Page 120 of Scarlet Secrets

I come to an abrupt stop.

“What the…”

His bed’s empty. His mangy goat’s on the floor. I storm out. “Alina!”

She was with him last. When he woke as we left in a flurry to get to the hospital.

My sister comes running. “Demyan, what is it? Is Erin okay?”

“Where the fuck is my son?”

She starts to shake, turning white. “He’s in his room…”

Alina pushes past me and into his room and she lets out a high-pitched sound. Then she turns, tears on her face.

“Demyan, he was here. When you left, I got him quieted down. We had some warm milk and cookies, and then I took him back to his bed, tucked him in, and read to him. I stayed until he was asleep.”

“When?” Fury and fear battle inside me.

“An hour ago?”

“Someone was in here.”

“The men were moving about, but… but…” She bites her lip. “No one was on high alert.”

I turn and race down the stairs. Kidnapped. My boy’s been kidnapped.

When we got in, the gates were open and I didn’t pay attention. Fuck me, I thought it was a change in guard. But that happened at midnight, so probably before Erin collapsed.

Did someone sneak in? But fuck, I’ve got an army here. So…

I stop and look back up the stairs to where my sister grips the railing. “Why the fuck was the gate open?”

“There was a delivery. There usually is, Vitor said when I asked. Supplies for the house…”

I turn and continue down.

My stomach turns and I want to throw up. I grab my knife.

Then I call the gate. “Lock up.”

“We were waiting on word. Sometimes there’s another ship?—”

“Lock the fuck up. Did anyone come or go you didn’t recognize?”

“No.” The man’s voice shakes. “The delivery driver was new, but his credentials checked out.”

I hang up.

Close my eyes.

“New fucking driver.” Then I open them and look about.

I grab a guard by the throat and slam him against the wall. “How many came in the delivery truck?”

“Sir, I just finished unloading supplies. I came on at shift change and was out patrolling. When I got back, the supplies were piled in the kitchen…” He stops.

“Is that normal?”

---