Page 26 of Silver Sinner

I race after it out of the parking lot and into the street, where it melts into the darkness and becomes only two red lights that flash once and then vanish.

"Maddie!"

Nothing. My scream echoes around me like the air shares my pain and I stand there, frozen, for half a second. Then I'm running back into the parking lot where my abandoned purse rests on the ground under the floodlight.

Police. I have to call the police!

Falling to my knees, I grab my purse and struggle to remember my own license plate while digging through my belongings for my phone.

Something sharp catches on the edge of my thumb, but the pain doesn't register as I pull out my phone and stare down.

Broken.

The screen’s smashed, cracks criss-crossing from left to right, and it fails to light up as I tap the screen.

Horror grips me, as if my own ribs have become a crushing cage around my pounding heart. Then, blood drips down onto the screen.

Blood?

I'm bleeding?

As I stare down, a shadow falls over me from behind, and I flinch, suddenly fearing that those people have returned to finish the job.

As I turn, strong hands suddenly clasp my shoulder and I don't need to stand to find myself face to face with a pair of familiar, deeply concerned blue eyes.

"Layla?" Pierce's voice rumbles toward me like a curl of thunder. "Layla, what happened?"

"My baby," I gasp and the tears flood my eyes. "Th-they took my baby! She w-was in the backseat! Oh God, oh God!"

8

PIERCE

The tears trigger sobs and within seconds, Layla's sobbing so hard that she can barely get any air past her lips.

Blood trickles down from a cut on her brow and anger unlike anything I've ever felt before nestles in my chest like a lump.

"Layla."

She gasps and chokes, clutching at me with both hands.

"Layla."

A heartbroken wail rips past her and she collapses into my chest, sobbing like she's about to fall apart.

Beside me, Moses stares down at his phone and gives a single, subtle shake of his head.

The shadow I had Moses place on Layla was in the process of tailing the stolen vehicle, but the shake of Moses's head brings me the bad news that they lost it.

Surprising, given the difference in vehicles, but I don't have time to focus on that now.

"Layla, come with me." Keeping one arm around her, I grasp her elbow and very slowly coax her to her feet.

"Maddie's in the car," she wails between gasps. "I-I tried to—I tried—oh my God." Each word strangles out of her as if they're clawing at her throat, determined not to reach anyone's ears. As she stumbles forward, I dip down and scoop her into my arms, bridal style. Time is of the essence, and I'll be as gentle as I can, but I need information.

Moses runs ahead and opens the door of our haphazardly parked car, allowing me to slip inside and place Layla down in the back seat. She locks one hand around my wrist, refusing to let up for even a second as I sit next to her.

"Layla, I need you to tell me what happened."