“Go. I’ll be fine.” She still didn’t know why Stone had to babysit her.
Ink sighed. “All right. But you don’t answer the door to anyone and you don’t get off that couch, am I understood?”
“Yes, I understand,” she said.
They all said goodbye, Ink kissing her forehead. She settled under her blankets. Truth was, she didn’t feel like moving at all.
Ten minutes later, she heard the buzzer go. Who would be at the door? She ignored it. She wasn’t opening the door up for anyone.
The buzzer continued. Finally, frustrated she got up to go see who it was. Maybe it was Stone and he’d forgotten the code? She reached the tablet that was integrated into the wall by the elevator and brought up the camera for the front door.
Her heart nearly stopped. A sob broke free. Fingers shaking, she unlocked the front door and turned off the alarm. Then she raced for her phone which Ink had made certain was charged and in reach.
Knowing she didn’t have much time, she hit his number.
“Hey, brown eyes. You okay?”
“Ink! Forrest’s men are here.” She heard the whir of the elevator.
“Don’t let them in!”
“I had to! They were holding a gun to Sunny’s head.”
“Delay them! I’m on my way!”
The doors started to open.
“I will, but Ink if I don’t see you again, I lo—”
“No! Don’t you do that! You stay alive and tell me!”
The d
oor opened and Thing Two walked in. He saw her and with an evil grin, raised his gun. He fired. Agony engulfed her arm and she stumbled back. Her head smacked against something hard.
Then there was nothing.
“Fuck! Betsy? Betsy?”
“Motherfucking Christ!” Royal swore from the passenger seat. Baron was silent in the backseat.
Ink did a U-turn, ignoring the honking of horns. “Get Stone on your phone,” he barked at Royal. “Now.”
He didn’t want to end the call with Sunny. Even though they’d all heard a bang that had sounded very much like a gun shot.
“Hey, Royal,” Stone’s voice came through the speaker. “I was just trying to reach Ink. The alarm is off at his place.”
“Enter with caution,” Ink barked. “Some of Forrest’s men came for Betsy. We heard a gun go off. Apparently, they had Sunny.”
“I’m going in.”
“We’re three minutes away.”
The call ended. “Call Brody,” he ordered tersely.
Royal’s hands shook but he didn’t have time to reassure them both that he’d keep Betsy safe. Because he obviously hadn’t done that.
Fuck! He’d failed her.