Dark Stranger Immortal (The Children of the Gods #3)(53)

“That’s okay; I just need to know how you’re doing now.”

“I’m all better. It was just a nasty twenty-four-hour bug.”





4 8

A N D R E W

Syssi had lied.

Though looking her over, Andrew had no idea why, and about what. He was there when she had gotten sick, and it was obvious that she was recovering from something. But aside from looking tired and thinner, Syssi seemed fine. There were no visible bruises or other signs of injury he could detect.

“By the way, Andrew, how did you find us? Syssi tells me that she didn’t share with you where she was staying…” Kian sat down on the couch and stretched his arms on its back.

Shit. I’m screwed.

Rushing over, worried and angry, he hadn’t thought of coming up with a plausible story.

Fuck! Syssi was going to blow up. Except, there was not much he could do about it now. He was cornered into admitting the truth.

“I checked your location, Syssi, right after you called me with that story of working from Amanda’s place. There is a tracking device in the necklace I gave you for your sweet sixteen. The one you swore you’d always wear.”

Andrew frowned. “The one I don’t see around your neck. Where is it?”

Syssi gaped at him, then as the implication of what he had told her sank in, she narrowed her eyes and flushed red.

Andrew winced. Syssi looked so furious that he wouldn’t have been surprised if she grabbed something and threw it at him.

“You always do stuff like this. I’m really sick of it. When are you going to start treating me like an adult?” Syssi pushed up from the couch and turned her back to him.

Andrew suppressed a smile. Ever since she’d been a toddler, Syssi would always do that; refuse to look at him when he made her mad. “I don’t know why you’re so angry with me… It’s just a location tracker. And it’s not like I’m spying on what you’re doing or listening in on your conversations. In my opinion, everybody should have one. Even I have a tracker on me at all times… It’s a perfectly reasonable precaution.” Andrew pushed up from where he was sitting and placed his hands on Syssi’s shoulders.

She shrugged them off.

“Some help here?” He shot Kian a pleading look, hoping the boyfriend might hold more sway.

“Andrew is absolutely right. I wish I had Amanda wear a tracking device.

I wouldn’t be sitting here helpless if I had.” Kian grimaced.

Syssi turned to Kian, her face suddenly lined with worry. “Why? What happened to Amanda?”

“Yes, where is Amanda? What’s going on?” Andrew echoed, his gut clenching.

Kian’s pained expression confirmed his fear. “After she left the restaurant where you three had lunch yesterday, she was abducted. We found a recording from a surveillance camera at the jewelry store she was taken from, so we know it was one of our enemies who took her. But that’s all we have.

We don’t even know where to begin looking.” Kian sank into the couch cushions, hanging his head on his fists.

The distressing news sliced through Andrew like a serrated blade, tearing up his gut. He knew all too well what could befall such a beautiful woman in captivity—the images, unfortunately, made vivid by the many others he had witnessed during his time on the force.

“Oh my God. Oh my God…” Syssi repeated frantically, her hand flying to her throat.

“Oh! My! God!” she exclaimed more forcefully as her eyes popped wide open.

Bewildered, Andrew glanced at Kian, whose questioning expression echoed his own.

“Amanda has my necklace, Andrew! My sweet, overprotective brother!

You’re my hero! She was wearing my necklace! You can find her!” Syssi jumped on him, hugging him with all she had.

It took a few seconds for her words to sink in, and as they did, Andrew felt Kian’s hands on his shoulders, twisting him around and pulling him into a brief embrace.

“I’ll be forever in your debt for this. Thank you!” Kian sounded hoarse.

Overwhelmed by Kian’s infectious hope, Andrew took a step back. “I haven’t found her yet…” A hope he was loath to disappoint. Unfortunately, experience had taught him that not every rescue mission ended with success.

“I’ll assemble a team with some of my buddies from my old unit. That was what we did, hostage retrieval. I will get her back for you,” Andrew offered, praying he would be able to deliver on that promise: more for Amanda’s sake than Kian’s. But it had to be handled with extreme care. In a situation like this, even a seemingly insignificant mistake could have fatal consequences.

Kian placed a hand on Andrew’s shoulder. “I truly appreciate the offer, but all I need from you is her location. My men and I will handle the rest. We have reason to believe her kidnapper is acting on his own behalf, and no one else is involved. It’s not like we have to invade another country or storm a stronghold and need a trained commando unit to do the job. He is just one man.”

Andrew’s anger bubbled up like hot tar. Was the idiot concerned with honor or appearances when his sister’s life was on the line?

“You listen closely now, as I’m going to say it only once.” Andrew got in Kian’s face. “I’m heading the rescue with my people, and you can tag along… if you can follow orders. This is not a job for amateurs, regardless of any combat training you might have, or how much you care about Amanda, nor how easy you believe it would be. My men and I are trained and experienced in exactly these kinds of situations. If anybody has a chance to bring her back in one piece, it is me. Don’t you dare indulge in playing power games when the stakes are this high. Do we have an understanding?”