Chapter 16

"You're even prettier than I remembered," Ivan leered, reaching out to touch Lena's hair. His big hand slid down her cheek, her neck, until he was lewdly groping at her breasts. Tears streamed down her face, and she heard chuckles from the men who'd been driving the big black SUV. They were just as eager as Ivan to hurt her.

Bile rose in the back of her throat as Ivan pulled her closer to him, his meaty hands pawing at her everywhere.

Ivan hadn't forced her into the backseat with him, but it was only when he'd threatened to hunt down and kill her pregnant friend that she'd gone without a fight.

Lena had shuddered at the realization that Ivan knew who Anna was. Had he been watching them in the coffee shop a month ago? But no. That couldn't be right. It was only after Kaylee had mistakenly used her credit card on her phone's app that they'd found her, and Anna was long gone by then. Yet somehow, Ivan had followed Lena. Found her. And he knew who her friends were as well.

Trembling, she wondered if he'd seen her with Gray.

Her gaze darted around the heavily wooded area as they stood outside the SUV. They'd driven a short distance from the shopping center to a secluded home in the woods, and Ivan had gloated about the days he'd spent watching her. Waiting. Jacking off in his vehicle as he imagined fucking her.

Lena wanted to vomit.

She looked around the forest, shivering in the winter air, and desolation washed over her. Gray wouldn't be able to quickly find her. He didn't even know she was missing yet. They'd have to figure out what grocery store she'd gone to, locate her car…. She sniffled, unable to stop the tears falling down her face. Even then, it might take hours. Days. Ivan could have taken her anywhere by then—out of New York. Out of the country. Away from the man she loved.

More tears spilled down her cheeks. She hadn't even told Gray how she felt about him. When he eventually found her car in the parking lot, he'd see her keys and winter coat on the ground, the latter ripped off her by Ivan. He'd laughed as he'd threatened to strip her right there, raping her in front of his men.

Lena knew she should have screamed. Fought. Yelled as loudly as she could for help. But as soon as they'd mentioned Anna, she'd froze. Lena had no idea how many men Ivan had working for him, but she knew the evil he was capable of. His men had closed in on her, and she'd let them. Now, as a chill seeped into her bones, she knew she'd never get away.

"Go through her purse!" Ivan ordered, marching her into the secluded home, his grip on her arm unyielding.

His fingers dug further into her arm, and suddenly she panicked. He was going to hurt her. Rape her. Probably kill her. She'd never see Gray or any of her friends again. Lena let out a bloodcurdling scream, even knowing no one was around to hear. She screamed again, and Ivan roared in anger, lifting her up into his arms, the other men rushing to his aid. She fought and cried, but they were too strong, easily overpowering her.

One of the men was already pulling out her wallet, phone, and lipstick, tossing them onto the table as she fought in vain against Ivan. Someone slammed the front door shut, turning the lock, and Lena cried as Ivan forced her down the hallway. She cowered back as Ivan unceremoniously dumped her on the bed, his hands already moving to undo his belt buckle.

He wasn't going to wait around this time. He was going to rape her right here in front of the others. Two men appeared in the bedroom doorway, and Lena began to shake in fear. Would they all take turns assaulting her? She'd never let them. She'd rather die than be hurt that way.

"Get the contacts on her phone," Ivan ordered, whipping his belt off and flinging it to the ground.

One of the men swiped at the screen, frowning. "It's got a passcode."

Ivan turned to Lena, sneering as he stalked closer. "Tell him the numbers. I'm demanding payment from those assholes you work with. They want you back? They've fucking ruined me! The Feds seized my assets because of them. Raided my homes. Stole from me. They'll fucking pay for this!"

Blinking at him in shock, she froze.

"Unlock it right now, or my men get a turn with you first!" he threatened.

Disgust and fear dueled within her. The other men looked like buzzards circling over a recent kill. Predators. And she was their prey.

The man holding the phone leered at her, his gaze lingering on her breasts. Lena had worn a pretty dress for the baby shower, a new one that Gray would love. He'd never see her in it, she realized, the thought ridiculous at the moment.

Ivan licked his lips, his eyes raking up and down Lena, and she could see the outline of his erection pressing against his pants. He was excited from watching them manhandle her. From throwing her onto the bed, knowing she couldn't escape. His gaze ran over her body lasciviously, and in that split second, Lena knew he was never letting her go. He'd kill her before he allowed anyone to save her. Maybe he'd taken a sick liking to her a month ago, but now? He was out for blood. Revenge. Whatever Gray and his teammates had started with the Feds had escalated far beyond Ivan's control. He'd take it out on her, then kill her if she was lucky.

Lena swallowed, the entire room feeling like it was beginning to spin. At least if Ivan contacted Shadow Security, Gray would know for certain who had her. It would at least give him a chance to find her. She recited the numbers to unlock her phone as Ivan threatened her again, and then he was chuckling. Hovering over her like the devil himself.

"Take off your dress!" he ordered.

"What? No!" she cried out, horror washing through her.

"You're mine now," Ivan told her, a crazed look filling his eyes. "I had a girl like you once before. Pretty. Brunette. Perfect pouty lips. When I saw you all those weeks ago, I knew you'd be the perfect replacement. Big tits. Wide eyes. A mouth that's begging to be fucked. A curvy, luscious body that belongs to me now."

Lena screamed as Ivan lunged at her, and then he was ripping her dress off, pinning her wrists to the mattress and ordering his men to tie her down so she couldn't escape. Lena kicked and screamed, and then he tied her ankles to the bedframe as well, his leering gaze on her body. Tears ran down her cheeks as he pulled out a knife, holding it up menacingly.

"Don't make me use this!"

Shaking, she quieted, unable to fight Ivan as he gagged her. Grabbing Lena's unlocked phone from his men, Ivan snapped a picture of her crying on the bed in nothing but her bra and panties. He laughed as he scrolled through her contacts. "I'll send this photo to the men you work with along with my demands. I think they'll enjoy the picture," he sneered, his eyes filling with lust as they raked over her. "It'll be the last time any of them ever sees you again."

***

Gray ran his hands through his short hair, frantic. This couldn't be happening. It couldn't. He'd just seen Lena earlier. Kissed her goodbye before he took his car in for an oil change. Spoken with her on the phone with plans to meet at Ford and Clara's. She was just picking up the food. She was supposed to be okay.

And now she was gone, kidnapped by the same twisted predator who'd taken her before.

Devastation roiled through him, making it hard to breathe. Gray sucked in some air, panic nearly overtaking him. He needed to keep his shit together, but his own nightmares were coming back, the memories crippling. He'd been held captive, too. He'd been tortured. Helpless.

And now that same damn thing was happening to Lena.

"No!" he roared, his hands clenched in menacing fists. The room stopped, looking at him.

"We're going to find her," Jett said, clapping him on the shoulder. Gray let out a breath and looked at his boss, seeing the pure rage behind Jett's calm demeanor. Jett was always in control, the epitome of cool, calm, and collected. This time, however, it was personal. Jett had known Lena longer than any of them, and Gray didn't miss the absolute anger boiling within his boss.

Gray nodded, too angry to speak.

"Where was Lena picking up the food?" Jett asked, his eyes alert.

Gray swallowed, realizing he didn't even know. "I'm not sure."

"Oh, I think at the market on Jefferson St.!" Anna called out, rushing over. "I mentioned that I love the cakes there."

Jett nodded, eyeing the team that had gathered around him. "We know she made it there because of the text she sent earlier. She had the food. We need a couple guys to head over there, but we also need to get with West. While the text the team received was anonymous, everything about this points to Ivan Rogers."

"On it, boss," Luke said, signaling to Ford.

"We'll head to the shopping center," Ford said. "There's got to be security cameras there. Witnesses."

"Her car," Gray choked out. "If she picked up the food but never left, her car might be there."

Jett was already nodding. "I know she got the platter and cake. The store will have surveillance cameras. Was she being followed? Watched? Did she leave the premises? We don't know if she was taken in the parking lot or already on her way here and ambushed."

"I'm going with them," Gray said, anger pulsing through his bloodstream. "If that was the last known location of Lena, I want to be there. I want to find her car."

"We could also check her home," Nick said, eyeing Gray. "Presumably, she was headed right to Ford and Clara's place, but what if she changed her plans?"

"Shit. You're right," Gray muttered. The zip ties. The fucking zip ties he'd found in her driveway. Was someone watching her then? Gray wanted to be everywhere at once, but that couldn't exactly happen. He'd have to rely on his teammates, just like on any other op. Except this was the most difficult mission of his life. They'd rescued Lena from hell once before, but now he'd kissed her, slept with her body pressed against his own, made love to her. Dizziness nearly overtook him.

"Take a deep breath," Sam said, coming to stand by his side. "You're the strongest man on the team for the hell you went through, but Lena needs you right now."

He ground his teeth, nodding. His buddy was right. Gray needed to pull himself together. Imagining the worst wouldn't help his girl. He needed a clear head. A laser sharp focus. Every minute counted.

"I'm okay," he said, eyeing Jett and his teammates. "Don't bench me on this."

"Not a chance. Time is on our side," Jett said, echoing his thoughts. "Lena's been gone thirty minutes, tops. We need to find out where they took her. Where they're headed. If they move her to another location, it complicates the hell out of things."

"Let's roll," Ford said.

Gray was already turning, rushing to the front door.

"I'm driving!" Luke yelled.

Gray didn't argue. Ford was climbing into his own vehicle, which made sense, but Gray would ride with Luke. If they discovered any clues or hints as to where Lena had been taken, they might need to split up. Gray wasn't exactly in his right mind to obey traffic laws and road safety. Rage coursed through him, but with each second that passed, an eerie feeling of calm began to set in. He could compartmentalize his thoughts, focusing only on the mission. Gray was in the zone, and nothing mattered other than retrieving their package from the tangos. The fact that it was Lena? He'd have to sort through those emotions later. She needed him, and he couldn't fall apart now.

Ten minutes later, Luke's tires squealed as he tore into the parking lot. Gray's gaze swept the area. Cars lined the spaces; shoppers pushed their carts full of groceries. Ford pulled in behind them, rolling to a stop at the curb in front of the store.

"Do you see her vehicle?" Luke asked, beginning to circle the lot.

"Not yet. I'm looking." Gray's phone buzzed in his hand. "Yeah?"

"I'm going to go speak with the manager and ask about the camera footage," Ford said. "If they won't help us, guess that's another thing West will hack into."

"Roger that."

Gray was already sliding back into the mode of an operator. They might not be on foreign soil, tracking down terrorists, but they'd approach the kidnapping with the same focus and intensity. Just because they weren't in uniform anymore didn't mean they weren't still an elite team of former soldiers.

"Does Jett have her license plate number?" Luke asked.

"Negative. If Lena's car is here, we'll relay that intel to the team. West can track her movements this afternoon on the traffic cams and see if she was being followed. Of course, if we have footage of her being abducted in the parking lot—"

He cut off. He didn't want to watch that, but if she'd been forced into a vehicle, they needed a description of it. A plate number.

"We'll find her," Luke assured him.

Gray clenched his jaw. He didn't doubt they'd find her eventually, but in what condition? Ivan Rogers had toyed with Lena before, drugging and groping her. Taunting her with all the disgusting ways he wanted to use her body. Gray had the horrible feeling that if Ivan got his hands on her again, he wouldn't mess around this time. Would Lena be raped? Killed?

Nausea roiled through him.

"There!" he shouted, suddenly spotting her car in an end row. It wasn't necessarily secluded, but it wasn't in the middle of the parking lot either. If they'd abducted her right from the lot, it would be the perfect location.

Luke sped up, his car racing down the row to her vehicle.

Gray jumped out, leaving the passenger door open as he rushed toward Lena's car. His stomach dropped as he saw her coat lying on the ground, and shit. Were those goddamn zip ties hanging from her side mirror? It's like they'd put them there to taunt her.

His mind flashed back to the night he'd arrived at her home. The zip ties in the driveway. Lena thinking she'd heard something go bump in the night. Had that bastard Ivan Rogers been watching her all this time?

Gray bent and picked up her coat, her floral scent slamming into him. A torrent of memories accosted him. Lena was good and sweet and pure. Innocent.

She was now in the hands of monsters.

"We should check inside the vehicle," Luke said, his voice grim. He palmed the keys that had been discarded on the ground beside the coat, frowning at the zip ties lying on the ground. Gray nodded, feeling sick, but watched as his buddy popped the trunk. Relief, sharp and instant, washed over him as he saw only the food Lena had picked up. The cake. The party platter. Aside from her personal things found on the ground, there wasn't a sign of a struggle. There was no blood on the pavement. No broken glass. No markings at all on the vehicle, just those fucking zip ties. And Lena wasn't inside the trunk of her car, forced in there by Ivan or his men. Gray had been half terrified that they'd find her body.

Lena had simply vanished.

Luke was already scanning the parking lot. "I'm going to speak with Ford and the grocery store manager. Let's review the surveillance footage, focusing on this area of the lot. If we know who took her, West can check the traffic cams. If they were on foot, we'll have a description of the men. They had to usher her somewhere, and there's a number of businesses around who no doubt have their own surveillance systems."

"We have no idea where she is," Gray choked out. The cool winter air bit into him, and for once, he hated the chill, the cold air on his skin. Lena was out there without her own coat, being held against her will. Was she cold? Scared? Hungry or injured?

Luke gripped his shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze. "We're going to find her. Lena is tough as hell. She'll stay strong until we get to her."

"She shouldn't have to go through any of this," Gray said with a shake of his head. "Go find Ford. I'll search the area around her car for any additional clues. Let's check with any witnesses on a possible description of the vehicle. The SUVs they drove in the first abduction were seized by the Feds or destroyed in the propane tank explosion."

"Pretty sure those belonged to Cronin and Levins anyway," Luke said. "Rogers no doubt has his own vehicles. He got away the first time."

"He sure as fuck won't get away now," Gray seethed. His phone buzzed, and he saw Jett's name flash on the screen. "Yeah, boss?"

"West got a ping on the location of Lena's cell phone."

"What?" he asked in shock.

"The anonymous texter had all of our cell numbers. He sent her photo to the entire team. Lena is bright, but she's not going to have the number of every single man on the team memorized. Even if she did, she's under extreme duress."

"He has her cell phone."

"Affirmative. I asked West to track the origin of the anonymous texts, but we quickly realized that Ivan Rogers must have her cell phone with him—or he did at some point."

Gray scanned the area by her car again, surprised at what he'd missed. Lena always carried her purse with her. He opened her door, looking at the driver's side and passenger seat, then the back. They'd already looked inside the trunk. "Her purse isn't here either. He must have taken it when he abducted her."

"In the off-chance he uses her credit cards, we can use those to track them as well. Meanwhile, we got a ping off a cell tower approximately twenty minutes away."

"What's the location?" Gray asked.

Jett rattled off the coordinates of the tower, located in a small shopping center on a highway leading out of town. "We don't know where she is," he stressed. "Just the location of the tower. They could've moved on to another spot since then or turned off her phone. West and his team will keep tracking it to see if it pings again."

"Thanks boss. We'll head that direction while Ford gets the surveillance footage here. We need every possible lead to get Lena back."

"West's team can hack into those traffic cams as well," Jett said, his voice hard. "We'll rescue Lena from those monsters and nail Ivan Rogers' ass to the wall, ending his entire operation."