Jacob
That bastard got to her.
And the regret in my chest-fuck, it had never burned this deep.
I shouldn’t have left her alone. I knew she was reckless. I knew she’d try to do something desperate, yet I still walked away, believing I could get to her before she made another one of her damn escape plans.
But never-never-while driving back home did I think I’d receive that call.
Bianca. Sobbing. Panicking. Screaming that Tyler Ricci had his hands on my Evie. And our baby.
I swear to God, my heart stopped beating. Terror, rage, the sickening flood of possibilities-each one worse than the last-slammed into my ribs, clawing at my insides, threatening to break me apart.
I didn’t know what to do. I’d called the police. Taken every legal step I could. But I knew-deep down, I fucking knew-this wouldn’t be enough. Tyler wasn’t the same coward who once feared the media, feared the consequences. That version of him was gone.
He wanted revenge. By any means. So here I was, gripping the wheel of my car, gun on the passenger seat, tearing through every corner of the city like a madman.
Every location I had suspected, every hideout I thought he might be in-nothing. No sign of her.
No leads. Not from Dad. Not from Bianca. Not from Mom or any of my friends-everyone out there searching for Evelyn was coming up empty-handed.
And then-
My phone binged. I grabbed it so fast my fingers fumbled. An unknown number. A message notification.
A video….
My breath hitched. My pulse pounded against my skull. Tyler. I knew it was from him. I could feel it in my fucking gut. Jerking the car to the side, I slammed the brakes-almost crashing into another vehicle. The driver stormed to my window, fists banging against the glass, screaming obscenities.
I didn’t care.
I didn’t fucking care.
I had only one focus. The video.
My hands trembled as I pressed play. And there she was.
Evelyn. Tied to a chair.
Unconscious. Gagged. The room around her was dark, filthy-some godforsaken hellhole. My chest caved in. I wanted to reach through the screen, touch her. Hold her. She must be in pain. She must be terrified.
And I? I was a fucking failure. I failed her. I fucking failed.
Then, Tyler’s voice shattered the silence.
“Shocked, Jacob?”
He stepped into the frame, standing right beside Evelyn. My Evelyn.
“Well,” he drawled, a sick smirk curling his lips, “I’ve got your beautiful treasure right here. And you know the best part?” He lifted the knife in his hand, the blade glinting under the dim light. My breath hitched. A guttural, broken sound tore from my throat, something between a shout and a desperate plea. I didn’t even know what I was saying-if he could even hear me.
“I can kill her while she’s unconscious,” he murmured, his voice dripping with mockery. “She won’t feel a thing. Straight to the gates of heaven.” He tilted his head, considering. “Why heaven, though? A masterpiece like this belongs in paradise.”
He traced the knife along her shoulder, slow and deliberate, while his other hand brushed her hair away from her face.
He was touching her.
That sick fuck was touching her.
His filthy hands. That fucking knife.
Rage shot through me, burning, blinding. My fingers clenched into fists, my nails digging into my palms. Once I got my hands on him, I’d kill him. No hesitation. No second thoughts. I’d unload every last bullet into his goddamn skull.
Tyler sighed theatrically, shaking his head. “I wanted to video call you, you know,” he continued. “But then I thought-ugh, you talk too much.” He scoffed before lifting a phone into view, the screen showing a countdown timer.
Forty-eight hours.
My stomach turned to lead.
“You have exactly this long,” he said, his grin widening. “Be late, and you’ll only find your wife and child in pieces.”
He stepped closer to the camera, eyes gleaming with twisted delight.
“Tick-tock, tick-tock,” he taunted, lifting the phone as if to wave goodbye. “Sienna’s hoping you’ll save her. Let’s see if you can.”
The video cut off.
A chill slashed through my veins.
Two days. Forty-eight hours before that bastard did something irreversible.
No. No, I wasn’t letting that happen.
“I have to do something-I have to do something,” I gasped, my voice shaking. My hands slammed against the steering wheel, hard enough to rattle the car.
Maybe I could convince him. Maybe I could buy him off-return everything he wanted, give him every last thing I owned. It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered except getting Evelyn and Sienna back.
I jabbed at my phone, dialing his number.
Disconnected.
Blocked.
A fresh wave of fury surged through me, but then-I saw it.
A number.
For the first time in this hellish nightmare, fate threw me a bone. My mind clicked into place, and before I could second-guess myself, I copied the number and shot it over to Dad.
Then I called him.
He picked up on the first ring. “Jacob?” He was breathless. “Any leads on Evie?”
“Not yet,” I admitted, my pulse pounding in my ears. Sweat dripped down my back, soaking into my shirt. “But I sent you a number. You remember Joey? Your old friend-the one who’s good at hacking?”
“Yeah, I do. Do you want me to-”
“Yes.” I cut him off. “Track it. Now. Get me that location as soon as possible. Tyler gave me two days. If I don’t find her by then-” My voice cracked. “He’ll kill her.”
Dad didn’t hesitate. “I’ll call Joey right now. Beg if I have to. I won’t let that bastard lay another finger on Evie.”
The line went dead.
But I wasn’t waiting.
I wasn’t sitting still.
Even without a location, even if I had to search every goddamn corner of the earth within the next three hours-I would.
I had to save them.
At all costs.