“What do you need help with?” she asked. The trash bag wasn’t exactly heavy.
“Need you to hold the door open so it doesn’t lock on me when I go out.”
She didn’t see why he couldn’t use a chair to prop it open, but she just walked over. The door opened out into the alley and automatically locked when it shut. She pushed it open then stepped outside to hold it. Suddenly, she was grabbed from behind and pulled backwards. She let go of the door, kicking back at her assailant, clawing at the hand covering her mouth and nose, blocking off most of her air.
She was pulled further into the alley and the door shut, blocking off all the light from inside. Where was the security lighting Duke had installed? She struggled, trying to fight off her attacker as he dragged her out of the alleyway.
Where was Rory? Why wasn’t he helping her? Oh God. She couldn’t breathe! Duke! Duke!
The world around her started to fade as she felt herself being yanked inside a vehicle. A door slid shut and then everything went black.
* * *
“Yeah?” Duke said into his phone.
“Get over to the club,” Reyes replied.
“What’s going on? Did Frankie bail on the meeting?” He looked at the clock. The meeting between Spike and Frankie had been set for ten. It was nearly that now.
“Fucking bastard’s been murdered. Looks like he was tortured for a while first. The Fox left his calling card.”
Fuck. Shit.
“Jason thinks he’s got a lead on the place where the senator might be taking the girls, though. One of the senator’s bodyguards was left a cabin by his uncle. It’s a few hours out of the city. We need to check it out.
“I’ll get Sunny and be straight over.” He ended the call then stood and moved out of his office. Why was the place so quiet?
“Sunny?” he called out. She should be getting her stuff and heading to his office by now. “Rory? Madden?”
“Hey, boss, I’m in here,” Madden called out.
Duke walked into the break room. “Hey, you seen Sunny?” A feeling of foreboding filled him. She wouldn’t go anywhere without him. Where was she?
Madden picked up the garbage bag. “Don’t know. Rory’s left already. Asshole left the garbage here.” He propped open the door with a chair and took the trash out.
Worry flooded Duke as he opened Sunny’s locker. Her stuff was still here. He pulled out his phone and called her.
He heard her ringtone. Then Madden appeared in the doorway, his face pale, holding up Sunny’s phone with its distinctive pink, glittery case.
Fuck. Fuck. He pinched the top of his nose.
“Light’s aren’t working out here,” Madden told him.
Fuck. Shit.
He opened the contacts on his phone and called Ink.
“What’s up?” Ink greeted him.
“Sunny’s missing,” he said quickly. “Need you to access the cameras around the shop.”
“You got it,” Ink replied. “Any idea how long? Have you tried pinging her phone?”
“Madden found it in the alleyway out back of the shop.”
“Right. Stay close to your phone. Don’t worry. We’ll find her.”
They better. He needed her. Fuck. Where was she? What the hell had happened?