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"This won't hurt for long," he said almost gently. "Just a little pinch."
And that was it. Panic gripped me and I turned to run. I made it two steps before cruel hands bit into my arms and a hand slapped over my mouth, just as a sharp pain registered in my neck. I struggled, but after a few seconds it was like trying to swim in quicksand. My arms felt heavy and before I knew it, one of them slung me over his shoulder. The world tilted once, twice, then everything went dark.
"Package secured," someone said from very far away.
Then nothing.
Novo
I finished my conversation with Jono, my eyes automatically scanning the yard for Matty. He wasn't sitting on the rug. Not unusual—he'd probably gone to talk to Daisy or get another drink. But as I continued to search, a prickle of unease crawled up my spine. I couldn't spot him anywhere. I approached Annabel and Bolt, who were returning from the clubhouse.
"Have you seen Matty?" I asked, trying to keep my voice casual despite the growing tension in my gut.
Bolt shook his head. "He said he was going to talk to Daisy while we went to the bathroom."
I nodded my thanks and made my way to where Daisy stood by the food table, arranging a platter of cookies.
"Daisy, have you seen Matty?"
She looked up, surprised. "No, honey. Haven't seen him since I chased Sophie off. Everything okay?"
The unease solidified into dread. "When did you last see him?"
"Maybe fifteen minutes ago? He was still with Annabel at the tea party." Her expression shifted as she registered my concern. "Bear, what's wrong?"
"I can't find him," I said, already scanning the compound again. "He wouldn't just wander off."
Not after Sophie's comments. Not after everything that had happened. My instincts were screaming that something was very wrong.
"Jono," I called, motioning him over urgently. "Matty's missing."
Jono's expression hardened instantly. "How long?"
"Fifteen, maybe twenty minutes. I was talking to you, took my eyes off him." Self-recrimination burned in my chest. After everything that had happened, how could I have let him out of my sight?
"Prospects," Jono barked, and all four hurried over. "Search the compound for Matty. Every building, every corner. Now." I caught the sneer on Rider’s face before it was quickly hidden, but I didn’t have time to deal with that now.
I was already moving toward our cabin, breaking into a run as soon as I cleared the crowd. The door was locked when I reached it, which wasn't unusual—Matty knew to keep it secured. I fumbled with my key, hands less steady than I would have liked.
"Matty?" I called as I pushed the door open. "Little one, are you in here?"
Silence greeted me. I moved through the cabin quickly, checking each room. The bedroom was empty, and the bathroom too. Nothing seemed disturbed until I reached the kitchen and saw the cast iron skillet on the floor near the back door.
My blood ran cold. The deadbolt on the back door was unlocked—something I never would have left that way.
Matty had tried to defend himself.
I pulled out my phone and called Jono. "Back door of my cabin was unlocked. Skillet on the floor. Someone took him."
"Fuck," Jono breathed. "I'm calling everyone in. Check his phone—can you track it?"
I'd already set up tracking on Matty's new phone after the first attempt on his life. I pulled out my own device, opening the app with trembling fingers. The signal showed the phone was still in the cabin. I swept through the rooms again, finally spotting it on the kitchen counter.
"His phone's here," I told Jono, my voice tight with barely controlled panic. "They made him leave it."
I picked up the device, noticing it wasn't locked. When I checked the screen, my stomach dropped. There were a few text messages from an unknown number.
The first: "Very cute. Hope you're having a nice party. Not sure your new friend will look as pretty after we set fire to the clubhouse she just walked into. Bombs planted just like the whorehouse. Your only chance to stop it happening is go back to your cabin. Now. And we're watching."