Chapter 178 Kidnapped
Emilia’s POV
I pointed at the golden potatoes sizzling on the grill, my mouth already watering. "Boss, a large pack, please."
"Coming right up."
I paid and tucked the warm package under my arm, the smell of herbs and crispy skin making my stomach growl. Sebastian better appreciate this. I’d driven halfway across Silverlake City for his favorite roasted potatoes from this one food truck.
My car was parked two blocks away. I’d circled the area three times before finding a spot that wasn’t completely ridiculous. Now I just had to make it back without dropping the food.
I was halfway down the alley when the van screeched to a stop in front of me.
Two men in black jumped out before I could react. Rough hands grabbed my arms. The pack of potatoes hit the pavement with a soft thud.
"What the hell..."
One of them snapped silver cuffs on my wrists before I could finish. The metal burned, and I felt Eve pull back inside me, her presence suddenly muffled.
Silver. Of course it was silver.
"Who are you?" I tried to jerk away, but their grip was iron. These weren’t amateurs.
"You don’t need to know who we are." The taller one shoved me into the van.
The other one laughed. "No harm telling her. We’re rogues, sweetheart."
I hit the floor of the van hard, pain shooting through my shoulder. The door slammed shut. No windows. Just metal walls and the two rogues who’d grabbed me.
Rogues. Wolves without a pack, without an Alpha to keep them in line. The kind who’d do anything for money.
"Do you have any idea who I am?" I pushed myself up, trying to ignore the way the cuffs bit into my wrists. "I’m Sebastian Simons’s wife. Luna of the Silver Moon Pack. When he finds out about this..."
"We don’t care who you are." The shorter one settled into the seat across from me, not bothered at all. "We work for money. If we scared easy, we’d be in the wrong line of work, wouldn’t we?"
I tried a mind-link. Sebastian. Fynn. Anyone from Silver Moon.
Nothing.
Not even static. Just... silence.
My eyes went around the van, taking in details I’d missed in the chaos. The walls weren’t just metal. They were lined with something like insulation, but the faint shimmer gave it away.
Wolfsbane-laced silver mesh. A mobile interrogation room.
Whoever hired these rogues had money. Serious money. And they wanted to make damn sure I couldn’t call for help.
"How much?" I asked, keeping my voice steady. "How much did they pay you? I’ll double it. Triple it. Just let me go and we all pretend this never happened."
The tall one laughed. "Oh, Miss. We appreciate the offer, really. But we’ve got a reputation to keep. Can’t go breaking contracts just because someone waves more cash around. Bad for business."
"You’d better shut up," the short one added. "Unless you want us to shut you up ourselves."
I clenched my jaw and went quiet. No point wasting energy on threats they wouldn’t believe. I needed to think.
"Emilia." Eve’s voice was faint, muffled by the silver. "I can’t shift. The cuffs..."
"I know," I told her. "Just stay calm. We’ll figure this out."
Who would go to this much trouble? The silver cuffs, the shielded van, hiring professional rogues instead of doing it themselves...
Dorothy. It had to be Dorothy and Linda.
The van jolted to a stop maybe twenty minutes later. The doors opened, and the rogues hauled me out into an abandoned building that stank of mold and rot.
And there they were. Right on cue.
"Emilia." Dorothy stepped out of the shadows with that same twisted smile from my childhood. "Didn’t expect to see me so soon, did you?"
Linda appeared beside her, cracking her knuckles. "Mom, don’t waste time talking. Remember how she humiliated us last time? Let’s return the favor. With interest."
I looked between them, my face blank. "Last time? Funny. From where I’m standing, you two got exactly what you had coming."
Dorothy’s hand came out of nowhere. The slap cracked across my face hard enough to snap my head sideways. My cheek burned, copper flooding my mouth.
"Bitch," Dorothy hissed. "You dare talk back when you’re at death’s door? If I don’t teach you a lesson today, you’ll never learn your place."
The rogues tightened their grip. I couldn’t move. Couldn’t fight back. The silver cuffs made sure of that.
"My turn." Linda stepped forward, and her slap was even harder. My vision blurred for a second, blood running from the corner of my mouth.
But I didn’t make a sound. Wouldn’t give them the satisfaction.
They took turns after that. Slap after slap, Dorothy and Linda working themselves up. My face went numb. My ears rang. But I kept my eyes open, memorizing every detail.
The way Dorothy’s ring cut into my cheekbone. The spot on Linda’s hand where her knuckles split from hitting me so hard. The exact angle of each blow.
I’d remember. Every single one.
"Now you know what happens when you cross me," Dorothy panted, her face red from the effort. "You brought people to my house, smashed my things. You really thought there’d be no consequences?"
Linda kicked me hard in the stomach."You said we needed a beating? I say you’re the one who needs to learn some manners."
Pain tore through my ribs. I doubled over as much as the rogues’ grip allowed, gasping for air.
"Daughter, you’re being too soft." Dorothy’s voice was sugar-sweet. "We should do something more memorable."
"Like what, Mom?"
Dorothy’s smile widened. "Go get the thing I brought."
Linda ran to the car and came back with a thin leather whip. My stomach dropped.
"Is this it?"
"Perfect." Dorothy took the whip and ran it along my face, the leather cool against my skin. "Tsk tsk. Look at this pretty face. Just like your mother’s, isn’t it? Didn’t that vixen Tanya seduce my husband with a face like this? Maybe if I ruin it, you won’t be able to charm any more men."