hoarsely. Then I roared, “Where is she?”
Whatever Aurelia saw in my face made her go pale. “T-they didn't say where—”
“Call Cam and Gabriel,” I stabbed a finger at Langdon, rage and fear making my voice unsteady. “Tell them the Valentine’s have Allie, and to get all the men they have. I want eyes covering every inch of this fucking city.”
“On it,” Langdon replied, his phone out even before I finished speaking.
“And you,” I said in a dangerous tone as I turned to Aurelia, who was now practically shaking in her shoes. “You better start praying that she's safe. If they hurt even one goddamn hair on her head, your life is over.”
I turned and got the hell of there. The longest twenty seconds of my life passed as I took the elevator down to the first floor lobby.
Then I sprinted down to the driveway, the tightness in my chest making it impossible to breathe.
She had to be waiting for me, she fucking had to—
The driveway was empty.
Fuck, fuck!
White hot fear gripped me as I stumbled over to my car. For the first time ever, I was praying to a god I didn’t believe in as if for my own life.
It might as well have been the same thing.
Because if I lost Allie, I wouldn't be able to live either.