Page 6 of Kings & Queen

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” I exclaimed, fear gripping me.

“Why would she leave?” Nik asked, voicing the question we were all thinking. The one I knew the answer to.

“We need to think,” Alek said, trying to steady his breathing. “Where could she have gone?”

The three of us sat there, stunned. “Sarah?” I asked.

I set the blade down on the dresser, a gnawing sense of unease tightening my chest. I pulled out my phone and dialed the number, trying to ignore the shaking of my hands. Last time, she went to Sarah’s.That’s where she’ll be, I tried to reassure myself.

The phone rang once, twice, three times. Every ring felt like afuck youfrom her, and my anxiety mounted with each one. Finally, she picked up.

“Hello?” Her voice was clipped and wary. I was probably the last person on earth she wanted to hear from.

“Sarah, it’s Ivan. By chance, have you heard from Kinsley?” My words tumbled out.

“You’re joking, right?” she snapped, her voice sharp and cold. “I haven’t spoken to her since you and your brothers kicked my door in the last time.”

I rolled my eyes. Now was not the time for whatever this shit was.

“Look, I get it. You’re angry. But she’s missing, and we’re worried. Please, if you have any idea where she might be, we’d appreciate any help you can give us. Did she reach out?” I tried once more.

“I already told you I don’t have a clue. You have a lot of nerve, you know. You’d appreciate my help,” she huffed. “Want to know what I’d appreciate? You losing my number.”

A beep sounded as she hung up on me, and I nearly crushed the phone in my grip. Alek started making calls of his own to the girls she’d made friends with at the club. There were only two or three, and none of them had heard from her.

Marcus stood in the doorway, shaking his head. He’d gone out on a drive to look for her. He looked distraught. Guilt ate at him. He was the last one to see her.

“Skagit?” Nik asked.

But even that would prove a dead end. She was gone. Just like that. The resounding silence was frightening, similar to the days after Vanya left us.

Chapter 4

Kinsley

Welcome Home

The pounding and painin my head were nauseating as I slowly came to consciousness. Confusion enveloped me in a thick fog. I had a hard time keeping my eyes open, and when I did, everything was dark.

A million thoughts hit me all at once, overwhelming my ability to think clearly. I was blindfolded, so I couldn’t see anything behind it. I tried to move my limbs, but they were still heavy. The panic was thick, and I began dry heaving.

The blindfold was a loosely tied piece of cloth, so I wiggled my head enough to shift it off my eyes. I couldn’t make out anything in the dim room, lit only by a small night-light on the far wall. My hands and feet weren’t tied, and as sensation trickled back in, I moved them a bit more.

Sitting up, I breathed in deep—my surroundings were spinning, and my head throbbed in time with each beat of my heart. It hurt to think, and the more I exerted myself, the harder it got.

Think, goddamn it, Kinsley. What’s the last thing you remember?

I took several deep breaths, pushing back the terror that threatened to consume me. This couldn’t be happening to me again. I sobbed.

I was picking flowers for Ivan. That’s right.

The thought of him brought tears to my eyes.

My hands trembled, and my body turned cold. The Mask had found me. Immediately, my hands flew to my throat, feeling for some kind of collar. My heart pounded with a thunderous rhythm, echoing in my ears.

An eerie silence hung in the room, amplifying my trepidation. The entire experience left me feeling vulnerable. Somehow, I’d found myself right back in the clutches of a familiar and menacing force. I knew better than to yell—I had already been taught thatlesson.

Besides, it would only alert them that I was awake, and I still didn’t have full use of my body, so I tried to be as quiet as possible. I had no idea how long ago I’d been taken, but I was still wearing the same clothes. My blade? Frantically, I patted my pocket, feeling for the outline, and breathed out when I found it. It wasn’t my normal one—this one was more compact and didn’t require a thigh strap.