“About two hours,” I say, stepping forward. “No one’s seen him, and we’ve checked everywhere we could think of.”
Gunner frowns, turning back to his monitors. “He hasn’t left the compound,” he says confidently, fingers flying over the keyboard. “I’ve been watching the cameras at the gate all night.”
“Can you check?” Maddie asks, peering over his shoulder at the screens. “Maybe during the confusion when everyone was leaving…”
Gunner nods, pulling up footage from earlier in the evening. We watch in silence as the monitors show Dragon, Roman, and the others preparing to leave, then filing out to the vehicles waiting outside. There’s no sign of Todd anywhere in the footage.
“See?” Gunner says, turning back to us. “No one leaves without me knowing about it.”
“Then where is he?” Molly demands, frustration evident in her voice.
Gunner rubs his jaw thoughtfully. “He’s probably just gotten lost somewhere,” he says, though he doesn’t sound entirely convinced. “This place can be confusing if you’re not used to it.”
“We’ve looked everywhere,” I insist.
“Not everywhere,” Gunner corrects me, standing up. “There are a lot of rooms in this place, a lot of corners to get turned around in.” He glances at the monitors one more time. “I’ll help you look.”
Relief washes over me. Gunner knows the compound better than any of us. If Todd is here, Gunner will find him.
“Let’s split up again,” he suggests. “Cover more ground.”
I decide to check outside, specifically the garden area behind the kitchen where Maddie grows vegetables and flowers. Todd had mentioned earlier that he found it peaceful out there.
The late afternoon air is warm against my skin. The patio looks empty at first glance. There’s no one in the garden, and no one sitting on the scattered lawn chairs.
“Todd?” I call out, walking further into the space.
I’m about to turn back when a voice freezes me in place.
“I thought I was going to have to work harder to get you away from Gunner.” The voice is male and familiar. “But here you came, right to me, and it took barely any effort on my part.”
I turn slowly, my heart hammering against my ribs, and the scene before me makes my blood run cold. It’s David, one of the prospects I’ve seen around the clubhouse. His arm is locked around Molly’s neck, her face pale, and in his other hand, a gun pressed pointed right at her temple.
“David?” I manage, my voice barely above a whisper.
“That’s me,” he says with a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. “Though Naomi usually calls me Davey.”
“You’re working with Naomi?” I repeat through numb lips.
“I sure am. Being a prospect pays shit,” David spits. “Being Naomi’s inside man pays very well.” He moves his hand until he has a fistful of Molly’s hair and she winces. “Now, we’re going to walk very quietly to those grills over there and climb up them and drop over the fence. I have a car waiting. You try anything, make any sound, and Molly’s brains will decorate this garden. Understand?”
I nod slowly, my mind frantically searching for a way out of this. Where is Gunner? Where is anyone?
As we slowly walk towards the grills, I can’t help but think that Naomi is waiting for me on the other side of that fence. And this time, there’s no Roman here to protect me.
35
Chapter 35
Kayla
David’s eyes are wild and unfocused, but the gun in his hand is steady against Molly’s temple. I’ve never seen someone die before. I’ve never even seen someone get shot. But from the thin film of sweat gleaming on David’s forehead, and the manic energy radiating off him in waves, I know with terrifying certainty that could change in the next few seconds.
“Keep walking,” David hisses, jerking his chin toward the fence at the far end of the patio. “Nice and slow.”
I take a step backward, then another, my heart hammering violently. My mind races, searching desperately for a way out of this nightmare. Should I scream? Would anyone inside hear me before David could pull the trigger? The look in his eyes tells me no. He will kill me if I don’t do exactly as I’m told.
“David,” I say, trying to keep my voice gentle, steady. “You don’t have to do this. We can talk about—”