Fortunately, there were none.
Exiting the club that doubled as the entrance to the Underground, Keenan walked her to the car and opened the rear door. “See you later, sphinx.”
“Sure thing,” she said, reading the message on her phone from Martina. She slid into the car, and Keenan shut the door. “Hey, Tanner,” she greeted.
It wasn’t until he pulled away from the curb that he spoke. “Not Tanner.”
Harper’s head snapped up from the cell phone… and she met manic blue eyes in the rear-view mirror. Fuck. Stunned, she froze for a short moment. Then panic set in and she went to lunge at Crow. That was when his hand whipped back and grabbed her leg – there was no tug inside her chest this time; there was a sharp and incredibly painful yank that stole her breath and, with it, so much psi-energy that white-hot pain blasted through her skull. It was a struggle to stay conscious. A struggle she was losing.
Frantic, she telepathically reached out to Knox. More pain tore through her skull, and her agonized cry seemed to echo in her mind. And now she could feel herself fading. Her vision dimmed and blurred.
“I know it hurts, but it was necessary,” said Crow, sounding very far away. “Just sleep. Everything will be fine. You’ll see.”
Then the lights went out.
Pulling his chiming cell phone out of his pocket, Knox sighed at the name on the screen. He sorely regretted promising Harper he wouldn’t involve himself in her little problem with Belinda, because he sure would love to fire her right that very second. He’d gathered with Levi and Larkin in his home office to discuss the security measures for the event; he didn’t have time for this shit.
“Yes?” Knox clipped on answering the call, hand clenching around his pen.
“Oh, um, Mr Thorne,” she said, spluttering, “sorry if this is a bad time.”
It was always a bad time. “What is it?”
“I, well, I thought you should know that Harper is refusing the help of a professional beauty team.”
If that surprised Belinda, she’d clearly learned nothing about his mate. “Is that so?”
“Yes. I have explained that this will make her stand out compared to others —”
“Harper will always stand out, Miss Thacker. And always in a good way.” It was the truth. “Now, if there’s nothing else, I’m a busy man.”
“Of course,” she said, tone curt. “I apologize for disturbing you.”
Ending the call, Knox turned back to his sentinels with a sigh.
Levi seemed to be fighting a smile. “Belinda telling tales again?”
Knox placed his cell on the desk. “Yes.”
“After all the stuff she’s done and said, I’m surprised you haven’t fired her,” said Larkin.
“I promised Harper I would let her deal with the matter herself. I won’t lie, I’ve come close to breaking that promise many times. But if I do, she’ll never confide in me like that again because she won’t trust me not to interfere.” And it was possible that she would sow sequins on more of his clothes. “Now let’s get back to —”
Knox. The pain in Tanner’s tone brought Knox up short and made everything in him tense.
What is it? demanded Knox.
Fucking Crow got the drop on me. He took the car. I’ve tried to call Harper, but she’s not answering me.
The pen in his hand snapped and his heart slammed against his ribcage. Knox broke his connection with his sentinel and reached out to his mate. Harper? Harper?
Nothing. Nothing at all. Not even a brush of her mind against his.
Harper, baby, you need to answer me right now and tell me you’re safe.
But she didn’t. Panic ripped through him and his demon, sending his pulse racing. Breaths coming hard and fast, he asked Keenan, Did you walk Harper to the car?
Of course, Keenan instantly replied. I watched her get in.
Fuck. How long ago was that?
Around half an hour ago, why?
So, Crow had had her for thirty minutes. Thirty fucking minutes. Harper, talk to me. Nothing. Not a damn thing.
A red haze fell over Knox’s vision, heat rushed to his head, and a strange roaring sound filled his ears. He shook his head, jaw clenched. Not again. Not. Fucking. Again. This just couldn’t be happening again. But it was. Someone had taken Harper from him.
Panic. Dread. Fear. Ice-cold fury. It all exploded inside his gut, stealing his breath, and flared through every part of him from his head to his toes. His demon rose up sharp and fast with an animalistic snarl, seething and raring to destroy. “He. Took. Her,” rumbled the demon.
Levi stiffened. “Crow?”
Digging deep for control, Knox shoved his demon back down. His sentinels were eying him warily, and he realized his body was so tense he looked on the verge of springing. He took a long breath to center himself, to think. He needed to plan, but it was hard to do that when everything in him roared, fumed, and ached. “Crow has Harper,” he told them, throat thick.
Levi swore and shot to his feet.
Anxiety bloomed in Larkin’s eyes, but that anxiety was quickly replaced by a fierce determination as she stood. “We’ll find her.”
Yes, they would, because Knox wasn’t fucking losing her. “He’s had her for approximately thirty minutes.” Knox didn’t want to think what the bastard might have done to her in that time.
“The anchor bond still intact?” asked Larkin.
“Yes, which means she’s alive.” And Knox clung tight to that, using it to keep his focus. “He made a mistake; he took the Audi. Unless he knows it has several GPS trackers and has managed to remove them all, he’ll lead us right to him and Harper. Find the Audi.” And then Knox would find them and rain fresh hell on the bastard who dared to take his mate.