Page 66 of The Sinners Touch

“He took her, Ron.”

“What?”

“The unsub, he took her. She’s gone.”

“Where are you?”

“Bella Luna.”

“I know where that is. We’re on our way. We’ll find her.”

But they wouldn’t. Kade knew this. They hadn’t found any of the others. What would make Angel any different?

His phone blared out his favorite Coldplay song. Viktor’s face flashed across the screen.

“Vik?”

“Jasper called. Nik and I are on our way. You okay?”

“She’s gone.” He felt the wetness on his face, knew he was crying, but it all felt unreal. She was just here, laughing and joking with them. It was his fault. He brought her out. To where the unsub could get to her. She’d wanted to go home, and he told her she was safe.

Lies.

He always lied to her.

He was the reason for every bad thing in her life.

His fault. This was his fault. She was gone because he couldn’t keep her safe. He slid down the wall, his legs giving out. What was he doing to her? Was she scared? Was she praying? Was she calling out for him?

The phone slipped from his hand.

What was he going to do without her? He’d just found her again.

And now she was gone.

Angel blinked, coming awake slowly. She winced when her head bounced, hitting something hard. She felt all fuzzy, and the world was moving. Her head bounced again, and she tried to sit up. That was when she realized her limbs were numb. She couldn’t move. Her eyes opened, and she saw the walls of a dirty, dingy room, the walls moving.

No, she was being dragged. Her legs were up in the air, two meaty hands gripping her ankles as he dragged her. He stopped a moment later, and she saw the bed and panicked.No, no, no. Her voice refused to work. All she could do was stare straight ahead and wait. She couldn’t even turn her head from side to side.

He moved around the room, and she heard a drawer open and shut. What was he doing?

When he moved back into view, he saw she was awake. “Hello, sleepyhead. I wondered when you’d wake up. You can’t move, I know. It’ll wear off in a few hours. The cocktail I shot you full of completely numbs your body.”

He slapped her ass hard. She heard the crack when his palm hit her flesh, but she felt nothing.

“See? You can’t feel a thing.” He picked her up and laid her on the bed. Then he started removing her clothes. Her shoes and socks first, then her jeans. He lifted her and took off her coat and her shirt. She was left in her bra and panties. Her red lacy set. She’d put them on, thinking maybe she’d tease Kade enough to touch her again.

“Beautiful.” She watched silently as he ran his hands along her body. “Such soft, beautiful skin. A gorgeous canvas. You and I are going to have so much fun, my angel.”

She shuddered. Even though she couldn’t feel his hands, she saw his fingers caressing her skin, squeezing her breasts. Then he slid her panties off and let them drop to the floor. He parted her thighs and cupped her. She closed her eyes, unwilling to watch.

“Uh, uh, my angel. Open those eyes of yours. No hiding from me.”

She kept her eyes closed. Even if he hurt her for disobeying him, she couldn’t feel it. No matter what he did right now, she could pretend she was back at the apartment, teasing Kade over his reaction to Nik’s closet. She could pretend this man’s hands were Kade’s.

“Open them!”

Kade laughing, the two of them strolling along the shore, talking about all the places they wanted to visit. Both of them talking to the baby late at night. The nugget. She smiled, remembering how happy they were that night. Kade whispering promises to her belly. Promises of the nugget’s very own supercharged stroller.

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