Claim - Page 81

“What’s wrong?” The hotelier’s tone was no-nonsense. A man used to dealing with problems.

“Bell has a serial killer hunting her. Chandler Carr.”

“Jesus.” The billionaire sounded shocked.

“She wouldn’t follow him or disappear for no reason.”

My cellphone rang. Dante’s name flashed up on the screen. I pressed it to my ear.

“Beau? What’s going on?”

“I’m in a service corridor with Ro. Bell came this way. I think she must have seen Carr. Tell Reath to alert his guys.”

“On it. Beauden, be careful.”

I turned the corner and still saw no sign of her. “Bell!” My bellow echoed off the walls.

We passed through a doorway and came out onto a loading dock. There were huge roller doors where the trucks would come in to load up the whiskey. They were all closed.

“Bell!” I called again.

The place was silent. The kind of silence that raised the hairs on the back of the neck. My gaze skimmed several racks of empty whiskey bottles, clearly ready to be filled at some stage.

Beside me, Ro was alert, scanning the shadows.

Suddenly, a shadow flew out of the darkness. He swung an empty whiskey bottle at Ro.

The billionaire dodged.

The attacker whirled, and I noted that the man was wearing a server’s uniform.

And a creepy clown mask.

“Carr,” I growled. “Where is she?”

He darted out of reach, and I followed, swinging my fist. I landed a blow to the man’s head, watching with pleasure as it snapped back.

This was the man who’d traumatized Bell. Who’d murdered her friend, and hunted Bell like an animal.

“Beau, watch out!” Ro cried.

A glass bottle was swinging directly for my head. I threw myself sideways, and Carr and the bottle brushed past me. But the bastard whirled, smashed the bottle against a rack, and the end of it shattered. Then he threw it at me.

This time, I was too slow to move. It slammed into my chest.

I staggered back, pain reverberating through my torso. The bottle hit the ground and splintered. The asshole darted away, disappearing into the darkness. I felt blood bloom on my shirt.

“Bell.” Panic gripped me.What had Carr done with her?

“Beau, I’m here.” She ran out of the doorway we’d come out of, out of breath. “I thought I saw Carr, but I didn’t follow him. Dante said you’d come this way.”

She was safe. He didn’t have her.

I strode to her and pulled her into my arms. “You didn’t follow him?”

“Of course I didn’t follow him. I was looking for you. He was wearing the same uniform as the servers.”

I hugged her harder.