Chapter 15

Gray grabbed his keys from the clerk, muttering under his breath. He glanced at the clock on the wall, knowing he'd arrive late to the party. He didn't know what the hell the holdup had been. At one point, he'd thought about bumming a ride to Ford and Clara's, except then he'd be without his vehicle until Monday morning. The shop was closing soon and wasn't open on Sundays.

He swiped the screen on his phone as he walked to the parking lot, calling Lena. It rang and rang, but he knew she was busy picking up the cake and platter. As soon as her voicemail kicked in, he left a brief message. "Hey. I'm on my way to the party right now, baby girl. I'll see you soon. Call me back if you need help with the food. Bye."

He climbed into his SUV, smiling as he saw Lena's sweater in the backseat. He'd peeled it off her the other night and tossed it behind him, leaving her in her camisole as they made out in the parking lot. Silly as it sounded, the moment had been hot. Sometimes he felt like a damn teenager around her, his cock always at half-mast, his heart pounding madly. It wasn't just their chemistry though. Lena made him smile, made him feel more alive than he had in years. They'd gone for a short walk around her neighborhood the other evening, and holding her hand, tugging her close in the cool winter air? It had felt fucking right.

Damn. Gray was a goner. He could see a million more evenings like that—dinners and walks with Lena, laughter, heated nights in each other's arms. She even kept the ceiling fan on in her bedroom, temperature turned low, knowing Gray slept better with the feel of cool air washing over him. He had no trouble making sure she was warm enough, enjoying the feel of her curves pressed against him, their bodies skin to skin.

When he pulled onto Ford and Clara's street ten minutes later, he frowned. While multiple vehicles were in their driveway and along the road, Lena's wasn't among them. Neatly parallel parking, he climbed out of his vehicle and slammed the car door shut. Jett and Anna were across from him, apparently also running late as they got out of their own vehicle. "You hear from Lena?" he called out, a frown on his face.

Jett nodded, one arm wrapping around his pregnant wife. "She's on her way."

An inexplicable feeling of relief washed over him. Gray had no specific reason to be concerned right now, but worry still niggled at the back of his mind. She'd probably been loading the food into her car and couldn't talk right when he'd called. Gray pulled his phone free from his pocket, shooting her a text anyway.

Gray: Are you almost here? I just parked on the street and can help you carry stuff in.

There was no answer, and he paused for a beat, looking down the quiet road. The store was about ten minutes in the opposite direction from which he'd come. Lena had expected them to arrive at the same time, so she'd probably be here soon. Reluctantly, Gray followed Jett and Anna into the home.

Laughter erupted from his friends, and he glanced over to see Sam and Ava holding a ridiculously big stuffed animal. Nope. Make that two. Evidently, they'd gotten one for each expectant mother. He moved through his friends, saying hello, his eyes sweeping the space. A table had assorted sparkling waters set out for the pregnant women, plus soda, beers, and wine. A large section of the next table was empty, a post-it note in the middle with the word "App Platter" scrawled across, obviously saving room for what Lena was bringing. Cups and plates surrounded it, and he saw the plastics rings from a six-pack of soda cans, the trash reminding him of the zip ties in Lena's driveway.

Oddly enough, as many times as he'd driven to her home, he hadn't seen any construction debris blowing around from her neighbor's remodeling project.

He checked his texts, seeing no response, then tried Lena's number again. It still rang until it went to voicemail, and Gray frowned.

"All right, we're almost ready to start!" Clara called out, looking around the crowded living room. "Thank you so much to everyone for coming. Ford says he doesn't mind grilling in the dead of winter, and I've been too tired to do much cooking lately. Hopefully a winter barbeque is okay with everyone to celebrate."

"It's perfect," Sam said with a grin, standing to Gray's left with Ava. "I'm always ready to eat."

"You like to eat me," Ava whispered as she nudged him, causing Sam to choke back his laughter.

"Damn straight, woman."

"I'll put the burgers on in a few minutes. We can't have the pregnant ladies going hungry," Ford joked. He looked toward the table of food near Gray. "Where's the appetizer platter?" Ford asked. "I thought Lena was picking it up."

"I actually don't think she's here yet," Clara said, looking around at their group of friends.

"She's not," Gray said, a sudden feeling of alarm coursing through him. Lena wouldn't be late for this. She was meticulous in her planning. If she'd had car trouble or some other issue, she'd have texted him.

"She left more than thirty minutes ago," Jett said. "Lena texted me to say she was on her way over."

Gray's phone began to buzz with a text, and much to his alarm, he realized his teammates phones were buzzing as well. He swallowed back the sudden lump in his throat, the hair on the back of his neck standing up. His hands were almost shaking as he swiped the screen. Something was wrong. He knew it.

He stared at the message in disbelief.

Unknown: I took back what's mine.

"What the hell?" Nick asked.

There were other low murmurs amongst his friends, a sudden feeling of concern in the air.

"Has anyone talked to Lena?" Jett barked.

"I can't reach her," Anna said from his side, looking slightly frazzled. "I just tried her cell and the office. There was no answer. Call her home number."

Jett was already dialing it, muttering as the phone went to her voicemail.

Gray's phone buzzed again and again, and his stomach dropped as he scanned over the texts.

There was a photo of Lena in her lingerie, tied to a bed, a gag over her mouth. He didn't miss the absolute fear in her eyes. The tears streaming down her cheeks.

The text that came next nearly made his heart stop.

Unknown: I want $50 million for the trouble you've caused. Pay up or I'll slit her throat.

Unknown: I almost took her the night you showed up.

Unknown: Lena is mine now.

"They took her!" Gray choked out, anguish filling every fiber of his being. "I just got a photo of Lena and a ransom note. That monster took Lena!"

The entire team was moving then, rushing to his side. Jett took the phone, scanning over the texts. He was already calling West on his own phone to track the origin of the messages. Gray felt his legs shaking, his entire body shutting down. He'd fucking failed her. He'd failed the woman he loved.

She was back in the hands of a monster.