Caleb Edgington looked shell-shocked, like he’d collided with panic and run face-first into death.
What the fuck was wrong? “Colonel, sir?”
Hunter and Logan both stood. Joaquin, not far behind, rose with a frown.
“Dad?” Hunter approached him.
The older man swallowed. “Your sister…”
Sudden tension gripped the room.
“What’s wrong with Kimber?” Logan scowled.
“I received a threat a couple of weeks ago. It wasn’t specific, just a tube of lipstick and a warning to hand over Valeria Montilla before they took whoever the tube belonged to. I didn’t know who—” Emotion choked off the colonel’s words. He pressed his fist to his lips, grasping for the fortitude to finish delivering the bad news.
Zy stood in shock, his gut twisting. The man’s only daughter, Hunter and Logan’s sister…
Another guy came in behind the colonel—big, blond, badass, and totally pissed off. Deke Trenton, Kimber’s husband. “She’s gone. She dropped the kids off at preschool, then made a trip to the grocery store…and didn’t come home. A courier delivered this thirty minutes ago.”
They all crowded around as he whipped out a picture of Kimber, her auburn hair tangled, her big eyes red rimmed, with a gag over her mouth, her hands tied behind her back, and a gun to her head.
Oh, holy shit.
“We’ll get her back.” Despite having gone ghostly pale, Hunter found his voice. “We’ll do whatever it takes—”
“You’re fucking right we will,” Deke spat. “I want my kitten back. Jack and the rest of the Oracle team are at our offices strategizing. Any help you can spare…”
“You’ll have it,” Hunter promised. “We need to lock down the rest of the wives and kids.”
“Fast,” the colonel managed. “Before it’s too late.”
The older man ducked out, looking as if he could barely keep himself together.
Deke didn’t look much calmer. “Thanks for whatever you can do.”
“Fuck that, she’s our sister. We’ll devote day and night to saving her.”
Kimber’s husband nodded, then he was gone. Silence prevailed for a protracted moment. Then Hunter swallowed, collecting himself first. He turned to ice in an instant. Logan lived up to his fiery temper, grabbing an eraser from the nearest whiteboard then throwing it violently. His empty coffee mug followed next, shattering against the wall.
Before he could toss anything else, Joaquin stepped in. “We don’t have time.”
“I know. I fucking know. Goddamn son of a bitch!”
Hunter and Joaquin raced out the door, already strategizing to keep all the others in their family safe. Logan fumed, trying to gather himself, his lungs working like a bellows.
“I’ll come with you,” Zy offered. “I’ll devote all my energy—”
“No. This shit is centered around Valeria Montilla. Trees and Kane are going to protect and relocate her pronto—and we’ll be monitoring every step. But none of that will mean shit if you can’t figure out our mole. Two fucking weeks—max—or they’re both off the fucking payroll and we bury them professionally. If you fail, we’ll do the same to your fucking ass, too.”
Logan tore out of the conference room, slamming the door behind him. After some shouting in the hall and more door slamming in the distance, the office fell silent.
Two weeks? Zy cursed. He had to start planning and setting some wheels in motion now—or they were all fucked.
When the woman he loves becomes the enemy, he’ll seduce her for the truth.
Zyron and Tessa, part one – next in the Wicked & Devoted series.
Click here to purchase!
Loving this collection by Top Shelf Romance?
Check out the other Top Shelf Romance Collections available now:
Kiss Me Slow
Featuring: Tijan, Willow Winters, Corinne Michaels & Louise Bay
Need You Now
Featuring: Skye Warren, Annika Martin, Claire Contreras, Sierra Simone & Laurelin Paige
Promise Me Forever (Free with Kindle Unlimited)
Featuring: Kate Stewart, A. Zavarelli, Kennedy Ryan & BB Reid
Make Me Yours
Featuring: Devney Perry, Amo Jones, Chelle Bliss & K. Bromberg
Don’t Break This Kiss
Featuring: Jessica Hawkins, Kylie Scott, Marni Mann & Carrie Ann Ryan
Never Let Go (Free with Kindle Unlimited)
Featuring: Tijan, Kandi Steiner, Alessandra Torre & Ella James
Keep My Heart
Featuring: Lex Martin, Kennedy Ryan, Kennedy Fox & Willow Winters
Afterword
Thank you for joining me in the new Wicked & Devoted world. In case you didn’t know, this cast of characters started in my Wicked Lovers world, continued into my Devoted Lovers series, and have collided here. Between Wicked as Sin and Wicked Ever After, you’ve read about a few other characters who may interest you. I’ve already told some of their stories. Others are still to come. Below is a guide in case you’d like to read more from this cast, listed in order of release:
Wicked Lovers
Wicked Ties
Jack Cole (and Morgan O’Malley)
She didn’t know what she wanted…until he made her beg for it.
Decadent
Deke Trenton (and Kimber Edgington)
The boss’ innocent daughter. A forbidden favor he can’t refuse…
Surrender to Me
Hunter Edgington (and Katalina Muñoz)
A secret fantasy. An uncontrollable obsession. A forever love?
Belong to Me
Logan Edgington (and Tara Jacobs)
He’s got everything under control until he falls for his first love…again.
Mine to Hold
Tyler Murphy (Delaney Catalano)
His best friend’s ex. A night he can’t forget. A secret that could destroy them both.
Wicked All the Way
Caleb Edgington (and Carlotta Muñoz Buckley)
Could their second chance be their first real love?
His to Take
Joaquin Muñoz (and Bailey Benson)
Giving into her dark stranger might be the most delicious danger of all…
Falling in Deeper
Stone Sutter (and Lily Taylor)
Will her terrifying past threaten their passionate future?
Holding on Tighter
Heath Powell (and Jolie Quinn)
Mixing business with pleasure can be a dangerous proposition…
Devoted Lovers
Devoted to Pleasure
Cutter Bryant (and Shealyn West)
A bodyguard should never fall for his client…but she’s too tempting to refuse.
Devoted to Wicked
Cage Bryant (and Karis Quinn)
Will the one-night stand she tried to forget seduce her into a second chance?
Devoted to Love
Josiah Grant (and Magnolia West)
He was sent to guard her body…but he’s determined to steal her heart.
As the Wicked & Devoted world continues to collide and explode, you’ll see more titles with other characters you know and love. So
