Blood Past - By Samantha Young Page 0,69

him.

Hey Paradise,

It’s been a while. I miss my fiancé, even if she is cheating on me with scum. Speaking of said scum, I’ve got your boy Noah and the old gal. Want them back? Go home to the States, Beautiful.

I’ve left instructions at the gatehouse of Cyrus the Piss-ant’s establishment. Looking forward to seeing you, Babe. Missed you.

Teagan x

All it had taken was a phone call to confirm that a package had indeed been left for Eden at Cyrus’

gatehouse. The look in Cyrus’ eyes when he was given the confirmation was a like kick to the back of Eden’s knees. She almost went tumbling down.

As the family bustled about around her, she had to stop herself from screaming the windows out.

When Tobe and Cameron had been taken she’d been afraid and angry.

But Noah…

Eden was consumed with fury and terror. She couldn’t lose him. First Stellan, now Noah. No. That Teagan had taken Mhairi as well was a mystery to them. Well a mystery to Eden. She didn’t like the closed-off suspicious look in Cyrus’ eyes, but when she asked him about it he told her to stay calm, that Teagan had probably taken Mhairi as an extra precaution in case Noah got away from them.

“He knows you would never leave Mhairi in his hands, Eden. He is just covering all his bases.” Eden had wanted to believe him but she knew, just knew there was something he wasn’t telling her. Her fury over Noah’s kidnapping kept her from questioning him. It was exhausting and when Cyrus wanted to keep something to himself he was unmoving.

“Our things packed yet?” Eden asked in a raspy voice as Val entered the sitting room.

Her mentor nodded. “Tobe’s awake if you want to say goodbye.” After she’d come down from the swearing and the caterwauling, Tobe had collapsed in exhaustion. Cameron had hovered over her worriedly before his mother insisted he get home to get some sleep. Eden had shared a quick distracted embrace with him; glad he was OK, sad to be saying goodbye.

She didn’t even know how she was supposed to say goodbye to Tobe.

“Hey,” October said softly as Eden slid into her room. “You’re leaving.” Eden nodded, her jaw clenched tight. “He has Mhairi and Noah” Tobe’s eyes flashed before she blinked back tears. “I know. Mum and dad say Cyrus won’t let them go with you to get her back.” She choked on a sob. “Bring her back, Eden. Please.” Holding burning tears prisoner in her throat, Eden nodded. “I’m going to.” Tobe nodded, slumping back against her pillows, weary and scared. “Noah tried to fight, Eden,” she assured her. “He wasn’t going to let him do this to you but the bugger had help and he stuck Noah before he knew what was what. After that he just took Mhairi and there was nothing we could do. Mum tried to fight but they would have killed her.”

“Noah got one of them though,” Eden whispered, thinking about the body they’d recovered from the backyard. She wouldn’t be surprised if a neighbour had seen something. McLeish would have to scramble to cover it up if that were true. McLeish. She still hadn’t figured out what was going on with him.

It didn’t matter.

Nothing mattered but getting Noah and Mhairi back. A red haze clouded over her vision.

Tobe frowned. “Eden, I’ve never seen you like this, it’s scary.”

“I feel scary.”

Her insides felt raw, her bones brittle, her blood was so enflamed with wrath it seemed to be rushing at super speed around her body as if trying to put itself out. There was an ugliness inside her again, an ugliness she’d thought had disappeared after her transition.

“You’ll get him back, Eden.”

She nodded tightly. “And then I’m going take Teagan’s head off with my bare hands.”

“I think you mean that.”

Eden suddenly strode towards her, her anger pushing her. “Did he touch you?” Tobe swallowed. “It wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle.”

“Tobe?”

“He beat me up, but there was no funny stuff so you can rest easy.” She hadn’t realised how much the thought had been bothering her until the air escaped out of her lungs with relief. “I’m still going to kill him.”

“Get in a stab for me, will you?”

Eden smiled sadly and leaned down to hug her. “Of course.” Tobe held on fiercely. “Cam and I kept each other safe, Eden. We’re fine. You just concentrate on getting my Nana and Noah back.”

“I hate leaving you like this.”

Pushing her back Tobe responded with a no-nonsense look.