Page 116 of The Scarab's Game

Oh shit, it was Enzo! The one Emmett said was behind his beatings.

“Don’t hurt her,” Noah said, his tone carrying a warning.

Do. Not. Freeze.

I sucked in a deep breath and screamed with all the power in my lungs.

But Enzo’s hand clamped over my mouth, his grip painful. He growled, “No noise, bellissima, or I’ll have to ignore Noah’s suggestion.”

I whimpered against his palm, my eyes darting wildly between Enzo and Noah. How was this happening?

Enzo dropped me onto a padded U-shaped bench at the back of the boat.

I scrambled to sit up, my hands gripping the edge of the seat as if it could somehow anchor me to safety.

“Do they know we have her?” Enzo asked Noah, who was climbing into the boat.

Who werethey? Emmett? The police?

“They’ll figure it out soon enough.” Noah scanned the horizon before pointing at a set of lights moving in our direction from the port. “I stand corrected. I suspect that’s theirs.”

My pulse quickened. Was it Emmett coming to rescue me? No, he wouldn’t have been able to get out of the Casino so fast. Was it a coincidence? Had he called the police? Surely they’d have flashing lights or something, wouldn’t they?

Noah extended his hand toward Enzo. “Give me one of your guns.”

My internal panic reached a fever pitch. This was real. This was happening. I was being kidnapped by armed men. Why? Where were they taking me?

I huddled on the bench, trying to make myself as small as possible. My mind raced. The fake painting. Dante’s evasiveness.Emmett’s warnings. Noah’s cryptic messages. How had I ended up here?

Noah closed in on me, shoving my head from one side to the other, looking at my ears. Patted me down. Breasts, thighs, everything.

“Don’t touch me!” I swatted at his hand, but he snatched mine.

“She’s clear—no surveillance.” Noah’s voice was devoid of the warmth I once knew. He released my arm. “Let’s go. If the boat closes any distance, I’ll need you to threaten her. They won’t believe me.”

I pulled my legs up to my chest and stared at Noah. What had happened to him? Upstairs, he’d been like his old self—right until he grabbed me. And now? Had he killed the guards? No, he hadn’t had a gun when we left. But Enzo… my eyes darted to the scarred man. It must have been him.

Enzo sat at the helm, turned up the engines, and slowly maneuvered us backward from the dock. When we were only ten feet away, Enzo began to turn the boat, until a loud noise caught everyone’s attention.

The door flew open and slammed against the wall as Emmett charged through. “Jenn!”

Enzo cut the engine.

Hope surged inside me. Emmett had come for me! He cared. He was here to save me.

But he stopped suddenly, extending a hand as if he’d lost his balance.

“Emmett!” I cried.

He didn’t look at me. His gaze was fixed on Enzo.

And Enzo did exactly what Noah had asked him to—he pulled out his gun and walked toward me, his movements slow and deliberate. As he approached, I shrank back against the bench.

Why wasn’t Emmett doing anything?

Was he really just a con man? Had his feelings for me been nothing but pretend? Another part of some elaborate game?

I searched Emmett’s face for answers but found only fear and indecision. He wasn’t coming to rescue me.

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