I pulled out my cell phone and dialed Levi. “I’m in the warehouse district, on Tchoupitoulas Street. It’s directly across from some church. Come now.”
“Are you okay? What happened?” He sounded panicked. He knew I was missing.
“Just get here now.”
“On my way.”
I hung up. I hoped the effect wouldn’t wear off too soon. I had no plan B.
“They’ll never believe you,” Bryant snarled.
“Shut up.” Levi would believe me. If I didn’t trust in that, I was really in trouble.
Minutes later, the door barged open and Levi, Jared, and Jett Florence walked in.
“What the hell are you doing?” Jett moved toward me, but Levi and Jared were faster. Jared covered my hand with his, easing mine out so he could take over.
“He kidnapped me. He was going to give me to the Blackwells.” I decided to leave out the other option he’d offered.
“Bullshit. The bitch is lying,” Bryant snapped.
“I am not. Why else would I be here?”
“I never gave you permission to go near her. What the hell are you doing with her, Bryant?” Levi’s eyes were solid black. He was ready to attack.
“Bryant, this has to be a misunderstanding. What’s really happening?” Jett watched his son with a look of desperation.
“Other than the fact that Levi’s mate was about to f**k me to avoid going to the Blackwells, not much has been happening.”
Levi punched Bryant in the face. Blood oozed out of his nose.
I could taste bile. “You know it was an act. I had to get to your wings.”
“How the hell did you learn to do that?” Bryant sneered.
I glanced at Jared. He nodded. “You needed that sooner than I expected.”
“Are you really working with the Blackwells?” Jett had his head in his hands.
“Don’t look so surprised.”
Jett shook his head and made a call.
Evidently, punching Bryant had calmed Levi down, because he was suddenly at my side. “I’m sorry I let this happen. I thought you were still in the safe room.”
“I just wish I hadn’t been stupid enough to go with him.”
“Why was it stupid? You knew he was Jared’s brother.”
“Yeah, but something felt off. You wouldn’t have arranged for me to leave like that without saying goodbye.”
“I’m glad you realize that, but there’s no reason to feel stupid. But for future reference, no one but me, Owen, Jared, or Hailey is taking you anywhere.”
“Did you really catch Martin?”
“Yes. We were interrogating him this morning. That’s the only reason I left. I’d just discovered you were missing when you called.”
Two men entered the warehouse. They bound Bryant, freeing Jared from his position at his back.
“What are they going to do with him?”
Levi ran his hand through my hair. He always found ways to touch me. “Interrogate him. We need to figure out what he was planning and how he ties to Martin. I thought they hadn’t spoken in years, but this can’t be a coincidence.”
“Can we go home now?”
“Sure, but I want to stay with you for a while. You’ve been hurt way too much in twenty four hours.”
“I wasn’t hurt.” Even as I said it, I rubbed my wrist.
Levi picked up my wrist and kissed it. Sometimes he surprised me with his sweet side.
“Nice job incapacitating him, by the way.” He watched me intently.
“Don’t get mad at Jared. It wasn’t his fault.”
Levi’s lips curled up into a smile. “I knew.”
“You knew?”
“You didn’t really think I would have kept the truth from him, did you?” Jared appeared beside me.
“You acted like it. You made it sound like you were afraid of Levi finding out.”
Levi held me tightly against his side. “I actually thought it was a good idea. I just didn’t get why you didn’t ask me.”
“You’re not mad, are you?”
“No. I’m just glad you asked someone who could teach you well.”
“Yeah, he is a pretty good teacher.”
Levi laced his fingers with mine. “Any chance I can take over the lessons now?”
I thought it over for a second. Maybe it was for the best. “Can you both train me?”
Levi laughed. “You’re really serious about this, huh?”
“Considering what just happened, I don’t see why you’re laughing.”
“You’re amazing, Al. That’s all.” He ran a hand down my back.
“So what about taking me home?”
“Absolutely, but I’ll have to borrow a car. I obviously flew.” There was no other way they could have made it so fast.
“Take Bryant’s car. He won’t be needing it.” Jared tossed a set of keys to Levi.
As much as I didn’t want to get back in that car, I wanted to go home.
“All right, let’s get out of here.”
Chapter Sixteen
“Are you okay?” Hailey was waiting for me when Levi parked.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” I tried to smile at her reassuringly.
She hugged me. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t with you.”
“Where were you, Hailey? Did you take Anne back?” Levi asked.
“Yes.” Hailey avoided his eyes when she answered.
“Okay.” Levi looked skeptical, but he didn’t push it. “Let’s get Allie upstairs.”
“I’m fine. You can go.”
“Not a chance. I already told you I’m staying for awhile. You might have a delayed shock.” He put an arm around me as we walked toward my dorm.
“I’m not in shock. I think I’m starting to get used to getting kidnapped.”
He stiffened. “That isn’t funny.”
“I wasn’t joking.” I didn’t want to upset him, but the truth was that he put me in danger the moment he decided to give me the ring.
On Levi’s insistence, we took the elevator. It was that or let him carry me upstairs. It was with relief that I collapsed on my bed. Levi nudged me over so he could lie next to me. At least he took his shoes off first.
“Ugh, I forget how uncomfortable these beds are.”
“You don’t have to sleep on it, so it’s not an issue.”
“You don’t either.” He touched my cheek.
“Yes I do.” I sat up on an elbow so I could see Hailey over Levi. “How’s Anne? Have you heard anything about Tiffany?”
“Are you okay? What happened?” He sounded panicked. He knew I was missing.
“Just get here now.”
“On my way.”
I hung up. I hoped the effect wouldn’t wear off too soon. I had no plan B.
“They’ll never believe you,” Bryant snarled.
“Shut up.” Levi would believe me. If I didn’t trust in that, I was really in trouble.
Minutes later, the door barged open and Levi, Jared, and Jett Florence walked in.
“What the hell are you doing?” Jett moved toward me, but Levi and Jared were faster. Jared covered my hand with his, easing mine out so he could take over.
“He kidnapped me. He was going to give me to the Blackwells.” I decided to leave out the other option he’d offered.
“Bullshit. The bitch is lying,” Bryant snapped.
“I am not. Why else would I be here?”
“I never gave you permission to go near her. What the hell are you doing with her, Bryant?” Levi’s eyes were solid black. He was ready to attack.
“Bryant, this has to be a misunderstanding. What’s really happening?” Jett watched his son with a look of desperation.
“Other than the fact that Levi’s mate was about to f**k me to avoid going to the Blackwells, not much has been happening.”
Levi punched Bryant in the face. Blood oozed out of his nose.
I could taste bile. “You know it was an act. I had to get to your wings.”
“How the hell did you learn to do that?” Bryant sneered.
I glanced at Jared. He nodded. “You needed that sooner than I expected.”
“Are you really working with the Blackwells?” Jett had his head in his hands.
“Don’t look so surprised.”
Jett shook his head and made a call.
Evidently, punching Bryant had calmed Levi down, because he was suddenly at my side. “I’m sorry I let this happen. I thought you were still in the safe room.”
“I just wish I hadn’t been stupid enough to go with him.”
“Why was it stupid? You knew he was Jared’s brother.”
“Yeah, but something felt off. You wouldn’t have arranged for me to leave like that without saying goodbye.”
“I’m glad you realize that, but there’s no reason to feel stupid. But for future reference, no one but me, Owen, Jared, or Hailey is taking you anywhere.”
“Did you really catch Martin?”
“Yes. We were interrogating him this morning. That’s the only reason I left. I’d just discovered you were missing when you called.”
Two men entered the warehouse. They bound Bryant, freeing Jared from his position at his back.
“What are they going to do with him?”
Levi ran his hand through my hair. He always found ways to touch me. “Interrogate him. We need to figure out what he was planning and how he ties to Martin. I thought they hadn’t spoken in years, but this can’t be a coincidence.”
“Can we go home now?”
“Sure, but I want to stay with you for a while. You’ve been hurt way too much in twenty four hours.”
“I wasn’t hurt.” Even as I said it, I rubbed my wrist.
Levi picked up my wrist and kissed it. Sometimes he surprised me with his sweet side.
“Nice job incapacitating him, by the way.” He watched me intently.
“Don’t get mad at Jared. It wasn’t his fault.”
Levi’s lips curled up into a smile. “I knew.”
“You knew?”
“You didn’t really think I would have kept the truth from him, did you?” Jared appeared beside me.
“You acted like it. You made it sound like you were afraid of Levi finding out.”
Levi held me tightly against his side. “I actually thought it was a good idea. I just didn’t get why you didn’t ask me.”
“You’re not mad, are you?”
“No. I’m just glad you asked someone who could teach you well.”
“Yeah, he is a pretty good teacher.”
Levi laced his fingers with mine. “Any chance I can take over the lessons now?”
I thought it over for a second. Maybe it was for the best. “Can you both train me?”
Levi laughed. “You’re really serious about this, huh?”
“Considering what just happened, I don’t see why you’re laughing.”
“You’re amazing, Al. That’s all.” He ran a hand down my back.
“So what about taking me home?”
“Absolutely, but I’ll have to borrow a car. I obviously flew.” There was no other way they could have made it so fast.
“Take Bryant’s car. He won’t be needing it.” Jared tossed a set of keys to Levi.
As much as I didn’t want to get back in that car, I wanted to go home.
“All right, let’s get out of here.”
Chapter Sixteen
“Are you okay?” Hailey was waiting for me when Levi parked.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” I tried to smile at her reassuringly.
She hugged me. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t with you.”
“Where were you, Hailey? Did you take Anne back?” Levi asked.
“Yes.” Hailey avoided his eyes when she answered.
“Okay.” Levi looked skeptical, but he didn’t push it. “Let’s get Allie upstairs.”
“I’m fine. You can go.”
“Not a chance. I already told you I’m staying for awhile. You might have a delayed shock.” He put an arm around me as we walked toward my dorm.
“I’m not in shock. I think I’m starting to get used to getting kidnapped.”
He stiffened. “That isn’t funny.”
“I wasn’t joking.” I didn’t want to upset him, but the truth was that he put me in danger the moment he decided to give me the ring.
On Levi’s insistence, we took the elevator. It was that or let him carry me upstairs. It was with relief that I collapsed on my bed. Levi nudged me over so he could lie next to me. At least he took his shoes off first.
“Ugh, I forget how uncomfortable these beds are.”
“You don’t have to sleep on it, so it’s not an issue.”
“You don’t either.” He touched my cheek.
“Yes I do.” I sat up on an elbow so I could see Hailey over Levi. “How’s Anne? Have you heard anything about Tiffany?”
