“Seraphina.” I inhaled. “There’s no good way to say this, but…are you sure no one can see you or hear you?”
“What the hell is it?” she demanded.
“It’s Crew. He was kidnapped.”
There was an eerie silence on the phone, as if a blackhole had swallowed my siste
r whole.
“Seraphina, are you there? Hey, I need to know you’re okay.”
“Mmmhmm.” I was sure it was all she could do.
I caught a glimpse of Kennedy’s back in the shower when she turned toward the rush of water. I leaned against the doorframe. “I don’t know who has him, but we’re going to find him. Kennedy was attacked too.”
“Oh my God.”
“She’s okay. I’m with her now. We’re going to use every resource to bring Crew home.”
“I-I can’t breathe. Where is he? Who has him?”
Shit. “Seraphina, just try to stay calm. Deep breaths. Can you sit down for a minute?” I could picture her sapphire eyes welling, her lips trembling.
“I can’t stay here. I have to go find him. I’m coming to where you are.”
“No,” I barked. “You have to stay exactly where you are.”
“Are you insane? Crew is missing,” she hissed. “I’m not staying.”
I pressed my fingers between my eyes. “Where is a place the Castilles wouldn’t look for you?”
“The stables,” she answered without a second thought. “They hate it there.”
“Okay. Let’s meet at the stables.” I knew then I couldn’t drop this bomb information on her and expect her to walk through the smoke unscathed. She needed to see me.
“I’ll leave now.”
Kennedy turned off the water in the shower. I saw her graceful arm gather a towel from the rack. “I have a few things to take care of on the way over, but I’ll get there as soon as I can.”
“Hurry, please. I just don’t know what I’m going to do if—”
I cut her off before she could start the spiral of what ifs. There were too many possibilities. Too many outcomes. The only one I could let her focus on was that I was going to take care of her.
“Take your time. Drive slowly,” I reinforced. “If anything changes, I’ll call you as soon as I know something. Okay?”
“Yes. Okay. I’m on my way.”
I hung up and waited for Kennedy. She ran a towel over her wet hair. “Was that Seraphina?” she asked.
“Yes.” I closed my eyes, wondering if I had done the right thing. I could have waited until we at least had some information to give her. I had nothing. Not a fucking thing I could tell her.
“Is she okay? How did she take it?” Kennedy walked past me into the bedroom. “Did she know anything? Had she heard anything?”
“I’m going to meet her at the stables. I think she’s pretty shaken. No, she didn’t know anything about it. It was a complete surprise. A nightmare, actually.”
“All right. Then I’m going with you. Maybe I can help reassure her that Crew is going to come back. As soon as Kimble is here, I know we’ll be able to find him.”
I winced at the mention of the bodyguard. “About him…”