A ragged moan tears from my throat as I mentally beg for the beeping to stop. My head is pounding in time with the incessant electronic sound, and I curse loudly before swiping one, two, three times at the phone with my hand.

  The device falls off the nightstand and clatters to the floor, but the relentless beeping doesn't stop.

  Fuck.

  Crawling to the edge of the bed, I reach for the phone. It takes a few attempts before I'm able to grab it and bring it up to my face with it dangling perilously between my fingertips.

  But when I read the screen and realize what the alert is, everything around me ceases to exist.

  The GPS tracker on Adeline's watch has been activated.

  Suddenly feeling a lot more awake and a hell of a lot sober, I clamber out of bed and jog to my office, forgoing the cane and limping the entire way, but making it in record speed.

  My physical therapist would be so damn proud.

  Sitting down at the computer, I wake it the fuck up and input my passcode. Muttering under my breath, my fingers move a million miles a minute on the keys as I bring up the watch software program and read over the newest data.

  It rebooted its system a couple of hours ago and is currently generating data and GPS coordinates.

  The anticipation of finding out where Adeline is threatens to shred my nerves to pieces. I can barely stop myself from hitting the computer to make it go faster, even though I know that won't do a damn thing to help.

  The only thing I can do is wait.

  I type out a quick text to Jax, not knowing if he's asleep or awake, telling him that I might have a new lead.

  It only takes a few minutes before Jax comes barreling into my office, out of breath and looking like he just ran a marathon. He puts his hands on his knees, sucking in air. "What…did…you…find?" he asks between pants.

  "She activated the watch. I'm waiting for the data to upload."

  He straightens and narrows his eyes at me. "So…nothing?"

  I smirk at him and wave my hand towards a seat nearby. "Want to wait with me?"

  Groaning in frustration, he goes to a chair and dramatically plops down on it. We wait in silence as I watch the upload bar indicator slowly move centimeter by centimeter on the big screen before me.

  "What if it's not her?" Jax asks the question I've been mulling around in my own head.

  "Then we'll find out who has the watch and see if they know where she is," I say through clenched teeth. The thought of someone else having the gift I gave her guts me, because it makes me crazy with doubt and worry.

  My attention snaps to the screen when a new window automatically opens. Jax moves from the couch to hover over my shoulder as we read through the data together.

  "She's in Pennsylvania," he whispers.

  I Google the town she's in. It has a population of around 900, a small farming town in the middle of nowhere. It would be easy to stay hidden in a place like that. "Smart girl," I mutter.

  "Do you think it's Adeline?"

  "It's her," I tell him confidently. It has to be. I've run out of options, and I won't even conceive the possibility of not finding her now. If nothing else, this will give us a better lead than I've had since she first disappeared.

  "When are we leaving?" Jax asks, and I look up to see he's anxiously waiting by the door.

  "As soon as possible," I confirm.

  "I'll tell Wraith to ready the plane," he says anxiously. Then he quietly adds, "For all of us."

  "All of us?" I inquire.

  He shrugs and shyly looks down to the floor for a moment before saying, "Well, I have to bring Katya along." With a shake of his head, he adds, "I just don't trust her yet not to run, and she's not safe out there on her own."

  I nod, completely understanding his situation given what I went through with Adeline. I just worry that Jax is going to get hurt in the end. I'll deal with this Katya problem later, but right now I can only focus on getting to Adeline and making sure she's safe and sound.

  "Be careful," I tell him, and he gives me a long stare before nodding several times. He understood the hidden meaning behind my words, and I hope he takes them to heart.

  After Jax leaves, I upload the data onto my laptop and phone and gather everything I will need for the trip, packing only the essentials.

  Once I get my girl back, I'm bringing her home.

  CHAPTER 36

  ADELINE

  JAMES CLOSES THE store with a sign in the window indicating that it will be closed until further notice. And then him, Laura and their two kids pack up and leave for New York.

  I told James that I didn't know if I would be here when he returned, and he told me to call as soon as I figured out what I decide to do.

  I don't think his mother told him all the details of why I was running and needed a place to hide, but I'm sure James is putting two and two together now because of the obvious coincidences. I think he knows the break-in at his mom's place is somehow connected to me, but he didn't make me feel guilty about it or even accuse me of anything.

  He should have, however. Because it's all my fault.

  Somehow, someway someone found a connection between Barbara and me and the fact that she helped me escape and hide. I just know it.

  But who?

  The most likely suspect is Giovanni since my father is currently in prison, but I don't know why Gio would be coming after me. It just doesn't make sense, unless…he knows something that I don't.

  He and my father shared a lot of secrets, so I wouldn't put it past him.

  Maybe there is something he wants or needs from me.

  I don't know, but I'm not sticking around to find out. With a protective hand caressing my baby bump, I whisper, "I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

  I gather the rest of my minimal belongings, stuffing them into the same duffle bag I used the first time I ran.

  Checking the time on my watch, it's a little after five. I have a bus to catch at five-thirty, so I'm right on schedule. I'm heading as far out west as I can, and then I'll figure things out from there.

  One step at a time, I tell myself.

  Sighing, I glance around the room. I didn't get to stay here long, but it felt like I belonged here. It truly did feel like a home. And I'm saddened by the fact that I may never be able to return again.

  My eyes flicker over the pile of cash and thank you card I left on the bed for James to find when he comes home. It's the least I could do considering all the help he gave me…and all the trouble I caused him and his family.

  I'll make it up to Barbara too as soon as I can; no matter how long it takes.

  I still have plenty of money left to tide me over for the next few months, but I'll need to find a place to live and work soon. I want to find somewhere I feel safe, but I'm beginning to wonder if I'll ever find it.

  Taking one last glance, I step into the hall, shut the door behind me and descend down the steps. The house is shrouded in near darkness except for the kitchen light. I move quickly, double-checking the cabinets and making sure I'm not leaving anything important behind.

  I flick off the kitchen light and move through the darkness towards the front door.

  "Going somewhere, Princess?" says a deep voice that stops me dead in my tracks and sends a chill up my spine.

  The duffle bag slips from my hand and falls to the floor with a loud thump in the quiet house.

  "W-who —?" I start, but then I can hear footsteps coming towards me, and I take a few steps back.

  I turn to run, but the man is too fast. He grabs me from behind, pinning me against his hard chest. "Adeline," he whispers in my ear, and I cringe.

  Giovanni!

  My mouth opens, and a scream tears from my throat. His hand quickly clamps over my mouth, and I struggle against his hold. That very hand pulled the trigger and took everything away from me.

  I clamp my teeth down, biting into his flesh, and he releases me with a curse. Running towards the back door, I make it a few feet before I'm grabbed again.

  "Now, now, Princess. Is that anyway to greet me?" He holds me tight against him, constricting me like the snake he is. "I've been looking for you. And trust me when I say, it hasn't been easy for me since everything has gone to shit." Leaning towards my ear, he whispers, "Because of you."

  "Good," I seethe, causing a dark chuckle to escape his lips.

  "I see The Wolf taught you how to fight. Is that what he liked? Did it get his rocks off?" he hisses.

  Just the mention of Lucien has all the fight in me fleeing. "You…You k-killed him," I choke out.

  "Yes," he says, slowly releasing me. I move away from him and press against the kitchen cabinets.

  Light filters through the kitchen after he flicks on a nearby switch. I squint from the sudden brightness, and then force myself to look at the man who changed my life forever and took the only good thing in my life away from me.

  "Why?" I ask him, and it's a loaded question. I want to know so many things right now. Why he hurt Barbara. Why he's here. Why he's been hunting me down.

  "If you're wondering why I'm here, it's because you didn't fulfill your end of the bargain," he tells me simply.

  The gears in my head turn, trying to make sense of his statement. "You don't mean…" My eyes snap up to meet his. "You still want me to marry you?" I ask as if it's the most absurd thing I've ever heard in my life. And quite frankly, it is after all that's happened between us. "I will never marry you, Giovanni."

  "I thought maybe you'd say that," he says, sneering. "But I have ways of making you comply to what I want," he threatens.

  Tears fill my eyes as I shake my head, but he's right. If he threatens to harm me in any way, I will do anything he says to protect my baby.

  He opens his arms and gestures with his hands for me to come to him. When I don't move, he tells me, "You can't escape, Adeline. I have guards surrounding the house. There's nowhere you can go where I won't find you. You have to know that deep down."

  His fingers make a come-hither motion once more, and I cringe with how much I detest him. Reluctantly, I step forward and release a sob when he enfolds me in his strong arms.

  "That's my girl," he whispers soothingly. "I knew you'd see things my way." Releasing me from his hold and grabbing my hand in a tight grip, he says, "Come on. We have a long ride ahead of us."

  CHAPTER 37

  LUCIEN

  "SOMETHING'S NOT RIGHT," I hear Jax announce from his seat across from me on the small private jet.

  He's been watching the data on Adeline nonstop ever since we left, even though not much has changed.

  I open my laptop and scroll through the program. "It looks exactly the same," I grumble. "She's in the same exact location that she was hours ago."

  "Not the GPS. I'm talking about her vitals."

  His words send me into panic mode, and I open up another window to check the data. I had been so focused on her location that I didn't even think about checking her vitals. How could I have been so fucking careless?

  Cursing, I look at the elevated heart rate. I try to tell myself that it's nothing, but it could be something. Hell, it could be anything.

  Until I have Adeline in my arms, I will never be able to rest or relax.

  Jax peers up at me, his face etched with worry lines. "Do you think something is happening to her?"

  I narrow my eyes at my cousin. Over the past few days, his concern over Adeline together with his infatuation before I was shot are all leading to one conclusion and one conclusion only.

  Jackson loves Adeline…maybe even as much as I do.

  In fact, he might even be in love with her, for all I know.

  She's so damn easy to love. How can I even really fucking blame him?

  Look how easily I fell for Adeline. My beautiful girl wormed her way into my cold, dead heart, and I think she did the same thing with Jax, perhaps just in a different way.

  Maybe I shouldn't have dangled Adeline in front of him like a piece of forbidden fruit. He's obviously been craving a taste of her, but he knows better. He knows I'll never share her.

  Clenching my hands into fists, I close my eyes and rein in my anger and temper as it flares deep inside me like a volcano getting ready to erupt. I can't take my frustration out on Jax right now. I need as many allies on my side as I can get. And if he feels that strongly about Adeline, then that means he'll fight twice as hard as everyone else to get her back.

  "Jax, she will be okay," I hear Katya whisper soothingly.

  I look up just in time to see Katya lean over and place her hand over his. The strong, silent look that the two of them exchange paints a picture that is worth a thousand words.

  Jax is clearly falling for Katya, and vice versa. And that instantly calms me somewhat. Katya will be good for Jax. Because he sure as hell isn't laying a finger on my girl.

  Once I get Adeline back, I'm keeping her. Forever. And she'll never be out of my sight again.

  A beeping noise alerts me to a change in GPS coordinates, and my heart thuds loudly in my chest as I check the digital map.

  The blip on the radar screen is moving. Quickly. She's in a car.

  And it's heading towards New York City.

  CHAPTER 38

  ADELINE

  THE BLACK LIMO is speeding towards New York City, and there's nothing I can do to stop my journey back to that dreadful prison.

  After wrestling with Giovanni's two hired goons, they shoved me in the back seat with Gio and slammed the door shut, sealing my fate.

  I'm pressed against the door, not wanting to even look at the man beside me, let alone touch him or feel his presence while the two men riding in the front are invisible behind a raised black partition.

  I'm vibrating with nervous energy. I don't know what's going to happen to me. But more importantly, I want to know what will happen to my baby.

  I'm not sure if my father told Giovanni about the baby or not. I'm afraid to even bring it up, because what if he wants me to have an abortion like my father had wanted?

  I shiver and wrap my arms around myself.

  "Are you cold?" Gio asks, and I can hear what sounds like genuine concern lacing his tone.

  Closing my eyes, I shake my head, not wanting to even speak to this man. Knowing Gio, he would pull me close to warm me up, and I can't bear the feeling of his hands on my skin right now…and I never will.

  I'm not sure how I'm going to survive this. I'll have to bide my time and plan my escape. And I will escape. There is no doubt about that in my mind. I will fight until I have nothing left to give. I will protect myself and this baby until my last dying breath, if that's what it takes.

  Opening a mini built-in cooler, Giovanni withdraws a bottle of water and holds it out towards me in offering. "Thirsty?" he asks.

  I lick my lips and stare at the water. My mouth is so dry that it feels like the Sahara desert. Even though I want to refuse anything from him, but I'm too thirsty to say no.

  Snatching it out of his hands before he changes his mind, I unscrew the lid and gulp down several big swallows. The cool liquid feels so good on my sore throat, which feels like it's been ripped to shreds from screaming so much.

  "Easy," he says, pulling the bottle from my hands and replacing the lid. "You don't want to drink too much too fast. You'll get sick," he chides.

  The fact that he's worried about my wellbeing is disconcerting. Maybe he's not planning on killing me after all? But how could I ever trust this…this monster?

  "How are you feeling?" he asks me.

  When I meet his gaze for the first time since we got in the limo, I can see that he's asking a loaded question. Does he know about the baby? I decide to play it safe and answer with a quiet, "I'm fine."

  "Adeline, there are some things we need to discuss before we arrive back home."

  Home.

  New York City will never be my home again.

  My home was with Lucien. And Giovanni stole him away from me. He stole my happy ending, my future…everything.

  "I'm sure you know your father is in jail. The family is in disarray, and it needs a ruler before things get any more out of control. I plan on taking your father's place. And with you by my side, I will gain back the family's approval and trust."

  I glare at him. So he's still going along with the plan that was forged by my father years ago. The plan that I had been willing to go along with too…before…before Lucien, before he opened my eyes to the truth.

  "I'm sorry to ruin your plans," I hiss, "but I refuse to stand by your side and help you commit more crime and bring more drugs and sex slaves into the city."

  In a motion so fast, I have no time to react, Giovanni grabs my wrist and drags me across the seat and into his arms. My body instantly goes stock still from shock…right before I start to fight him.

  I claw at his expensive suit, but his grip is too tight. He twists me like a ragdoll and locks me in place with my back against his chest and my arms crisscrossed in front of me.

  Releasing a feral scream, I buck against him, trying to set myself free. I can't stand to be this close to the man who took Lucien from me.

  "Calm down, Adeline. It's not good for the baby," he growls against my ear.

  I gasp and continue to struggle until I wear myself out. His grip is too strong, and my efforts are proving to be futile. Eventually, my body relaxes slightly, but my guard is still up, my senses on high alert. "You know?" I ask with disbelief.

  "Of course I know. How do you think I found you? Surveillance cameras outside of the abortion clinic."

  I close my eyes and shudder. That's how he found Barbara.

  "Besides, your father always told me everything. When you went missing, I was the first person he came to. Why would he keep something like that from me?" His hot breath skates against my neck, and I shudder in disgust. "You should know that your friend, Barbara, was strong right up until the end. It took a lot for me to break her. She didn't want to give you up." He nuzzles his nose in my hair, and I cry out in agony. "She was a fighter, but she had what I needed. And I was willing to do anything to get it."

 

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