Chapter 33
“Ifreaking love this song,” Arena said, trying to shake her ass in the passenger seat of my Bentley.
We were on our way to a party at some club downtown. I wasn’t in the mood to drink too much tonight, so I’d decided to take my precious four-wheeled baby out for a spin. It was the first time I was going out with my stepbrothers now all of us had laid our cards on the table. I knew I had to keep my hands to myself, which was near impossible after I’d had a drink. Especially for me and Presley. Hence why I’d opted to be designated driver.
Arena was loving being my passenger princess, music playing way too loud, both of us hoarse from screaming along with the lyrics.
“And I’m obsessed with this car,” she said, running her hands along the creamy leather dash. “I am so glad you finally decided to take it out of the garage of dreams.”
“I am too.” I grinned at her, loving the feel of the engine beneath me. “And do you know the best part? We look damn good in it!”
Arena laughed, busting a move to the music. “We’re going to have an epic time tonight.”
Just as she said it, my phone rang, killing the music and the vibe.
Gretel.
“Hi, Gretel.”
“Hello, Miss Dempsey. I’m sorry to interrupt your night out, I wanted to let you know that another delivery has arrived for you. Twenty-five boxes this time.”
“Twenty-five boxes?” Arena mouthed. “What did you order?”
I shrugged, shaking my head.
“Thanks, Gretel. Can you tell me what’s in them?”
“Certainly.” The line went quiet, a slight rustling in the background. “Peach lip gloss, Miss Dempsey.”
My eyebrows crept up my forehead. My phantom package fiend had ordered me twenty-five cases of my favorite lip gloss?
“Ummm, okay… can you please store it for me?”
“Certainly can.”
I thanked Gretel and hung up, the music instantly filling the car again.
“I know you love that lip gloss, but twenty-five boxes seems extreme,” Arena said, eyeing me like I’d gone mad.
“I didn’t order it. Someone keeps sending me boxes of stuff.”
Arena pulled a face. “Like a really kind and considerate stalker?”
We both laughed.
“Exactly like that.”
Twenty minutes later, after navigating downtown traffic we pulled into an outdoor parking lot a block from the club. I dropped the mirror, the lights illuminating my perfectly made-up face. Pulling my lip gloss (which I now had twenty-five cases of) from my purse, I swiped it across my lips, smacking them together and then folding the mirror away. Tossing the gloss back in my bag, I slid from the car in one graceful movement, eager to get inside and unwind with my best friend.
“God, I hope Trenton isn’t in there. I’ve had my fill of entitled fuckers this week,” I said to Arena across the top of the Bentley.
Arena went to respond, but her eyes snagged on something over my shoulder, widening with fear. “Dempsey!”
Rough hands gripped me from behind—one covering my mouth, the other wrapping around my arms, pinning them to my torso so I couldn’t move. Panic flooded me and I thrashed against them, but they were too strong.
My desperate gaze landed on Arena as she bolted across the parking lot. I prayed she was headed for the boys and not just leaving me for dead or I’d kill her if I made it out of this.
I screamed into the hand covering my mouth, but the sound was muted and muffled, doing nothing to draw the attention of anyone on the street across the other side of the lot.
When I was lifted off my feet, my fight or flight response kicked in. I had no chance of running right now, but that didn’t mean I was going to let this go down without a fight.
“It’s you or we fuck up one of those pretty boy brothers of yours,” a hard voice said in my ear.
No.
I didn’t need to turn around to know it was Algor. My father was behind this.
While I didn’t want Sinclair, Dacre, or Presley to be targets because of me, there was no way I could go back to my father either.
I thrashed with everything I had, trying to loosen the vice grip I was locked in, but it had no effect. Algor held me too tight, dragging me towards a black SUV with darkened windows at the end of the long row of cars.
Never let them take you to a second location.
The words I’d heard so many times in the true crime documentaries I binge-watched played over and over in my head, giving me an extra burst of energy.
Frantically kicking my legs, trying to swing my heels behind me, I connected with what I think were a set of balls. There was a groan from Algor and his arms loosened around me.
I fell to the ground, swearing at the instant pain in my knees, gravel embedded there. Ignoring the pain and my bleeding skin, I pushed up off the ground and bolted across the parking lot.
The sounds of thumping boots followed me a moment later, making my heart pound in my throat. I forced myself to pump my arms harder and move my feet faster. I was at a hell of a disadvantage wearing fucking heeled boots.
Just get to the street. Make it to the damn street.
I forced myself to put on another burst of speed, ignoring the pinching pain from my shoes or the blood running down my shins. I bolted past the boom gate at the entrance of the parking lot, rounding the side of the empty gate house and slamming straight into a hard body.
On the inside I whimpered at the thought that I had run straight into one of my father’s men, my body recoiling.
But familiar hands gripped my upper arms, steadying me.
Sinclair’s eyes were hard as stone as he stared down at me. “Where are they?”
His voice chilled me to the bone. I pointed behind me, my body starting to tremble from the adrenaline of trying to outrun my attacker.
Sinclair took off behind me into the parking lot, Dacre following him. Presley moved in front of me to take Sinclair’s place and folded me into his arms.
My face pressed to his firm chest, and I let out a ragged breath.
“It’s okay, you’re safe now. Nobody can hurt you when you’re with us.”
I nodded against his chest, my body still shaking as the adrenaline ebbed away.
“Holy fuck, can we not just have one normal night around here?” Arena said, coming up to hug me from the other side.
I let go of Presley and flung my arms around her, her own tightening around me right back.
“Thank you for not leaving me for dead,” I said, hands still shaking.
She let out a laugh. “I would never leave you for dead and you know it.”
I pulled back, nodding. “Thank you for getting the guys. You saved my ass.”
She gave me a sly smile. “It’s such a hot ass, it was totally worth saving.”
That pulled a smile out of me.
Sinclair and Dacre returned, their expressions murderous.
“How’d it go?” Presley asked over my head.
Dacre shook his head. “They’re gone. Were already in their car.”
Sinclair’s body was vibrating with rage. “Peeled away like fucking snakes.”
I reached for his hand, conscious of Arena’s presence. “It’s okay. I’m okay.”
He glanced down at my bloodied knees. “I’d disagree.”
I shrugged and Dacre held out his hand. “Keys?” Digging into my purse, I handed them over. “Let’s get you home and cleaned up.” His eyes were soft, masking his worry.
I loved the softer side of him, and I knew when we got home, he’d take care of me.
Presley went to wrap an arm around my waist to tuck me at his side, but I glanced at Arena, and he turned away.
Arena moved to my side instead, throwing an arm around my shoulders.
“Is there a reason someone keeps trying to chase you down?” Sinclair asked as we walked back to my Bentley, all of us somehow in silent agreement that the party was over for the night.
His gaze was probing, watching me like he suspected me of something.
I stiffened, shaking my head. “I have no idea.”
Only I knew exactly the reason. My father was relentless, and he hated not getting his way. I was valuable to him, and he was ready to cash in.
I couldn’t tell my stepbrothers that, though. I couldn’t tell anyone that or they’d all be in danger. Although now that I’d escaped Algor, it seemed like they already were.
“Maybe it’s because I have an uber rich stepdaddy now?” I offered as we reached my car.
Sinclair considered it. “It’s a possibility. I’ll look into it.”
I wanted to beg him not to, given there was a chance he could uncover what I was really afraid of. But if I tried to warn him off, I’d only rile his suspicions even further.
“This isn’t the first time someone has attacked you?” Arena asked, eyeing me with concern.
I shook my head.
“It’s only, like, the third time,” Presley said, opening the door to the backseat for me.
Arena thought about it for a second. “So, you’re kind of like a cockroach at this point?”
I let out a short laugh.
Trust my best friend to lighten the mood and have me grinning when I’d just escaped an abduction.
“Yeah,” I said, sliding into the backseat. “Something like that.”