Chapter 65: Chapter 65: Midway Abduction

After her check-up, Summer Lancaster was driving home when her phone rang. Seeing it was Kenneth Yates, she rushed to answer, but someone suddenly appeared in the middle of the road. Summer slammed on the brakes, dropped her phone, and quickly got out of the car to check on the person.

She blamed herself. She’d been so focused on answering her phone that she wasn’t watching the road. This street was usually deserted at this hour, so she had grown careless.

Summer ran to the person’s side. “Are you okay? Do you need to go to the hospital?” she asked, her face etched with concern.

He was a teenager, around seventeen or eighteen, and likely still in school. ’Why would he be out so late all alone?’

“I’m fine!” the teen said, forcing a pained smile. Summer smiled to herself. ’This kid is pretty tough.’

Summer tried to help the boy up, but he grabbed her by the arm.

“Hello? Hey, Summer! Summer!” Kenneth’s voice roared from the other end of the line. She had answered the call but hadn’t said a thing. ’Damn it,’ he fumed. ’Doesn’t she have any idea how worried I get?’

“Hey, Dominic! Track Summer’s phone and send me her location. Now!”

CLICK. Kenneth hung up, yanking at his shirt collar in frustration.

Dominic was completely bewildered, but he did as Kenneth ordered, immediately tracking Summer’s location and sending it over.

When Kenneth arrived home, Summer was nowhere in sight. He checked his watch—she should still have been at work. He called her office, but they said she had already clocked out. He’d tried her cell, and while the call connected, all he got was silence. The moment Dominic sent the location, Kenneth grabbed his keys and bolted outside without a second’s hesitation. It was nearly eleven o’clock. ’That girl still isn’t home… This is making me sick with worry!’

“What… are you doing?” Summer asked the boy, startled.

The boy didn’t say a word, his expression one of sheer terror. The way he was clutching her arm felt like a desperate plea for help.

Summer looked at him. “Let me take you to the hospital!”

The boy said nothing, just held her in place. When Summer looked at him, he simply shook his head without a word.

Just then, a group of men emerged, armed with baseball bats and nunchucks. Summer looked them over; they were clearly trouble. Every one of them was a young punk covered in tattoos.

Summer stepped forward, putting herself in front of the boy. “Who are you?” She glanced back at the boy. “It’s all right. I’ll protect you!”

“Protect him, lady?” The one who appeared to be the leader gestured with his hand, and the boy tore himself from Summer’s grasp, moving to stand behind the group of men.

Summer was stunned. ’The target wasn’t the boy… he’s one of them. Then why? Is it… me? Who would be after me? Could it be Reina West?’

The boy’s face was etched with guilt, and he avoided her gaze, unable to look at her. ’He must have been used,’ Summer thought.

“Who sent you? And stop calling me ’lady’!” Summer feigned calmness, but inwardly she was terrified. ’There’s no way I can fight this many people alone,’ she thought. ’My phone’s not on me, either. I can’t call for help!’

“A girl like you shouldn’t be out so late, lady. It’s dangerous!” The leader taunted, expertly swinging his nunchucks. A cold sweat broke out on Summer’s skin. ’I wasn’t *planning* on being out,’ she thought bitterly. ’I was in my car! If it weren’t for that kid, I’d be home safe by now.’

Summer suddenly remembered—she had answered Kenneth’s call right before she got out of the car. She began to subtly edge toward the vehicle as the thugs closed in, step by step.

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