Kayla gasped for a breath beneath the confines of the blindfold covering her eyes. Panic set in. She had no idea how long it had been since they had grabbed her and Levi off the street. All she really knew was that darkness felt as if it were closing in like a choking hand. Her hands were tied behind her back, making it difficult—if not impossible—to pull the blindfold off and take in her surroundings.
She prayed as she tried to loosen the cords securing her hands. Levi had to be here somewhere, and maybe her father as well. She had to find them. In the vehicle they’d been shoved into, she’d tried to figure out where they were being taken, but eventually she’d given up. She couldn’t be sure how much time had passed, or how far they’d driven. There wasn’t even any way to know for sure if Levi had been brought here as well.
What she did know was that this was no coincidence. Payback, perhaps, because they hadn’t followed the rules? They might not have told the police what was going on, but they had gone to the government morgue. What was she supposed to tell them now? She had no idea where Mercy was, and no idea where to find her.
The unwanted image of her sister’s body flashed in front of her. She tugged at the bindings around her wrists. Is this what the girls had felt when they’d realized who those men really were? She’d seen the fear in the eyes of the girls she’d worked with, heard the worry in their voices.
Kayla drew in a deep breath. Panicking over what could happen wasn’t going to get her out of here. She needed to make a plan. Needed to figure out where she was and how to get out. She estimated they’d driven at least forty-five minutes, maybe an hour. Enough time to take them outside the city and into the surrounding countryside. They’d pulled her and Levi out of the vehicle, still blindfolded. He’d held on to her for as long as he could, until someone had pulled them apart. After that...all she knew was that she’d felt so tired and must have eventually fallen asleep.
Levi had tried to fight back, but she had no idea if he’d been injured...or even if he was still alive, for that matter. She shook off the thought, trying not to think about a worst-case scenario. Because while her connection to Levi’s family might have ended a long time ago, the thought of anything happening to him terrified her. And all she knew for sure was that she wished he was here with her right now. Since his unexpected arrival, he’d somehow become the quiet shelter in the storm. The steady rock holding her in place.
Not that she had any romantic feelings toward him. Not at all. Levi was nothing more than a familiar face. Someone from back home who had brought with him a pile of memories she wanted to forget. She’d almost become a part of his family once, and it hadn’t ended well. There was no way she was going to fall for the older brother. Their intertwined past was simply too complicated.
She pushed aside the distracting thoughts, focusing instead on freeing herself from the blindfold. Thirty seconds later it finally slipped from her face, allowing her to see the sunlight streaming in from a window. She closed her eyes for a moment, then let them slowly adjust to the brightness.
The blindfold off, Kayla moved on to try to release the cords tightly binding her hands while she studied the large room for a clue as to where she was. The walls of the chilly room needed a fresh coat of paint, and there were sheets covering the sparse furniture. She didn’t know much about architecture, but she had visited several stunning country estates outside Amsterdam. And from the surface, this room seemed similar in construction, with its tall ceiling and crown molding. Many of the estates surrounding the city had been built centuries ago as coveted destinations for relaxing in the country with their gardens and stunning architectural details. But this structure felt more like a prison than a place for an afternoon getaway.
Kayla turned her head as footsteps sounded outside the room. Her heart raced as the door creaked open to her left. She turned her head, and the fear that had been her companion over the last twenty-four hours escalated another notch as a tall figure stepped inside the room, his icy stare slicing right through her.
“You had to do this the hard way, didn’t you?” he said hovering above her.
Kayla tried to swallow the fear. “Who are you?”
“That doesn’t matter. What did you tell them?”
“Tell who?”
“The police.” His frown deepened. “Because as I remember, you were told very explicitly not to talk with the police.”
She shook her head. “I didn’t tell them anything. We went to the morgue. That was all.”
“Why?”
“To identify a body.”
“And you expect me to believe that you or your boyfriend didn’t happen to mention that someone has your father?”
She wanted to argue that Levi wasn’t her boyfriend, but it didn’t matter. She had a feeling he wasn’t going to believe anything she said. She glanced at the door that was still open a crack, looking for escape, but at the moment there was clearly no way out.
“I received a call from a contact,” she attempted to explain. “He asked to meet me at the morgue, so I did.”
“Why?”
“He thought I might know who the girl was.”
The man took a step back at her statement. “You thought it was Mercy.”
She nodded, catching a flash of concern in the man’s eyes.
He dropped his hands to his sides. “Was it her?”
“No.”
Whatever had struck a nerve with the man a moment before had now vanished. A second man stepped into the doorway, then started speaking rapidly in a foreign language and motioned for him to step outside.
“I’ll be back.”
She tried to stop the panic as the two men argued about something in the hallway. Something was off. The look she’d caught in his eye when she’d told him why she was at the morgue. That split second of fear. Could he truly be concerned about Mercy? She had to have just imagined any hint of concern. Because something had propelled him to not only take her father, but now her and Levi. Was there something beyond a financial desire to take back his source of income?
The sound of heavy boots on the scuffed wooden floor pulled her from her thoughts once again. Both men now stood in front of her.
“I’m assuming you know why you’re here?” the first man asked her, his voice laced with irritation.
She didn’t answer the question immediately, taking time instead to study the men. From the language they’d been speaking, she guessed they were from Eastern Europe. Both had olive skin, square jaws and high cheekbones, and they looked similar enough to pass as brothers.
“You gave me twenty-four hours to find Mercy,” she finally answered.
“Without going to the police.”
“And I said I didn’t.”
He leaned in toward her. “You think this is a game?”
“Hardly. But if that’s true, then tell me what you want with her. You’ve got a dozen girls who will take her place. Why not just leave her alone?”
“I don’t remember asking your opinion. What I asked you to do is find her. Where is she?”
“I don’t know. I need more time.”
“Because your father’s running out of time.”
“Where is he? And Levi? Please tell me they’re okay.”
“They’re both fine. For now. And I have some extra insurance if I need it. Levi Sinclair Cummings, CEO of an American manufacturing company, has to be worth a large chunk of cash—at least a couple million.”
“So now you’re into the kidnapping and ransom business?”
“I told you this was a bad idea.” The other man said.
“Call it payback. Your little non-profit has done enough damage to my business.”
“It’s not a business, what you do,” Kayla retorted. “It’s human trafficking. These girls don’t choose to work for you.”
“Which really isn’t any of your business. So here’s the bottom line. Where is Mercy? Because I think you’re lying to me, which isn’t going to fare well for your father. Mercy trusts you. She’s not going to just run away from the one person who she believes can help her.”
Like she ran away from you?
“Here’s what I think happened,” he continued, his face now red with anger. “She knew I wanted her back, so now you’ve got her hidden in some little village along the sea, or maybe in some house in the country. But where she is really doesn’t matter. I not only have you, but I have your father and now Levi. If you don’t tell me where she is, I won’t hesitate to kill both of them.”
She turned her head away, fighting back the tears. Even if she did know where Mercy was, she couldn’t just hand her over to this man. Not only were there no guarantees that they would let her father and Levi go, she knew without any doubts that Mercy would be caught in the cross fire.
There’s no way out of this, God. I have no idea what to do.
It was like choosing whom to save. And if they happened to find Mercy before she did, she would no longer have the leverage she needed to keep any of them alive.
“You seem to have all the bases covered.” She didn’t try to hold back the anger in her voice.
“I always do.”
Maybe, but one day she was going to ensure his entire operation was taken down.
“One more thing.” Her abductor took a step back. A wicked smile crossed his face. “In case you’re hesitating on doing what I say. About that girl you saw in the morgue tonight.”
“I said it wasn’t Mercy.”
“I know that now. I just didn’t expect them to find her so...quickly.”
“She was one of your girls,” Kayla said, feeling numb.
“She’s not the only one who might end up in the canal. Just remember that. You hand over Mercy and no one dies—including Mercy. But cross me and both you and your friend will end up dead. Which means you better cooperate. And for starters, there’s something you’re going to do for me.”
* * *
Levi opened his eyes with a start. His vision blurred as he stared above him at the cracks in the ceiling, trying to figure out where he was. He started to sit up, then winced at the sharp pain in the back of his head. Jaw stiffened, he lay back down on the hard flooring. From the curtainless window to his left, he could tell that the sun was already up, but he had no idea how long he’d been asleep.
The last thing he remembered was trying to fight off two armed men who’d attacked them after they got off the tram. An attack that obviously ended with a blow to his head. He started to reach up to feel his head, but his hands felt heavy. Weighted. Confusion hung over him for a minute, until he realized why he couldn’t move. Both his hands and feet were tied.
He let out a deep sigh. There was no way to know at this point whether or not he had a concussion. All he did know was that the top of his head pounded and his entire body felt as if he had been in a fight. Which, from the snippets he could remember, he had been.
He weighed his limited options. The only way he was going to find Kayla was if he managed to get out of the room before the men came back for him. Which he knew they would eventually. Rolling over onto his side, Levi ignored the pain as he sat up so he could maneuver his arms beneath his body. Once his hands were in front of him, he started tugging on the thin cord with his teeth. His frustration mounted as he tried to work through the night’s events in order to figure out where they might have brought him.
He shivered as he worked to loosen the cords. The temperature had continued to drop outside, filling the room with a cold draft. How had this happened? He’d come here to protect Kayla, and yet no matter how hard he’d fought, it hadn’t been enough to stop their attackers and keep her safe. Fear seeped through him, bringing with it a wave of nausea. He’d come to Amsterdam to protect her, and now he didn’t even know where she was.
I need Your help, God. I have to get out of here and find her.
The light from the window was just enough for him to make out the shadows of the room, empty except for a few pieces of old furniture and a couple of rugs. The crown molding and remnants of gold wallpaper told a different story, though, giving a hint to what the room might have once looked like.
Still working to loosen the cords, he tried to picture the map of Amsterdam and the surrounding area that he’d studied on the plane. To the east of the city was water, and to the west, past Haarlem, was water as well. His mom had given him a list of day trips that he could take outside Amsterdam, assuming his trip was work related and he would want to see some of the countryside.
There were iconic windmills built to keep the country from flooding, tulip fields ready to bloom after winter was over, cheese markets and dozens of scenic places to bike alongside canals and eat fresh waffles. The in-flight magazine he’d thumbed through on his way here had talked about how rich merchants used to leave Amsterdam for extravagant estates built along the banks of the Rivers Amstel and Vecht in the summertime. And while this place might not be quite as grand, by the architecture he could tell it was both old and large. Which meant they had to be some distance from the city.
He shivered again. Instead of loosening the binding, he had somehow made it tighter, the ropes digging into his wrists, making his skin raw. He ignored the pain, focusing instead on the question that continued to trouble him. Why had they changed their mind from giving Kayla twenty-four hours to find Mercy, to grabbing them off the street? Something must have happened to prompt them to change the rules of the game.
But what?
His mind snapped back to the morgue where they’d gone to identify Jane Doe. The only thing that made sense was that their abductors had seen them go into the morgue, convincing them they were working with the police. Which had him worried. If these men were as dangerous as Kayla said they were—which he believed—they wouldn’t hesitate to kill anyone who got in their way. Which also meant that at this point, more than likely both he and Max were simply pawns in this drama. Expendable pawns that at some point in the near future they would eliminate.
But despite the urgency of the situation, it was the image of Kayla that currently hovered the closest to the forefront of his mind. Because there was no use denying it. Seeing her again had opened up a flood of emotions he hadn’t expected to feel. He thought he’d left behind any boyhood crushes years ago, burying them completely. And yet walking back into her life after all these years had only gone to prove that those feelings were far from dead. There was something about her that made him want to tell her he’d always cared about her. That seeing her again had made him want to turn back time to the day he’d blown any chance with her. That had always been his one regret. The one moment in time he’d never been able to erase.
The thought caught him off guard. It was ridiculous, really. How could he have feelings for a woman he didn’t really know anymore? He hadn’t seen her for almost two years, and even then he hadn’t really spent any time with her. Neither of them were who they’d been when they were kids. Besides, things could never work out between them. It simply wasn’t possible. She’d once planned on marrying his brother, and it didn’t really matter that she didn’t have feelings for Adam anymore. He wasn’t falling for her again. Not after all these years. He could think of a dozen reasons why it was a bad idea.
Wasn’t it?
The cords around his wrists finally loosened a quarter of an inch. Would he have flown halfway around the world for someone he didn’t have feelings for? He tugged harder on one of the cords. The answer to the question seemed obvious. He’d always had a strong sense of duty. A need to fight for justice. But as true as that might be, that wasn’t the entire truth. Because no matter how hard he tried to fight it, he’d never completely lost the feelings he’d always had for Kayla.
It was the reason he’d felt he had to protect her from his brother. The reason he’d come to Amsterdam in the first place. He just hadn’t realized who the enemy was or what lengths they’d go to get what they wanted. But none of that really mattered at the moment. What mattered right now was finding a way to get loose so he could find Kayla.
A minute later, the cords around his wrists slackened and fell off. Another minute and the cord around his feet was off. Levi slowly stretched out his legs, then stood up, before going to the window. The property was clearly large, even from his limited vantage point. He could see a row of trees about a hundred feet from the house, and beyond that, a tall fence. Movement to the left shifted his attention. A couple of German shepherds roamed the property. Great. But he couldn’t worry about that right now. He was going to have to tackle one problem at a time. Which meant his immediate priority was finding Kayla without getting caught.
Rubbing the raw patch on his skin, he headed for the door. The handle wouldn’t budge. There had to be a way out. He started pulling open the drawers of the dresser to see if there was anything he could use. He stopped at the bottom drawer, which was filled with a bunch of miscellaneous junk, and dug through the contents. A few photographs, a pile of old newspaper, some coins and a handful of bobby pins...
Bingo.
Grabbing two of the pins, he headed back to the locked door. Using one of the pins as a tension wrench and the second as a pick, he started working the lock, thankful—not for the first time—for his military tactical training. All he had to do right now was find a way out of the room and save Kayla. He’d worry about Mercy and Kayla’s father next.
Shouts from outside the room interrupted his concentration. Levi frowned, unsure if it was the same two men from earlier. Either way, the urgency of getting out of the room was growing. Clearly he wasn’t the only person in the house. He felt the plug move and gently applied more force to the tension wrench.
Two minutes later, the door creaked open, and Levi stepped into the darkened hallway. He listened for the sound of voices but didn’t hear anything anymore. He was going to move ahead with the assumption that Kayla was in this house, and more than likely Max was here as well. Because Kayla’s life was in danger and he was running out of time.