Sometime later, my eyes snapped open from the sound of a loud bang in the hallway. It was dark inside my bedroom, not even a sliver of moonlight peeking in through the curtains. I blinked a few times, attempting to adjust to my surroundings.
Thump, thump, thump…
Where is that sound coming from?
I sat up, stretching my fingers across the comforter, and strong arms wrapped around my middle. A man lifted me, and I screamed at the top of my lungs, thrashing in his arms. I kicked my legs, attempting to use the mattress to gain momentum and landed a kick in his stomach.
“Get off me.” I tried to elbow him in the stomach and missed.
He laughed in my ear.
I screamed for help.
“No one can hear you,” he whispered in my ear, his breath on my lobe causing me to still in his arms. “She’s difficult,” he said to a man behind him, reaching his hand out for something.
I couldn’t see either of their faces.
He gripped me harder, and I leaned forward to break free from him with no success. He squeezed tighter in response to my action, his muscles brushing against my side as he jammed a needle into my neck. The sharp sting caused me to scream out in pain, the sudden pinch making my skin burn. I tried to fight it with everything I had left in my body, but the drugs won.
I heard the slosh of water before I opened my eyes. My head pounded like someone was drilling into my skull, and when I finally regained my bearings, I rocked to the side. The clink of metal sounded from a distance, like a chain or something heavy dragging across a hard surface.
I forced my eyes open, blinking a few times to ensure I wasn’t dreaming. A woman slept across from me on a dirty mattress. Her blonde curls fanned out around her heart-shaped face. Maybe I imagined all of this. Why was I on a boat with Alexandrea Wellington?
Men had stormed into my room while I was sleeping. How long ago was that? I had no recollection of time, no idea what day of the week it was or where the hell these people were taking me.
I glanced down at my wrists, which burned from the red rings around them. Had they bound my wrists? My last memory was of me waiting for Marcello to text back, then getting woken up to the men who drugged and kidnapped me.
I sat up and checked my body, which felt like a truck had hit it and then backed over again.
What the hell did I do wrong?
Why would anyone want to take me?
My father didn’t give a damn about me, but he had a lot of enemies, many of which would do something like this. I also had a fiancé who wanted to claim me, who was scheduled to arrive in Beacon Bay from Boston.
Thunder struck the water with violent force, rocking the boat. Fear crept down my spine with each bolt that hit the water, one after another. I scanned the small room for something to eat or drink. My tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth, which was so dry from dehydration I couldn’t even form spit.
The dimly lit room spun around me like I was on a ride at an amusement park. Unfortunately, though, this wasn’t the least bit fun. Starved and left to rot on a foul-smelling mattress on the floor, I leaned against the wall and drew a breath between my teeth.
How had I gotten myself into my mess?
I was only in town for two weeks. No one knew I was back in Beacon Bay except for my father, Marcello, and Aiden. My dad loved getting rid of me, but he would never do anything to jeopardize my upcoming nuptials. So I knew he didn’t have anything to do with my kidnapping. Marcello and Aiden were not a threat either, which left Sean as my only option.
Would he sell me to traffickers?
Alex rolled onto her side and groaned. She squeezed her eyes shut, her face writhing in pain. Even with all the dirt and grime on her skin, she was beautiful. Pale skin dusted with a few freckles, high cheekbones, and long eyelashes. And when she opened her big blue eyes, I couldn’t stop staring at her, wondering how she ended up here with me.
A Founder by birth, Alex was the woman The Devil’s Knights fawned over. She was supposed to marry Luca Salvatore, but even Sonny and Marcello were under her spell. Alex was gorgeous, her skin flawless until someone marked her arms and thighs. It looked like someone took a knife to her delicate skin and cut it until she couldn’t stand it anymore. Her face was the only part of her they didn’t touch.