Page 39 of Come Alive
But now the question remained… What would he do to me now that he had me again?
Chapter 24
Mateo
Mateo carried the wriggling body down the concrete steps further and further under the church. It was not the first person he had brought down here and he imagined it wouldn’t be the last.
But this one was different. This one had information that he had a vested interest in.
Yara was still missing. She disappeared without a trace, and it had been days with zero indication of where she had been taken. He had already gone more than half insane.
“Hang her over here.” Emilio stepped out of the shadows, helping with the prisoner.
His second in command, Logan, came up from behind Emilio, inclining his head in greeting.
Mateo owed the man for his meeting of Yara. After all, he was only sent because Logan was busy handling the issues here. But Mateo didn’t plan on ever expressing his gratitude.
“Let me go!” the woman shrieked as Mateo flipped her upside down, securing her bound ankles to the hook that hung from the ceiling.
“Hallie,” Mateo advised, stepping back from the woman as she jerked about.
Steve’s adopted daughter. Izzy’s stepsister.
They were hopeful she held the answers to why Steve possibly wanted Yara, what their connection was.
“You should leave. You being here will do no good. I will question her as agreed, but you have to keep your promise too after this.” Emilio raised an eyebrow in challenge.
Mateo knew he couldn’t interrogate Hallie, he was too emotionally invested in the answers she held.
Mateo breathed in a few times. In and out. It did nothing to assuage the anguish that threatened to digest him. He was finding it harder and harder to speak the longer Yara was missing. “Florida.” He inclined his head.
He and Kazi agreed that, in exchange for Emilio’s help, they would stay in Florida. That they would be on call when he needed, but Yara would always come first.
He didn’t like it, didn’t want to owe Emilio anything, but he and Kazi recognized it was for the best. They didn’t have the resources to track Yara down, and he knew the longer she was gone the less likely they would find her…alive.
He slammed shut that line of thought, marching back towards the steps, with the intent of meeting back up with Kazi and continuing their pursuit on the ground. Steve owned property all across the city, but Mateo was dogmatic and would just search them all.
Hallie continued to scream behind him, her voice shrill in his ears, but even still, Emilio’s words sliced through it.
“There’s a reason he brought James here.Figure it out.”
Mateo didn’t acknowledge him as he stomped up the stairs, but his mind was made up. James would be joining their search whether he wanted to or not.
Chapter 25
Yara
Finding my way around the room I was confined to, I located a bathroom and carefully shed my clothes, stepping into the shower. I couldn’t see it, but it was clear the broken mirror had cut into my back, which was further evidenced by the red tint of the water going down the drain, the stinging sensation scattering across my nerves. I couldn’t exactly bandage my back, but I could at least clean the wounds. Even still, the pain was excruciating, nearly bringing me to my knees, but I endured it. Staying in the shower until the water turned clear.
That has to be a good sign.
Finishing up, I carefully wrapped a towel around myself, wincing at the contact. My clothes on the floor were ruined, but making my way back to the bedroom, I found a cotton shirt and shorts. Tugging those on, I settled into the bed, wrapping my arms around my legs.
I could already see the bruises forming on my legs and arms from where I was kicked and manhandled. I didn’t even want to think about the scars that would form on my back.
More deformities.
Myfatherwas leaving me alone for now, but how much longer?
