Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
That bastard.
On the bed, Molly curled her knees to her chest. Tears filled her eyes, but she wouldn’t shed them. Not here. Not when Willy could walk in and see. The silk sheets against her skin were a sharp contrast to her impending future.
Rex had been so hell-bent on learning about Willy’s business dealings she’d assumed something had gone down between the two of them, or that the rival companies had developed too much competition between them.
To think she’d been working for a criminal. The notion made her skin crawl.
She brought her attention to the cuff at her wrist. Even if she got free, she couldn’t exactly swim to the mainland. However, she also couldn’t sit and wait for her fate.
Atlas was an incredible man and soldier and Phantom Ops a deadly team. But she wouldn’t delude herself into thinking they’d find her hidden away on this random island—they likely suspected Rex was behind this.
She let out a growl of frustration and pulled at the metal on her wrist. Her hand screamed, but she twisted and pulled so hard she flopped backward on the slippery sheet. Her breath came out in angry, rapid pants.
The metal was too snug on her flesh. If she had oil or something slippery . . .
She straightened. She grabbed the corner of the sheet, pushed the handcuff as high on her forearm as it would go, then wrapped the silk around her hand and wrist, holding the material tightly.
Taking a deep breath, she dragged the handcuff down her arm. The metal glided over the silk. It caught at her knuckles but traveled much farther than it had only moments before.
She could do this. Had to. Curling her fingers and hand as close together as possible, she pulled as hard as she could. Her knuckles pulsed from the pressure, her thumb taking the brunt of the assault, but the handcuff moved farther.
She grunted, holding her breath so she wouldn’t shriek. Her right hand slid forward, tearing the cuff from her wrist. She froze with shock.
I’m free.
She dropped the cuff to the bed and rubbed her aching hand. Her breath quickened. Her pulse roared in her ears as she rose on shaky feet. She paused near the wall just outside the balcony in case there were guards outside.
The cool ocean breeze touched her face, its saltiness calling her like a siren. Voices sounded from outside. She leaned closer to the wall and peered down over the balcony through the metal railings.
The property was on a bluff surrounded by rocks. Thick trees sprouted out around the house, which appeared to be growing out of the side of the cliff. The ground sloped toward the water.
If she could escape her room, she might be able to jump right into the ocean—a deadly option. She shuddered at the sound of the waves crashing on the rocks. She wasn’t a very strong swimmer. Add in swimming at night forty miles from the mainland and she was bound to end up at the bottom of the sea.
A gruff laugh urged her a few inches closer to the door.
She could see more of the property surrounding her balcony now, including a stone path nestled next to the back of the house.
Two men stood on the trail about fifteen feet away with guns draped across their backs.
White smoke billowed from their mouths and twin orange embers lit the night.
They spoke low, but their voices carried on the wind. “He’ll be here in a couple of hours to get the woman. We’re supposed to drug her before then. Willy wants her out cold when he gets here.”
The blood drained from Molly’s face. A lump swelled in her throat, preventing her from swallowing. His friend said something in response, but she couldn’t hear a damn thing through the racing of her pulse.
A few seconds later, the men turned away from her and moved up the side of the house, possibly to circle the perimeter. Now was her only shot.
She stepped through the open door. The breeze blew over her skin and around her leggings and long-sleeved T-shirt.
Chilly. Too bad she’d never put on the zip-up hoodie Viper had insisted she grabbed.
She almost grinned because he’d been right about the breeze.
She had to move before they came for her again.
Thankfully her pants were black and her shirt was navy but her blond hair would make her easy to spot.
Her bare feet moved silently over the cold cement. She’d lost her sandals at some point since being taken. She reached the railing. She was maybe eight feet up. She’d rather risk a broken bone or a sprain than getting caught.
She had to hurry.
Grabbing the railing, she swung her legs over the metal and then stood on the outer cement ledge of the balcony. A blast of wind lifted the strands of her hair. Moisture hung heavy in the air, and the scent of rain rolled in off the ocean. She swiveled her gaze to the side of the house.
A TV droned through an open window. Blinds prevented her from seeing inside.
She looked down. The grassy land below sloped slightly away from the house. Trees and foliage hugged the property. Unease rocked her confidence. If she broke her leg, she’d—
“Get the woman ready,” Willy said, his voice drifting through the window. “I want to try her out myself before I get any money for her,” he added with a laugh.
Terror circulated from her head to her cold toes. She didn’t have time. Any minute and they’d discover her gone.
“You can each have a turn with her if you hurry.”
She crouched down as much as she could, grasped the bars tightly, and let her legs drop over the edge. Her shoulders screamed and her fingers burned as she hung there.
She didn’t want to die. Not like this. If she shattered her legs, she’d drag herself somewhere before she’d let them find her. Sucking in a sharp breath, she closed her eyes and let go.
A drop of faith.
Wham! The air barked from her lungs as she slammed onto her side. She flopped to her back.
Her head spun and her chest ached. Rolling into a sitting position, she took rapid stock of her body: her legs hadn’t hit first, no pain there. Her ribs burned with each breath, but nothing she couldn’t tolerate.
As she pushed to her feet, her body howled in protest.
“She’s gone!” a voice cried from above.
Shit. She darted for the nearest tree and hid behind it, pressing her back to its large trunk. She peeked around the bark and spotted one of the men on the balcony, his hands braced on the railing. With a menacing scowl, he searched the trees.
She returned to position, her heart galloping. Her legs burned. The urge to run scorched the soles of her bare feet. She wet her lips and inched away from the tree to edge further into the dense jungle.
The ocean wasn’t far. The gentle swishing of the waves called her down the slope. She needed to get as far from the house as possible and find a place to hide. A few drops of rain landed with a splat on her cheeks and head.
A stream snaked downward and she moved quickly alongside it. Stepping from rock to rock, she continued her descent.
“Find her!” Willy’s order cut through the jungle noises.
She gulped, picking up the pace. She weaved through trees, not slowing to catch her breath. The foliage started to thin and the rocks seemed to multiply. Then she saw it: the glittering black ocean.
She reached the edge of a low bluff and lowered to her knees on top of a large rock that jutted out toward the ocean. Glancing over her shoulder, she could just see the house through the trees on top of the cliff. Flashlights bobbed over the property.
She needed to hurry and find shelter. Shimmying onto her belly, she dropped off the edge of the rock feetfirst. The drop was much shorter than the one from the balcony, and she landed on her feet, then toppled backward onto her butt.
Pepples soaked in wet sand softened her fall. Water rushed in around her ankles, as if to pull her into its safety.
Not yet. She didn’t want to attempt to swim if she could hide until help came.
“Search the shore!” one of the men hollered.
Horror flooded her.
She needed to hide. Now.
Atlas rolled his hand into a fist on his lap as Viper drove down the main strip near Molly’s apartment. He knew of a popular café in the area. Best to check there first—even though common sense told him she wouldn’t be there.
People came and went from the coffee shop. “Park across the street.”
“Roger that.” Viper steered into a spot that had just been vacated and shifted into park.
Atlas hopped out and crossed the road with his friend. He scoured the scene for signs of Molly.
His mind played tricks on him with several blonds. Desperately wanting to believe he’d find her sitting in the corner with a coffee, happy and relieved to see him. She’d laugh and explain she’d dropped the phone or lost it.
Please, God.
He’d fall to his knees if that was true. If he could just put an end to the worry and sickness in the pit of his gut right now.
If he found her alive.
They walked inside the brightly lit café. The place was packed, and buzzing as if everyone had been given a free shot of espresso.
“She’s not here, man.” Viper’s sympathetic tone irked the hell out of him.
“Thanks for the observation.”
“I’m going to search the parking lot. Maybe there’s a clue.”
Atlas gave a sharp nod and joined the line at the counter. A minute later he reached the front.
“What can I get you?” asked a jovial kid who couldn’t be more than twenty.
“I’m looking for a woman. Do you have a sec?” He opened his phone and pulled up the most-recent news release regarding Molly’s earlier disappearance. “She might have been here in the last couple of hours.”
The kid leaned forward, squinting at the screen. “No, I’m sorry. Haven’t seen her.”
Another barista approached, an empty coffee cup in her hand. “Excuse me,” she said. “Did you say that girl’s missing?”
He gave one nod. “I believe she is. She was supposed to come here—”
“There was an accident out front about . . . I don’t know,” she said, looking at the other barista. “An hour and a half ago? Two hours? I didn’t see what happened, but people said a woman was pulled into a van.”
His pulse quickened. “Who? Are there any witnesses here?”
She frowned. “I don’t think so. The police came, but people said her car was taken before that. I’m sorry I can’t be of more help.”
“Thank you.” He pivoted and ran outside.
Viper was at the side of the building standing on the street. He motioned for Atlas to come closer. “Looks like there was a recent accident. There’re pieces of a broken headlight and other debris.”
Atlas jogged over. A streetlight illuminated tire tracks. “The barista told me there was an accident. Witnesses saw a woman being taken.”
Viper’s eyes went huge and his jaw locked. “Fuck.”
“Police came, but there was no sign of the vehicle. They must have taken her car and dumped it.”
His friend nodded slowly, his face pinched in consternation. “We can’t ask for video footage from the café. They won’t give it to us without the authorities.”
“No shit.” He swiped his hand over his beard.
“But we can hack into the surveillance,” Viper continued. “Havoc will be at the hotel any minute—he might even be there now.”
“Yeah. All right.”
He hated to leave the area, but it wasn’t as though being near where she’d been taken could somehow bring her back.
Tearing his feet from the concrete, he followed Viper back to their SUV. His hand shook as he buckled his seatbelt. His nerves were frayed beyond repair.
“Dude.” Viper’s imploring gaze punched through the dim interior of the vehicle. “We’ll find her. All we need is a positive ID on one of the assholes who took her. A plate number even. We’ve got this.”
He wanted to be hopeful. To hang on to the fact that they had at least something to go on now. But the realist in him fought back. Finding the bastards who’d taken Molly was only a small piece of the puzzle. They had to get her back. Alive.
His guts wrenched with worry.
Viper called Havoc as he peeled away from the curb and swung in a U-turn.
Havoc answered on the first ring. “Hey, where are you guys?”
Viper filled him in on what they’d found, and for once, Atlas was grateful for his friend’s voice. Viper carried the weight of the conversation. All Atlas could do was stare out of the windshield.
They stopped at a red light and impatience rushed through him. Before he could snap at Viper to blow through it, the light flicked to green.
Five minutes later, they pulled into the hotel parking garage.
He hopped out and Viper ran behind him. No way he was slowing down. Every goddamn second counted.
Please, God. Keep her alive until I find her.