Time is Ticking
“No, you don’t have to, Wolfe. I’ll be done here very soon,” Lila said into the phone, smiling as she walked beside Crusher, who was pushing the cart down the aisle.
“I’m missing you very badly here. I can’t stop thinking about the things we’ve been doing since last night,” Damien’s deep, seductive voice came through the phone, and Lila’s face flushed instantly. Heat rushed to her cheeks as she covered her mouth, glancing around nervously.
“I can tell how red your face must be right now. It’s about time you get used to these things, baby,” Damien said, his tone low and teasing.
“That’s enough, Wolfe. Let me wrap things up and get out of here,” Lila said quickly, relieved that her voice came out steady even though her heart was pounding.
“Okay, sweetheart. I’ll be on my way home shortly too,” Damien said before the call ended. Lila slipped her phone into her bag and moved to make the payment.
Soon, they were on the road. Lila sat in the backseat, a small smile playing on her lips as she scrolled through her phone. Tessa had been sending pictures and videos from the trip, and with each one, Lila felt a twinge of regret for not going along.
One of the videos caught Asher on camera, his soft smile fixed on Tessa as he watched her laugh. Lila couldn’t help but smile at the look in his eyes.
“Well, good for them. I hope he realizes it sooner,” she murmured, placing her phone on her thighs and turning to gaze out the window.
The car suddenly screeched to a halt, and a loud gunshot shattered the air.
Lila’s scream caught in her throat as Crusher jerked the wheel, the car swerving violently to the side. Her heart slammed against her ribs.
Another shot cracked through the air, this time closer. The back window splintered, showering her with tiny shards of glass.
“Get down, Lila!” Crusher barked, his voice rough with urgency.
She ducked low, her palms pressed over her ears as the tires screeched again. The SUV fishtailed before coming to a jarring stop near the edge of the deserted road.
“Stay down!” Crusher shouted, grabbing his gun from the glove compartment. He cracked the door open just enough to peek outside, scanning the tree line.
Lila’s breaths came fast and shallow. Her fingers trembled as she clutched her bag to her chest, mind spinning. Who would… why here?
The metallic sound of another round being chambered echoed from somewhere ahead.
“Wolfe,” she gasped, fumbling for her phone. Her hand shook so badly she nearly dropped it. Before she could press his name, Crusher yelled again.
“Don’t move! They’re coming!”
Lila froze, every muscle tensed. Through the broken glass, she saw them, two men stepping out from behind a black sedan that had blocked the road. One of them lifted his gun, his expression cold and deliberate.
Her pulse roared in her ears as she whispered Damien’s name under her breath.
Crusher flung the door open and lunged at one of the men, tackling him to the ground with a fierce roar. He shot the second man clean in the chest before a sudden burst of gunfire erupted behind him. Two bullets tore through his back, and he dropped instantly, his body hitting the cold asphalt with a heavy thud.
Lila gasped, her hand flying to her mouth as her heart slammed in terror. She bit down hard, trying not to scream, but soft whimpers escaped her anyway. Her breathing came fast and shallow as she crouched low in the back seat, praying the men would just leave.
The silence was brief.
The back door was yanked open, making her flinch violently. Her wide eyes darted upward and met the cold, mocking stares of two men. Both wore black suits, their faces marked with old scars that made them look even more devilish.
One of them tilted his head, a smirk curling his lips. He crooked his finger at her slowly.
“Come here, baby girl. You’re too beautiful to be manhandled, so come out on your own,” he said, his tone darkly amused.
“What do you want from me? Who are you?!” Lila barked, fear and defiance lacing her voice.
“You’ll find out soon,” the second man replied. He reached in and grabbed a fistful of her hair, yanking her out of the car.
Lila yelped in pain as he threw her over his shoulder like she weighed nothing.
“Let me go! Who are you? Where are you taking me?” she screamed, pounding her fists against his back in frantic bursts.
The man behind them sighed impatiently, rolling his eyes. He stepped forward and struck the side of her head with the butt of his gun.
The world tilted, her cries fading into nothing as everything went black.
Damien paced back and forth, his hand never leaving his hair as sweat dotted his forehead. His men stood around the living room, all of them as restless as their boss.
Both Lila and Crusher had been unreachable, and the situation was beginning to spiral out of control. Everyone was worried, though they tried to stay calm, telling themselves that nothing could happen as Crusher was with her.
“Don’t you all think she’s probably still at the grocery store?” Graves said quietly. All eyes turned to him, and he immediately clamped his mouth shut.
“We need to find the grocery store she went to. Start checking around, go from one store to another,” Damien instructed in a rasped voice. His men nodded and were about to disperse when Damien’s phone began ringing.
Damien’s brow knit when the video call flashed on. He answered, and his chest dropped as if someone had punched it out of him.
Lila’s face filled the screen. She was unconscious, blood matted across her forehead, her wrists bound to a chair with rough rope.
“Lila!” he screamed.
His men crowded behind him, all eyes fixed on the phone. Silence hung for a breath until a deep, menacing voice crackled from the speaker.
“Her time is ticking, Wolfe. I’m waiting for you.”
Damien swallowed hard, fury distorting his features. “Trust me,” he hissed, his voice low and deadly, “I’ll pluck your balls out and feed them to you if you so much as touch her.”
The voice laughed, long and wicked, then settled into something dangerously calm. “I’ll be waiting.” Then the call ended.
Damien flung the phone at Thorne. “Trace it now.” Then he strode for the stairs, every step a promise of what would come.