“What I have to. It seems to me you boys don’t know how to do your job properly and so you’re leaving it to me to fix.” Rick tutted.
Within seconds, he had his cell phone.
Landon gave him the code to get into the cell, and he waited.
The call started to ring, and ring, and he hoped Tamsin wouldn’t answer.
But she did.
“Hey, Landon, it hasn’t been long since your last call. I’m starting to feel special.”
Landon paused. Pain filled every single part of his body and right now, he had to keep her safe from his family and from the Savonas. The only way to do that was to risk certain death.
Glancing at Tulip, he knew he had to protect her. She was his completely. Sarah wasn’t his, he realized that now. There was a connection between them but only in the vaguest of senses.
“Landon, you okay?”
One look at his brothers, and he saw their fear, their concern. They didn’t want anything to happen to her, but if they brought her home, they were going to sell her to the highest bidder and he wasn’t going to allow that to happen.
“I’m here, Tamsin.”
“What’s going on?”
“Tamsin, you remember what I told you about a code red?”
“Yes.”
“Then I need you to understand you’re in danger. Code red. Highest.”
Tamsin gasped. They all heard it.
“Tell me where you are so I can come and pick you up.”
“Landon, no, I’m fine. Honestly, I don’t … for me.”
Seconds passed, maybe even minutes. All he could hear was Tulip’s shivering. Whatever happened, he needed to protect her.
His brothers could all go to hell as far as he was concerned.
Tamsin gave her location. Her voice didn’t waver.
“I’ll be coming for you soon,” he said. Tamsin knew he wouldn’t be coming, but someone else would. She had to be vigilant. Not go to town. Not do anything to draw too much attention to herself.
“Okay, I’ll see you when you come for me, and Landon?” she said.
“What?” he asked.
“Tell my brothers if you see them to leave me the fuck alone. For once, I’m living my life the way I want to and I’m not going to be another pawn in their lives. They already put their women in danger. I want to be left alone.” She hung up her cell.
“You go for her, you’re going to hurt her,” he said, looking at Rick, then at each of his brothers in turn.
“You and I are going to have a little chat,” Rick said. He pulled out a knife and sliced through the binds that kept him to the chair.
Before he knew what was happening, he was being hauled up out of his chair and dragged upstairs. His uncle Rick’s strength never failed to surprise him. Even now, he was being pulled without much effort at all.
He needed to see Tulip one final time, and as he looked at her shivering, he would do whatever it took to get her out of there, Jade as well.
Neither woman deserved this.