Page 50 of Untamed Heart

“You hang up on me, you stupid bitch, and you’ll never see that biker trash’s daughter again.”

My whole body froze at that threat. “W-what are you talking about?” I asked in a hushed voice, terror clutching my throat and making it difficult to breathe.

“I have that little brat. If you want to see her alive, you’ll do exactly as I say.”

“I-I don’t believe you.”

A handful of seconds later my phone pinged with an incoming message from the same unknown number, and when Iopened it, I nearly dropped the phone. It was a picture of Cassi. She had a gag tied around her head and had been taped to a chair. And the look on her face was one of horror.

I was going to kill him. That asshole tookmygirl. He tied her up and scared her, and for that alone, he was going to pay.

“What the hell do you want? Why are you doing this?” I demanded. “I left. I’ve been gone for months, and this is the first I’m hearing from you.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, Koty.”God,I hated that fucking nickname. “I’ve been following you for months. I knew as soon as you started spreading your legs for that biker trash. I knew when you and your dear old dad mended fences. I’ve been there every step of the way. Didn’t you get my pictures?”

His voice suddenly sounded like it was coming from underwater as my vision started to close in around the edges.

Those creepy photographs. Those messages.I see you. They had been him this whole time.

God, how had I been so wrong?

“What do you want?” I asked, hardening my voice so he wouldn’t hear the terror that was squeezing my heart like a vise.

“What do you think I want? I want what belongs to me.” That was all I’d ever been to him. An object he thought he owned. “I’m about to text directions to somewhere. You want to keep this feral little animal safe, you’ll be there in half an hour. Oh, and Koty? Don’t even think about doing anything stupid, like calling that white-trash boyfriend of yours or any of his criminal friends to rush to save the day. You do that and I’ll kill her, I swear.”

I heard Cassi’s muffled cry of fear, and it nearly killed me.

“I’m coming,” I assured him quickly. “I’ll be there, and I’ll be alone. Just... just don’t hurt her. Please, Adam.”

“You always were so fucking weak. Half an hour, Dakota. Don’t make me wait.”

The directions Adam had texted led to an old, abandoned watch tower in the middle of the woods. I didn’t know how he managed to find this place or get his hands on Cassi, but I didn’t have time to think about any of that. I needed to make sure my girl was safe.

Shutting off the engine, I shoved the door open and climbed out, gently patting my back pocket to make sure the switchblade I’d taken from Roe was still tucked away. I wasn’t going to put Cassi at risk, but there wasn’t a chance in hell I was coming unarmed. The Dakota Adam used to know was scared all the time. She didn’t stick up for herself or fight back, so I knew without a doubt he wouldn’t expect me to have a weapon. That was the one advantage I had going for me. Adam underestimated me.

“Twenty-seven minutes. You’re really cutting it close.”

I looked up to the wrap-around balcony of the watch tower where Adam was standing, leaning against the railing like he didn’t kidnap an innocent girl earlier that day.

“I almost started to think you didn’t care about her.”

I gritted my teeth together to keep the words I wanted to scream at him at bay. I already knew he was capable of beating a much smaller woman, and he’d threatened to kill a child. I had to keep my anger in check or he was liable to do something stupid. “Where is she?”

“She’s up here.” He jerked his chin to the ladder that would take me up to where my girl was. “I hope you aren’t afraid of heights. That would be rather inconvenient at a time like this.”

I sent up a thank you to the universe that that wasn’t a fear I suffered from, then I started climbing. As soon as I got within reach, Adam reached down and wrapped his hand around my arm so tightly I cried out in pain. He jerked me up the last few rungs and shoved me through a glass door into the watch tower. The place was covered in dust, and from the debris littered around the place, it looked like this one had been decommissioned at least a decade earlier.

Cassi’s muffled shouts met my ears as soon as I entered, and I didn’t hesitate to run right for her. I wrapped my fingers around her gag and pulled it out of her mouth. “Oh baby. I’m sorry,” I said as I brushed at her tears before working at the tape on one of her wrists. “I’m so sorry. Did he hurt you?”

Cassi sniffled and shook her head, and I noticed her goggles and tiara were missing. I swore to myself that if I got us out of this mess, I’d buy her a dozen more. At least. “N-no. He didn’t hurt me, but he scared me a lot.”

Yep. He was so fucking dead. He didn’t know it yet. “I’m here now, baby. And I won’t let anything happen to you.”

“Well isn’t this the most touching scene ever,” Adam said snidely as he moved closer to us. At his movement, I stopped pulling at Cassi’s tape, hoping I loosened it enough that she could get that one hand free and start working on other while I did my best to distract the psychopath I used to be in a relationship with.

Everything in me screamed to protect Cassi with my life, and that was exactly what I intended to do. Standing tall, I put myself between her and Adam, making sure to keep his focus on me. My little star was resourceful as hell. She’d figure out what I did with the tape and get herself out of that chair.

“Why are you doing this, Adam? If you wanted me, why not come for me, huh? Why involve an innocent child?”