My body freezes at her response, heart pounding in my chest as it repeats that word in my head. Over and over again. “Hey, Elizabeth?”
“Hmm?” she replies.
“I’m going to get us out of here.”
She smiles. “Keep your fantasies, Callum. You’re going to need them.”
She turns her head away from me. My vision blurs. I’ve heard of women being taken, unthinkable things being done to them. I just never dreamed it would happen to me.
CHAPTER THIRY-THREE
I stand nextto Richard in his office. “I was on the phone with her, and I heard them take her.”
Richard’s jaw clenches. “You’ve been fucking my daughter?”
I pause, looking at him. “Yes.”
He sucks his teeth, nodding, and then his fist flies into my jaw, jerking my head to the side, splitting my lip. I cup my face, spitting blood on his floor. “Feel better?” I ask.
“Not even a little,” he growls.
“Too fucking bad. We have more important shit to do than fistfight over something you won’t be changing. Now, sit the fuck down because I have to show you something.”
He throws himself into one of the two chairs by the window. Very out of character for him to show anger, but I get it. I sit in the chair next to him, handing my phone over to him. He looks down at it, eyes glassing over. “Does this say it’s from my father?”
“Yeah.”
He presses Play on the video I received. It’s Callum in a dog cage. Face split open and leaking blood. Blonde hair caked in red. A bruise already blossoming over her face. The caption says:Your weakness. My chest tightens, anger making my body shake as I look at the phone. Richard closes his eyes, face breaking into so many emotions it morphs his face. “Now, are you going to help me, or will you fail her like you’ve done her entire life?”
He looks over to me, something passing over his eyes before he says, “Let’s go.”
* * *
I walkinto Derek’s office first. The sick smile that overtakes his face makes me want to wrap my hands around his throat until the bones crush beneath my fingers. “Back so soon? I thought you might be. Want to renegotiate?” His eyes flick over my shoulder, widening as he sees Richard come in behind me slamming the door shut. “Richard? This doesn’t concern you, son. If anything, I’ve helped by getting rid of the unwanted brat.”
Richard slams his fist on Derek’s desk. “It does. Have you not been watching the news? Callum is my daughter, by blood.”
Derek pales a little. “Well, even better. Now the bad press will go away.”
Richard smirks, something animalistic taking over his eyes as he slams the stapler he had gripped in his hand into Derek’s face. “Where the fuck is my daughter?” he hisses.
“Fuck,” Derek growls. “It’s too late. I’ve already sold her.”
“Cancel it,” I snap. “Offer them whatever it takes to get her back.”
“Can’t.” He clutches his bleeding nose.
“Can’t or won’t?” I ask, my feet carrying me dangerously close to him.
He doesn’t answer. Richard suddenly pulls a gun out of his pocket, shoving it into Derek’s face. “Get me the contact details, unless you would prefer for your brains to be scattered all over your wall. I’ll make it look like a suicide. I’m sure your church would love that.”
I grin as Derek chokes at the sight of the gun, hands fumbling to grab a pen. His hand shakes as he writes a single name and number. Richard snatches the paper, using the butt end of the gun to smash it across Derek’s face, knocking him out cold. “Did you get that?”
I wave my phone. “All of it, but it would incriminate you.”
He nods, looking down at the paper and cursing lowly. “I’ve heard of this group.” He swallows. “It’s going to be hard to get her back, most likely not in the same condition she left in, but not impossible.”
I’m angry about so much, but most importantly, I’m angry because I never got to tell her how much I love her. How my fucking soul, heart, every fiber of my being lives for her.