My head whipped toward her, mouth gaping.
Another tear rolled down her sweaty, red cheek. “Five weeks.”
Oh shit…
I tucked her into my side, my heart hammering erratically as a protective, maternal instinct flooded me. Emilee’s body trembled, her tears picking up.
I faintly recalled the Hunter’s enforcer saying they would auction us off. It was right after I’d come to.Did I imagine it? Dream it? Maybe he only wanted to scare us.
What if they weren’t intimidating us with empty threats? If we weren’t rescued, would they really sell a pregnant young woman? What about me?
Acid shot into my throat as my hand went to my stomach. I never got a chance to buy a pregnancy test. Did I need to? I swallowed. No. I knew I was pregnant.
My mind raced. Maybe I could convince them to let Emilee go. She was so young and innocent. Sheltered most of her life. Had lost her mom. I couldn’t sit by and let them hurt her.
Though my life wasn’t so different from Emilee’s, I preferred them to keep me and release her.
But then, I didn’t want to be sold either. Why would they listen to my plea? My stomach roiled.
“Storm and his men will find us before anything bad happens,” Emilee told me, as if she knew I needed assurances. “But we’ve been here for a long time. What’s taking them so long?” Just like that, her confidence faltered.
“I don’t know.”
We were in a grain silo somewhere. How would the Knights ever find us? I didn’t have my cell phone with the tracking app. We probably would’ve been rescued already, had the Hunters not left it in my car.
I dropped my forehead onto my bent knees.I did this to us…I should’ve never left the compound. Storm didn’t want me to, said it wasn’t safe, but I’d begged. Tempted him with my mouth.
Then I called Tara to join us on a girls’ day out. I put us in this situation.
Justin would blame me for his daughter’s abduction. Hell, the whole club would blame me. Probably Storm too.
Hot tears blurred my vision.Don’t fall apart. Be strong for Emilee.
Somehow, I needed to get us out of here in one piece. I wrapped my arms around Emilee, holding her close. I’d do whatever necessary to protect her. I owed it to her and Justin after putting her into this dangerous situation.
My eyes drifted closed. It hadn’t been long when they flew open at the sound of a loud booming voice.
“Let’s get this show started!” a man entered through the only door into this metal container. “Where are my lovely ladies?”
Emilee and I stiffened beneath his gaze. Behind him, two men followed, dragging Hero between them. I gasped, holding my breath. Hero’s face was busted up and bleeding.
My heart seized as I choked back a sob when Tara was brought in next, her bare feet scraping along the ground. Why wasn’t she fighting? Why wasn’t she looking at us? There was blood on her shirt. Neither moved, their heads hanging as if unconscious. What had they done to them?
“Over there, Prez,” the young prospect said.
“Shut your fucking mouth. We don’t want them to know who we are. Think, boy!” The prez slapped the prospect upside the head. He was an idiot if he thought it was hard to tell who ran the show.
Emilee flinched, squeezing my hand.
“Stay calm,” I whispered, though I had a hard time holding it together.
The short, stocky prez strutted our way. My heart jackhammered as he eyed me.
“Here’s how this is going to play out. If Storm complies with my terms, you’ll all be set free. If not, I’ll either sell you or keep you for myself.” He laughed, a vile expression on his face. “Which one is his ol’ lady?”
“None of us,” I said on a snort, trying to bait and throw him off his game. If he believed they captured the wrong woman, maybe he’d let us go. Maybe.
The prez shook his head. I blinked just long enough to miss the back of his hand flying my way. Emilee cried out, squeezing my right hand when he made contact with my face. I grunted, trying to absorb the urge to sob.