Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 68870 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 344(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68870 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 344(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
I get dressed as Ryan sleeps and take one last look at him. I’m so tempted to kiss him, but I remind myself that I’ll be back soon.
When I get to the door I step outside. The museum is now completely dark, and the cold chill makes me immediately regret leaving his warm side. I can wait until the morning. It doesn’t have to be right this second. I scold myself for not thinking this through and turn around to go back to Ryan. But before I can take a step, a black hood covers my head and I’m being dragged away.
I begin to kick and scream, but my sounds are muffled by the cloth, and whoever has me is so much stronger than I am. Fear lances through me and I want to shout for Ryan, but I can’t take that chance. What if whoever has me is looking for him? I can’t risk his safety for my own.
Panic rises, but I push it down and fight back the tears. Now is not the time to lose control. I need to stay as calm as I can and conserve my energy. I think frantically as I’m being carried and an idea comes to me. I pull the brooch off the lapel of my shirt and hold it tight in my hand. I begin to fight as hard as I can, and when I hear the person holding me shout at someone else I drop the little crystal sparrow to the ground. Their shouts muffle the sound of my jewelry hitting the tile of the museum.
I can only pray that Ryan finds it and will know that I’ve been taken.
The thought of him lying asleep so close by has a sob building in my throat. But before it can break free, I feel something sting my arm and my body becomes sluggish. Everything starts to mush together and my eyes flutter closed.
I don’t know how much time has passed, but when I jerk awake and look around I see I’m sitting at a metal table alone in a room. I glance around, trying to remember where I am, but my whole body feels heavy. My mind begins to drift and immediately it goes to Ryan.
My heart aches as I think about him. I should have never left him. Why do I keep making the same mistake? If I ever get back to him again, I’ll never let him go.
I gasp when I see a metal door open and a large man with white hair enters the room. He sits down on the metal chair across the table from me, and I freeze. I audibly swallow before I close my eyes and then open them again. Yep, he’s still there.
“How’ve you been, Naomi?”
I do my best to hide my horror as I clear my throat. It’s The Leader himself, and he’s here to talk to me.
I take a deep breath and finally croak out a word I haven’t said in years.
“Father.”
Chapter Twelve
Ryan
This is not how it should have played out. I curse myself for falling asleep for even a moment. But having her next to me for the first time in weeks, I finally felt relaxed. I should have pushed harder, made it clear she was coming with me, and there wasn’t a choice.
I crumple the note she left behind. She isn't getting away from me again. Naomi can’t just take off without me and expect me not to protect her. I’m sure she was worried about me being seen, but she’s in danger, too. If she thinks I’m not going after her, she’s in for a rude awakening.
I pull on my pants and bolt out of the door where she came in. I push it open, not knowing or caring what time it is or who might see me. The museum is pitch-black, so it must still be the middle of the night or early morning.
I freeze when I see something lying on the floor nearby. It’s the bird Naomi had on her shirt earlier. Everything in me goes on red alert as I pick it up and look around.
I examine the back of it and see the clasp is broken off and bent. There is no way my woman would have ever dropped this without noticing. This came off in some kind of struggle, and fear prickles the back of my neck.
“Fuck.”
Naomi and I are supposed to be back underground with Owen and the others by now. I’m not supposed to be chasing after her in a city where I have to remain hidden. My mission was to come get her and go back. But her touch and our reunion had been too overwhelming to deny. Now she’s been taken and all plans have changed.
Fuck the revolution. The wheels have already been set in motion. I’ll just have to find her and get her out as soon as possible. I’m going after her because I won't spend another day without her by my side. I came here to get her and I’m not leaving without her. There’s nothing for me on the other side of the wall without her. Being apart from her was hell, and it’s not the way I want to live.