Chapter 23
Serenity
Iwas wound tight the moment we pulled into the ENS parking lot.
Honestly, I was wound tight since we left the mountain.
And Enzo. There was nothing wrong, at least nothing I could point to as a reason for my unease.
The parking lot, for the most part, was empty.
The building was quiet this time of day, with sunlight glinting off the glass doors from the moment the sun rose beyond the horizon.
Despite the beauty of everything I had built, my chest felt tight and my breaths came out in quiet, shallow puffs.
Every single second that passed stretched thin.
I was a mess, but Mattie? He was vibrating with excitement. “Is Toni going to be there today?”
I nodded slowly. “She is. We have a meeting.”
He squirmed in his seat. “Toni always has good snacks,” he said solemnly. “Do you know Toni, Mr. Damien?”
The quiet bodyguard’s lips quirked into a smile. “No, buddy, I haven’t had the pleasure.”
“You’ll like her,” Mattie assured him before hopping down from the SUV like this was the best field trip of his life.
I was happy to see Mattie wasn’t nearly as quiet and withdrawn as he’d been last night.
It was scary, moving locations in the middle of the night, but the excitement had worn him out before the worry could set in.
He’d been a little confused, but kids are resilient and adapt to changes easily, and Mattie was no different.
“Stay there, Miss Masters.” Damien’s deep voice held an edge I’d never heard, but given my own discomfort, I nodded and stopped beside the SUV.
“It’s just a few feet,” I insisted for some strange reason.
Damien’s gaze sharpened. “Stay. There.”
“Okay, okay,” I insisted. “We’re not moving a muscle, are we, Mattie?”
The little boy giggled and froze in place. “Nope, not moving at all.”
Damien stepped from the SUV and clicked the fob to lock it.
Mattie reached for my hand as we made our way to the entrance, his small fingers warm and trusting against mine.
The normalcy of it all hit me in that moment.
This could be our life, taking Mattie to the office so he’s surrounded by other children, sharing these moments with him.
“Can we make cookie men today, Ren?” he asked.
I laughed softly. Mattie was a lot smarter than a lot of kids, and his life was nothing like his peers’, but when it came to cookies, he was as normal as could be. “Cookie men, huh? What kind?”
“Chocolate,” he declared. “With sprinkles.”
“Very specific.”
He grinned up at me, gifting me with an exaggerated nod. “Papa says if you say exactly what you want, you’re more likely to get it.”
My heart squeezed until I thought it would burst at the sound of Enzo’s words in his childlike voice. He spoke as if his father’s words were law, which was adorable. “Your dad is a very smart man.”
As soon as the words left my mouth, the unease returned. It was sharp and thick in the air, but as I looked around, it was still invisible.
I slowed down and spun around, scanning the lot. Too quiet. Too still. The air felt heavy, like rain was coming even though the sun was still shining brightly. My stomach flipped, instincts screaming at me to move, to run, to do something.
The screech of tires split the morning air. Next, metal slammed into metal with a violent crash, the sound echoing off the building.
Mattie cried out, his hand tightening painfully in mine as a black sedan skidded sideways near the curb.
Time slowed. I looked back for Damien, but he was on the ground, crawling with one leg dragging.
“Ren,” Mattie called out, and I turned to find wide eyes full of fear staring back at me.
“Go!” Damien shouted as he reached for his gun.
I turned back to Mattie, semi-aware of the black sedan’s doors opening. I dropped to one knee and put my hands on his shoulders. “Run inside the building and hit the red button on the wall. What are you going to do?”
Tears brimmed in his eyes, but he was trying so hard to be brave. “Run inside. Hit the red button.”
“Good. That’s really good, Mattie. Tell Toni to call your dad, yeah?”
He nodded, tears sliding down his cheeks, but he was so strong.
“I love you, Mattie. Now…run!” Arms wrapped around my waist and tugged me back.
Mattie took off at a full run, and I smiled to myself but only for a second.
Then, I fought like hell. I kicked and clawed, throwing elbows at whoever had their hands on me. I didn’t think I could win, but I fought to buy Mattie time. “No!” I let my body go slack, too heavy to carry, which forced them to drag me.
We stopped moving, and a fist slammed into my side, sending pain blossoming sharp and shooting through my ribs.
I clutched my side but remained silent as I pushed back up to my feet.
Another blow struck the back of my head and sent me crashing to my knees.
Stars exploded behind my eyes, and the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth.
Still, I kicked a leg out, hoping to come in contact with a body part. I had to keep fighting, to give Mattie a chance to get to safety.
Risking a look, I flicked my gaze to the door and found Mattie on the right side of safety, the metal safety blinds already halfway to the floor.
He’s safe.
Relief pulsed through me, so hard it nearly knocked me unconscious. Or maybe that was the second blow to the head.
“Grab her,” someone shouted, and seconds later, hands grabbed my arms and hauled me back to my feet. I struggled to walk on my own; my body was weak from the body blows, and my mind was too damn fuzzy from the hits to the head.
“Did you kill the bodyguard?” a man demanded.
“No,” a woman scoffed coolly. “He didn’t pay us to kill anyone. The big guy will limp for a while, but he’ll live.”
Thank goodness. I didn’t want anyone losing their life trying to protect me.
Another set of hands grabbed me, and together they dragged me toward the van.
Pain shot off like fireworks all over my body.
The cold metal hit the back of my legs, and then I was unceremoniously tossed in the back.
I tried to relax my body and come up with a plan, but the van was already moving.
And then something wet was pressed to my face, directly over my nose and mouth.
A sharp, chemical scent burned my lungs with every breath.
Eventually, darkness swallowed me whole.