I Thee Take: To Have and To Hold Duet Book Two by Knight, Natasha (books to read in your 20s txt) 📕

out of the bed, draw the blanket up over her shoulder and pick up a discarded pair of jeans. Pulling them and a sweater on, I walk out of the bedroom barefoot, running a hand through sleep-mussed hair.

The first part of the nightmare is the recurring one. It’s the one that keeps me from sleep.

The second part though? That’s new. I don’t know if it’s a dream or a memory. It has the feeling that memories do. There’s a texture to it different than dreams.

I have a takeaway this time.

The man was my uncle. He’s been wearing the same cologne for as long as I can remember. Something made especially for him. My father used to make fun of him for that.

I stop, smile. A strange, unimportant detail but a detail. A memory.

A soldier greets me downstairs. I’m keeping them both inside and outside for now. I check the time. Four in the morning.

“Good morning,” I say, and continue to my study, but pause when I hear noise in the kitchen.

I glance to the soldier.

“Lenore’s up,” he says.

I’m surprised. It’s not like her to be up in the middle of the night. I walk to the kitchen to find Lenore muttering something as she plays with the nobs of the oven.

“What are you doing awake?” I ask her.

She startles, spins to face me. “Cristiano! You scared me half to death.”

“Sorry.”

Cerberus walks sleepily toward me and I lay a hand on the top of his head.

“I couldn’t sleep,” she says.

“That makes two of us. What’s going on?”

She picks up the pot of coffee and pours me a cup. “Nothing. I’m sure it’s fine.”

“What?”

She sits at the table. “Alec. I knew he could get hurt but I never expected it, I guess.” She takes a tissue out of her pocket and wipes her eyes and nose.

I’m unmoved. Not because I think she’s ingenuine. I just have seen worse. “He’s alive. He’ll heal,” I say.

“Is she worth it?” Lenore asks.

“Excuse me?”

She shakes her head. “Never mind. Don’t listen to me.”

I study her. “What were you and my uncle talking about on the beach yesterday?”

“What?”

“You took Cerberus out. He followed. I was in the study. Saw you from my window.”

“Oh.” She shrugs a shoulder and shifts her gaze away momentarily. “Nothing special. I was surprised he’d followed me out. He said he wanted to check in on Alec but, well, you know how I feel about that man.”

“Why do you feel that way about him?”

“Ah, that’s an old story and one not worth telling. Would you like some breakfast?”

“Did you ever come see me when I was in the coma, Lenore?”

“What?”

“When I was sedated.” It was a medically induced coma to let my body heal. “Did you come see me?”

“Only a few times. I would have liked to come more often, but your uncle wanted to keep your location a secret. Keep the fact that you and Dante survived a secret. And it made sense.”

I nod.

“Why do you ask?”

“Nothing. Just curious.” I feel a buzz in my pocket and reach in to see it’s Antonio with another notification. “I need to go.”

She nods. “Let me know when you’re ready for breakfast.

I head to my study, Cerberus walking beside me, considering my strange conversation with Lenore. There, I dial Antonio.

“I have some news though not much.”

He knows I rarely sleep, and I know he’s the same as me so there’s no mention of the time.

“Tell me.”

“Found the man hired to meet the boat with a truck and transport the cargo, then walk away.”

“And he was forthcoming with this information.”

“For a fee.”

“Of course.” Mercenary. Most people in this business are.

“The house he took them to is a few miles inland. Actually, I don’t think you could call it a house. I sent you some photos.”

“I got them.”

“The man took us there. It looks like they left in a hurry, whoever it was that was here. I’m guessing in the past they’ve held the women here before shipping them off to wherever they ship them off to.”

“Find out yet who owns the property?”

“Land is owned by a local. He rented out the shack to a man with an accent who paid cash a few days prior. The landowner made sure not to be anywhere near the property for the agreed upon amount of time. Same man every time who worked out the deal and paid him.”’

“Description?”

“Tall, dark hair, foreign.”

“That helps.” Not. “I can’t imagine it’s Felix or Marcus actually doing this part, though.”

“Last time they were here was a few months back, although they had rented the space but no-showed. Wherever they took their cargo this time, it wasn’t here.”

“Dead end, then.”

“Not quite. Our friend who transported the cargo heard them mention something more than once. They referred to it as the big auction. Some of the women, mostly the younger ones, were separated for this.”

“When’s this big auction?” I ask, thinking about what Scarlett said about the marked girls.

“Soon, I’d guess. This was to be the last shipment before it would be held. I do have a city although I’d like to do some checking. It’s not where I’d expect an auction like this to take place. I’ve already talked to Charlie about it, but I’ll use my own contacts, too.”

“I trust your instinct but where will the auction be held?”

“Rotterdam.”

“Rotterdam?” That surprises me. It shouldn’t though. Money is money and you can buy silence anywhere, even in highly developed Northern Europe.

“All right. Thanks Antonio. You’ve done well. Let me know when you know more.”

“You’re welcome.”

14

Scarlett

“Wake up, Scarlett.”

I groan, trying to swipe away the hands shaking me.

“Come on. This is serious.”

When I register that it’s Noah, I blink my eyes open, rubbing them. He’s in Cristiano’s bedroom and he looks anxious.

“Hey,” I sit up, looking at the clock. Eight in the morning. “You’re up early.” I pull the covers up. I’m naked underneath.

“This has been bugging me for days. I wasn’t sure and I don’t know, maybe I’m wrong but,” he stops mid-sentence shaking