Page 57 of Healer’s Betrayal

“Wait, can we just go back a minute,” Ava says and turns fully to Raechel. “Um, you’re pregnant. Congratulations!” They hug a moment. “We’re pregnant at the same time! How cool is that.”

Raechel gives her a wry grin. “I don’t really look it or feel it, but I really am happy. Max and I have been trying for a while.”

“Aw, Raechel that’s so great.”

Raechel takes a breath and then gags. “Those onions! Seriously!”

“I have to go to the bathroom.” I stand up and grab the leftover trash and take it out of the room and then stride towards the women’s bathroom. Hopefully, the men have found a new place to congregate. My mind is so full, it feels close to breaking. I think of Noah somewhere without me, scared, and my mind goes into overdrive. I put aside my own fear and uncertainty with everything that went down and request an Uber. I’m going to go find him. I hear voices and turn into a seating area where Bryce, Max, Ransom, and Jackson are all gathered. There’s an intensity to the voices that leads me to believe they’re still going at it. I notice instantly that Max and Jackson are both now wearing black sweatpants and black t-shirts that look a size or two small, especially on Max. Jackson strides over to me, and I can’t help it. I take a step back. He goes still. “Kayla.”

“I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m going to find my brother. Alone,” I add a moment later. Silence settles over the group of men. My nerves ratchet up a notch when Max approaches. I take another step back, and he clocks it with an intensity that scares me.

“Kayla,” Jackson says in a tight voice. “I won’t let anyone hurt you. Ever.”

I hear the earnestness in his voice, but I don’t want to deal with it right now. “I’m sorry,” Max says quietly. “I didn’t mean to scare you; I would never hurt you or any female.”

“I just want to find my brother. Alone.” I eye each of them. I turn away and walk from the room, making sure I have my phone and wallet in my pockets. Somehow, I still do.

“Kayla.” I recognize Jackson’s voice, but I don’t slow my stride. Somehow, he gets past me and stands in front of me. I try to go around him, but he moves with me. Frustration burns through me. “Get out of my way, Jackson. I need to find Noah. He’s out there scared and alone and—” I swallow down the emotion threatening to overwhelm me.

“Where are you going to go to find him?” he asks.

“I don’t know, but I do know we’ll never find him by just staying here doing nothing.” He finally moves. “Thank you.” I stride towards the hotel doors and throw them open. A quick glance at my phone shows that my Uber is here. I give him the address, and we’re off seconds later. I don’t see Jackson anywhere as we turn around and head back to my apartment building. Once I’m inside, I race upstairs and hurry to unlock the door. My hands are shaking so badly, it takes me three times to get the door opened. I finally get it and shove the door open. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t for everything to look exactly as I left it this morning. I take in Noah’s pajamas on the bathroom floor, his usual if I’m not here to tell him to pick them up. I see his unmade bed and look around for his tablet. Hope fills me for one blissful second, hope that we can track it. But it crashes just as quickly when I pull back his blanket and see it on his air mattress. I pick it up and hold it to my chest, fighting tears. I rub my hand over my face. I refuse to let them fall because I refuse to fall apart again when Noah needs me. I grab a bag and pack enough for me for a few days, and then I pack for Noah. He’ll need clothes when I find him; because make no mistake, I will find him.

Chapter 23

Kayla

I’m just about to stand to my feet when I feel something under his iPad. I turn it over and pull out the folded note shoved into the case. My breath snags in my chest, and my heart starts drumming a faster beat. I unfold it with shaky hands.

Willing to make a trade. You for your brother. Choose wisely, Healer.

I turn the note over, but there’s nothing else. I stand and look around the apartment. “Noah? Renee?” My phone rings, and I snag it from the table with shaky hands. Unkown number. “Hello.”

“Kayla.”

I recognize Renee’s voice instantly, and I grip my phone harder. “Where is he? I swear to—”

“Swearing won’t help your brother now, Kayla. If you want your brother to live, you need to listen to me very carefully.” I hardly dare to breathe. “The door at the left end of the hall is unlocked. Go through it, lock it behind you and come down the stairs. Right now before the wolves get here. If you bring them to me, Kayla, Noah dies.” Her mention of the wolves is jarring because she seems to know more than I do. I wonder how long she’s known.

I swallow and try to remember to breathe. “I won’t.”

“See that you don’t.”

I make the decision to leave my phone, knowing it’s probably a stupid decision. But if I get into the same room as Renee, there’s no way she’ll let me keep my phone. I hurry over to the door and peek out. When I don’t see anyone, I crack open the door. After I look out and don’t see anyone, I take off for the door at the end of the hall. I make sure one last time that no one is following before I open the door and close and lock it softly behind me. With my heart thundering in my chest, I make my way down the old wooden steps. When I get to the bottom, there’s another door; but this one is locked. I tap on it, and it opens after a moment. Somebody grabs my arm and pulls me forward. I nearly fall but somebody else yanks both my arms behind me, keeping me on my feet. I scan the room, desperately looking for Noah. I take in Renee sitting at a small table; I also take in the two other men in the room, not counting the person behind me. The person holding my arms pushes me forward, and I don’t resist. Somebody zip ties my wrists together and my legs to the chair once I'm seated and shoves my chair forward. It’s all done in the blink of an eye. I eye Renee with contempt. “Where is he?”

“I am in control here.” Her voice is sharp, and I barely recognize her. She looks at me with such coldness, it makes my blood chill. She nods, and I don’t understand until something sharp pricks my neck. I try to pull away, but the hold on my head is too strong.

“What did you do?” I ask Renee and try not to panic. “What was that? Where is Noah?” I strain against the ties holding me to the chair. She stands up, looks at something on her phone and then nods at one of the men.

“All right. We’re leaving now. Don’t worry; I’m sure we’ll be seeing you again really soon.”

There’s a knock on the door, and hope floods me. But when the door opens a moment later, the air is ripped from my lungs. Dark eyes filled with hatred find mine, and terror lights my entire body as I strain in earnest against the zip ties. I whip my head to Renee. “How could you?” The words are barely audible, mostly a whisper.

She shrugs. But for just a moment, her eyes meet mine. I see something there. Regret? It’s gone so fast, I wonder if I imagined it. “This will keep the wolves busy, allowing us time to get away. We’ll be back for you.”

Her words mean nothing to me. “Wait,” I call out desperately. “Where is Noah?” Nobody answers me, and I cry out in frustration. Faster than I can track, Renee and the others that were with her leave. And now I’m faced with a new threat.

“Hello, Kayla,” he says as he advances on me.