Tia
The Miami compound feels like a cage made of concrete and razor wire.
I pace the small room they put me in while the prospect, Charlie, stands guard just outside the door.
Kevin sits on the table beside the bed. His leaves look a little droopy like he can feel how tense everything is.
I touch one gently and whisper to him. "He’ll bring Dad home. Kraken will keep his promise, right?"
My voice shakes. The waiting eats at me worse than anything. Every minute stretches long and heavy. I keep imagining Dad hurt somewhere. Tied up. Scared. Alone. The thought makes my stomach twist into knots. I wrap my arms around myself and sit on the edge of the bed.
Boots thud in the hallway. Voices rise sharp and sudden. My heart jumps into my throat. I stand up fast. The prospect outside barks something. Then a loud crack splits the air. Gunshot. I freeze. Another shot follows right after. Something heavy hits the floor with a sickening thud.
The door bursts open.
Two men rush in. Dark clothes. Hard faces. Tattoos that look nothing like the Royal Bastards patches. One of them grins wide and nasty as his eyes land on me. "There she is. The little princess we’ve been looking for."
I back up fast until my shoulders hit the wall. My pulse hammers so loud I can barely hear anything else. "Who are you? What did you do to Charlie?"
The taller one laughs. A cold cruel sound that crawls over my skin. "Dead. Just like we’re going to make the rest of those Bastards. But you... you’re the real prize."
They move fast. I try to dodge but there’s nowhere to run.
The shorter man grabs my arm and yanks me forward.
His grip feels like iron. Pain shoots up to my shoulder.
I kick at him hard and connect with his shin.
He curses and slaps me across the face. My cheek explodes with heat. Tears blur my vision.
"Feisty one," the tall man says. He laughs again. "Boss’ll like that. Said the girl was the target all along. Not the old man. Not the shipment. Her."
My blood runs ice cold. "What? No."
They drag me out into the hallway. Charlie lies crumpled on the floor.
Blood pools dark under him. His eyes stare at nothing.
I feel sick. This is my fault. I brought this danger here.
They haul me through the compound. Alarms blare somewhere in the distance.
Shouts echo. Gunfire cracks outside the walls.
The men move quick and confident like they know exactly where the weak spots are.
A black SUV waits just beyond a side gate.
Engine running. Doors open. They shove me into the back seat.
One climbs in on either side of me. The doors slam shut.
The SUV peels out fast. Tires screech on the pavement.
I twist around and look through the rear window.
The compound shrinks behind us. Smoke rises from somewhere inside. My heart shatters.
"Please," I whisper. "My dad. Where is he? What do you want with me?"
The man on my left laughs again. His breath smells like cigarettes and something sour.
"Your dad was just bait sweetheart. Easy way to pull Kraken out into the open. But you... you’re the real prize.
The thing that makes the big bad president bleed.
He’ll come for you. And when he does we’ll be ready. "
The other man grabs my wrists and zip ties them tight in front of me.
The plastic bites into my skin. I struggle but it only makes the ties cut deeper.
Tears run down my cheeks now. I can’t stop them.
The SUV speeds through the streets. Buildings blur past. Horns honk as we weave through traffic.
My stomach churns with fear and motion sickness.
I think about Kraken. He’s out there somewhere. Fighting. Coming for Dad. Now he’ll have to come for me too. The thought breaks something inside me. I don’t want him walking into a trap. But I know he will. Because that’s who he is.
The tall man leans closer. His eyes glitter with ugly excitement. "Kraken thinks he runs these streets. Thinks his patch makes him untouchable. But he touched something that belongs to us. Now we take what belongs to him."
I shake my head. "He’ll kill you. All of you."
They both laugh. The sound fills the SUV and makes my skin crawl. The driver glances back in the rearview mirror. "Let him try. We’ve been waiting for this war. And you little girl are the match that starts the fire."
The city lights streak by outside the tinted windows.
I press my zip tied hands against my stomach and try to breathe through the terror.
Kevin is still back at the compound. Alone.
The thought almost makes me sob. I close my eyes and picture Kraken’s face.
His gray eyes. The way he looked at me like I was his whole world.
He’ll come. I know he will. But what will be left of me by then?
The SUV turns onto a darker road. Warehouses rise up around us. The ocean smells stronger here. Salt and decay and something metallic that turns my stomach. They’re taking me somewhere isolated. Somewhere no one will hear me scream.
I bite the inside of my cheek hard to keep from crying out loud.
Dad. Kraken. I send silent prayers into the night.
Please find me. Please be okay. The engine rumbles louder as we drive deeper into the dark.
My heart pounds so hard it hurts. The men keep laughing and talking like I’m already theirs.
But I’m not. I belong to Kraken. And he doesn’t let go of what is his.
The SUV slows. Brakes squeal. Doors open. Rough hands drag me out into the humid night air. I stumble on shaky legs. One of them throws me over his shoulder like I weigh nothing. The world turns upside down. Blood rushes to my head. I see pavement and boots and the glow of distant lights.
They carry me into a warehouse. The air inside smells like rust and oil and fear. My fear. They dump me onto a metal chair. Zip ties around my ankles now too. I can’t run. I can barely move. The tall man crouches in front of me. His smile looks like a knife.
"Get comfortable princess. Your boyfriend is coming. And when he does we’re going to make him watch while we break you."
I lift my chin even though tears stream down my face. "He’ll kill you first."
The man laughs again. Loud and ugly. The sound bounces off the metal walls and sinks deep into my bones.
I close my eyes and think of Kraken. His voice. His touch. The way he held me like I was precious and fucked me like I was his. He’s coming. I know it in my soul. I just have to stay alive long enough for him to get here.
The waiting begins. And this time the fear feels sharper than anything I’ve ever known.