THEY TOOK HER

THEY TOOK HER
KEVIN

Kevin ran until his lungs screamed.

The cold night air sliced into his chest like glass, but he couldn’t stop. Not when Anise was still in there. Not when those men with guns had dragged her into the dark like she was some package to disappear.

His back slammed against a brick wall as he ducked into an alley, chest heaving. He tried to listen to the city, to his thoughts, but all he could hear was the sound of her voice screaming his name before the chaos swallowed it.

She had told him not to come with her that night.

He hadn't listened.

He pressed a shaking hand against his forehead, trying to think, to reason, to push through the blinding guilt clawing at his ribs. He should’ve stayed closer. He should’ve fought harder. He should’ve done a thousand different things. But when they pulled their weapons, instincts kicked in. Survival screamed. And he ran.

“God,” he whispered, crouching, gripping his knees. “What the hell do I do now?”

Then Dexton’s face flashed in his mind. The protective older brother. The man who trusted him. The man who told him once, “If you’re going to walk into this storm with her, you better make sure you never leave her alone in it.”

And that’s exactly what he had done.

Kevin stood, dragging in a breath that burned. He pulled out his phone and called Dexton, but his fingers shook so badly he nearly dropped it. Two rings. Three.

“Kevin?” Dexton’s voice came through, low and wary. “What’s wrong?”

“They—they got her.” His voice cracked. “Grant’s men. At the warehouse. I couldn’t stop them.”

A pause. Cold silence.

“Who?”….

“Where are you now?” Dexton asked, all calm stripped from his voice.

“On 9th and Camden. I ran. They were armed. I couldn’t—”

“Stay there. I’m coming.

The line went dead.

Kevin leaned back against the wall and stared up at the sky. It was too still. Too silent. The world had gone quiet, like it knew something awful had happened and didn’t want to interrupt the grief.

And then came the weight.

Anise.

The way she had looked at him before they entered the warehouse—nervous, yes, but determined. She had told him, “This isn’t just about my mother anymore. It’s about all the lives they’re still ruining.”

And now they had her.

He closed his eyes and replayed every second: the guards outside, the quick crawl through the back, slipping past the rusted crates and abandoned forklifts. They were so close. So damn close. And then the flashlight beams swept across the corridor, and the shouting began.

Kevin had grabbed Anise’s hand. “Run.”

She had.

But not fast enough.

They turned the wrong corner, found a dead end, and by the time he turned around, they were already on her hands, guns, voices barking orders. One grabbed her hair. Another shouted, “Don’t move!”

And him?

He froze.

Like a coward. or rather ran like one.

Kevin pressed his palms to his eyes. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “God, I’m so sorry.”

A car screeched around the corner, snapping him back. Dexton’s dark sedan slammed to a halt, and he stormed out before the engine even died. He didn’t say anything at first—just looked at him, and then past him, as if expecting Anise to appear behind the shadows.

“She’s not here,” Kevin said, voice hollow.

“Where is she?” "Where is my sister!?"

“They took her. To somewhere else. That place—it was a trap. Grant must’ve known someone would come looking.”

Dexton’s jaw tightened. “Did she see them? Hear anything?”

“She was blindfolded. They had a bag over her head. I tried to stop them but—” his voice broke again. “I’m sorry.”

Dexton stepped forward, grabbed Kevin by the collar, and shoved him hard against the wall.

“You left her!” Dexton roared. “You were supposed to protect her!”

“I know!” Kevin shouted back. “I know. I didn’t mean to—I didn’t want to—damn it, Dex, there were too many! I couldn’t fight them all.”

For a moment, neither of them moved. Then Dexton let go and stepped back, breathing heavily.

“I’m going to find her,” Kevin said, wiping the sweat from his brow. “Whatever it takes. I swear to you, I’ll bring her back.”

Dexton looked at him for a long, tense beat, then nodded. “Then you better start by telling me everything.”

They sat in the back seat of Dexton’s car, engine off, doors locked, and mapped everything they knew.

The file Anise had found. The video. The addresses. The warehouse. The timing. Kevin explained every step from the moment they left her apartment.

“We were following a trail,” Kevin said. “And it led us straight into Grant’s trap.”

“And now she’s in his hands.” Dexton looked out the window, face carved in stone. “You know what that means, right?”

Kevin nodded. “She’s not just bait. She’s leverage. If he knows who she is—if he knows she’s Camilla’s daughter—it’s more than just about shutting her up.”

“It’s personal.”

“Exactly.”

Dexton leaned forward, knuckles white. “We need eyes everywhere. Start with the addresses from that drive. There might be more safehouses. Warehouses. Anyone who’s worked with Grant.”

“I’ll reach out to Elijah Dowen’s old contacts too,” Kevin added. “Someone must know what he was working on before he died.”

Dexton shot him a sharp look. “You think his murder is tied to this?”

Kevin nodded grimly. “I think Dowen was closer to exposing the truth than any of us. And someone didn’t want the story out.”

The silence stretched between them again. This time, it wasn’t fear or guilt. It was fury.

“We find her,” Dexton said. “And we burn this whole thing to the ground.”

Kevin looked out the window at the sleeping city. Somewhere, Anise was being held in the dark. Somewhere, she was surrounded by men who would kill to protect their secrets.

But he would walk through fire to bring her home.

And this time, he wouldn’t run.