Chapter 2

Gus Cavanaugh stopped dead in his tracks. His hand, which had been reaching for Jordyn, dropped slowly back to his side. His eyes narrowed, flicking from the girl hiding behind the billionaire to the billionaire himself.

He recognized Hoyt David. Everyone in this world did. The man was a ghost who occasionally haunted the stock market, moving billions with a whisper. You didn't touch a ghost. You certainly didn't touch his guests.

"Mr. David," Gus said, his tone shifting from commanding to carefully respectful. "This is a Shepard family matter. We have orders to bring the young lady home."

He emphasized the word "family." It was a subtle reminder. Family business was private. Outsiders, even billionaires, weren't welcome.

Jordyn's stomach dropped. Family. That word was a life sentence. Her fingers moved without her permission, reaching out and catching the edge of Hoyt's suit jacket. She gripped the fine wool tightly, her knuckles turning white. It was the only thing keeping her upright.

Hoyt felt the slight tug at his hem. He didn't look back, but a wave of dark satisfaction washed over him.

Hold onto me, he thought, his eyes fixed on Gus. Yes. Learn to rely on me. Learn that I am the only anchor you have.

"Shepard," Hoyt repeated, as if tasting the name. His voice was utterly flat, stripped of any inflection. "I believe I sat next to the Senator at the Sloan dinner last month. We discussed the new tax legislation."

It was a simple statement, but it did exactly what it was intended to do. It established parity. It told Gus that Hoyt David was not some bystander to be brushed off; he was a peer of the man giving the orders.

Hoyt tilted his head slightly, just enough to catch Jordyn in his peripheral vision. When he spoke again, his voice dropped an octave, becoming a low murmur meant only for her ears. "Don't be afraid."

Two words. They weren't loud. They weren't accompanied by a hug or a reassuring pat. But they hit Jordyn like a wave of warm water. The sheer certainty in his tone, the absolute promise of protection, cut through the panic clawing at her chest.

Nobody had ever told her not to be afraid. They had always told her what to fear.

He turned his attention back to Gus. "Miss Shepard is my niece Carleigh's closest friend. She wasn't feeling well, and I was just about to escort her somewhere quiet to rest."

It was a flawless lie. It was delivered with the same calm authority he might use to announce a corporate merger. There was no hesitation, no tell.

Gus's jaw tightened. He glanced at his men, then back at Hoyt. He knew he was beat. You didn't manhandle the guest of Hoyt David. You just didn't.

"I will personally call the Senator," Hoyt continued, his gaze unwavering, "and explain the situation to him."

Jordyn flinched behind him. The Senator. Her father. A fresh wave of ice-cold dread washed over her. Calling him? That was as good as telling him exactly where she was. Was this a trick? Was this man simply handing her over in a more civilized way? Her fingers tightened on his jacket, a desperate, questioning grip. The mention of him was a bucket of ice water, reminding her of the cold, hard reality of her life.

Hoyt sensed her stiffen. Without turning around, without breaking eye contact with Gus, his hand moved behind his back. His knuckles brushed against hers, a fleeting, feather-light touch. It was a gesture of solidarity. A silent message: I'm here.

The touch sent a jolt up her arm. It was strange, electric, and entirely inappropriate for a man she had just met. But it worked. The ice in her veins thawed just a little.

Gus let out a slow breath. He was a pragmatist. "Very well, Mr. David," he said, giving a stiff nod. "We will withdraw for now. But we will remain on the premises until we can visually confirm the young lady's safety."

He turned and walked away, his men trailing behind him like shadows. They didn't leave the corridor entirely; they simply retreated to the far end, becoming silent sentinels in the distance.

The immediate threat was gone. Jordyn's knees buckled. The adrenaline that had been holding her together evaporated, leaving her weak and trembling.

Hoyt turned instantly. His hand closed around her upper arm, his grip firm and warm, keeping her upright. He pulled her slightly closer, his body a solid wall of support.

"Thank you," she gasped, her voice shaking. "Mr. David, I... I don't know how to thank you. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to-"

Don't thank me, Hoyt thought, looking down at her flushed, desperate face. Thank me later, when you realize you've walked into a trap you can never escape.

His gaze shifted past her shoulder, to the distant figures of Gus and his men, and then to the small, unblinking eye of a security camera mounted near the ceiling.

"They haven't gone far," he said, his voice dropping into a lower, more serious register. The warmth from a moment ago was still there, but it was tempered by a grim practicality.

Jordyn looked up at him, her eyes wide. "What do we do?"

"We need to move somewhere less visible," he said, his gaze holding hers. He looked entirely sincere, a man genuinely concerned for her safety. "Come with me."

He didn't wait for her answer. He kept his hand on her arm and guided her away from the main corridor, toward a dark, unmarked door tucked into an alcove.

Jordyn followed without a second thought. She was a drowning woman, and he was the only shore in sight.