DEIDRE GARRETT
"What will you do with her?" asked Deidre. She glanced at the man standing next to her. He was tall. Lanky. Cold as the Arctic wind. Cute, but crazy, thought Deidre.
"It's not your concern, Miss Garrett."
He wore a charcoal grey Henley, dark denim jeans, and a well-worn leather jacket. His boots were black, scuffed from frequent use. He seemed to emit a "fuck off" vibe that affected people within a 3-meter radius.
Deidre shivered. Last night, he'd found her at the bar, where she'd gone to soak her sorrows in tequila, and offered her a deal she couldn't refuse. Money and Kellan. All he wanted was Aurora.
She hadn't expected the accident. Who would almost kill their target in order to kidnap them?
She stared out the floor-to-ceiling windows, which reflected the city lights, bright and shining against the night sky.
"I don't understand why Aurora Moon inspires such devotion. She's nothing special."
The man's gaze turned to her. His green eyes were as hard and cold as emeralds. "You're nothing special. She's more precious than you'll ever be." His expression suggested that she didn't even need to exist.
Fear pitted her stomach. She stepped away and lifted her hands. "Fine. You have your amazing Aurora."
"And you have Kellan. Remember our deal, Miss Garrett. For the next month, you keep him busy and prevent him from searching for Aurora. If he hasn't interfered with my plans to take her abroad in thirty days, you'll get double the amount promised."
"Understood."
He returned his gaze to the dazzling skyline. His icy expression reflected in the glass, and Deidre felt an uncontrollable shudder.
This man was dangerous. Maybe even more dangerous than Kellan Ward. All she had to do was convince Kellan that Aurora was dead and gone. With that bitch out of the way for good, Deirdre knew she could win Kellan's heart.
"Why haven't you left?"
His stonily delivered question had the same effect as hitting her with a cattle prod. Deirdre hurried out of the penthouse, her heart hammering and her palms sweating. She didn't take a breath until the elevator reached the lobby. She walked quickly out of the building and immediately hailed a taxi.
She was still unsure if Ryder Hamilton wanted to keep Aurora or kill her. In the end, it made no difference to Deidre. She'd been after Kellan Ward for the last seven years. An unrequited love. But now, with Aurora Moon out of the way, she could pursue Kellan more diligently
He would finally be hers.
***|***|***
KELLAN WARD
"She's not dead, sir," said Jingyu. "She disappeared."
Anguish filled Kellan's heart. "She ... she ran away again?"
"Master Ward, I don't think she left you. I think she was taken. You were put into one ambulance, and she was put into another one. They were both supposed to arrive at the Ward Private Hospital. But ... madam's ambulance disappeared."
Kellan felt his heart clutch in his chest. Whoever took her was courting death. "You've checked CCTV?"
"I've reached out to all of our contacts and allies. Information is incoming, but ... the vehicle enters a tunnel and never comes out the other side."
"Where are Aiden Cross and Ivy Crane?"
"We have them under surveillance, sir. Mr. Cross is still recovering from his injuries. Ivy seems to be keeping close to him. Harold and Sheila Crane haven't deviated from their usual routines. I don't think any of them are responsible for Madam Ward's disappearance."
Kellan yanked the IV out of his hand and whipped the coverlet off of him.
"Sir." Jingyu put a hand on Kellan's shoulder. "You just had surgery. You have to recover."
"I have to find my wife."
"Sir."
Jingyu had special privileges given to no other human being in this world. Only Aurora Moon's authority superceded Jingyu's. Kellan swallowed his anger and sat down heavily.
"I can't do nothing, Jingyu."
"If you don't recover your health, you will upset Madam Ward."
Kellan frowned. "You think Aurora will be mad at me?"
"I do, sir." He pressed on Kellan's shoulder until he lay back down. Then his assistant covered him back up. "Madam Ward might not forgive you if you hurt yourself."
"I find that difficult to believe, Jingyu. She doesn't really love me."
"I think she does, sir. And you love her. Now, I will get you a laptop so you can coordinate search efforts while you're recuperating."
***|***|***
AURORA MOON
Aurora Moon awoke suddenly, her heart pounding as she sat up. "Kellan!" Groggy, she looked around. Where was she? How did she get here?
"You're okay," said an unfamiliar male voice. "You're safe."
"Safe? I'm in a strange place with a strange man. It's too dark in here."
Low lights came on, enough to allow her to see, but not bright enough to hurt her eyes. "Who are you?"
"I know you have questions. I'll answer them, but first, let the doctor check your injuries."
Aurora frowned. "What doctor? What injuries?"
Memories came to her in flashes. The car accident. Kellan. "Where's my husband?"
"In the Ward Private Hospital. He had surgery, but he's doing well."
A man wearing glasses, a white coat, and a serious expression entered the room. He checked Aurora and then stepped back. "Bruises mostly. Nothing that can't heal with rest and eating well."
"Understood. Thanks, Doc."
The doctor left and the man who'd been leaning against the wall, straightened up and rounded the bed. He looked down at Aurora. His face was stunning. And familiar. "Have we met?"
He laughed. "You could say that, though I doubt you'd remember." He sat on the edge of her bed, and Aurora scooted her legs away from him. He noticed, and smiled.
"I didn't cause the accident. I had another plan for your extraction, but someone apparently wants you or Kellan Ward dead.They arranged for a garbage truck to hit your car."
She gaped at him. "That seems ... excessive. But neither one of us have no shortage of enemies." She frowned. "I want to see my husband."
"That's the confusing part for me. I went to a lot of effort to get you away from that psycho."
"He's not a psycho." She paused. "Okay, he's my psycho, and I want to see him."
"After your brain is checked," said the man. "By a psychologist."
"I refused to be trapped." She went to crawl out of bed, but the man put his hands up in a surrender gesture.
"Okay, okay. You're not trapped. But let's talk before you go get into trouble again."
Aurora sat down and crossed her arms. "Five minutes. Then you'll see what a psycho really is."
"I hear you." He put out his hand and introduced himself. "Hi. I'm Ryder Hamilton. And I'm your twin brother."