I don’t bother waiting for him to extend an invitation. Instead, I walk forward and take a seat in front of him. His mouth tightens at my audacity, but I could give a good fuck. I’m not here to ask for his daughter’s hand in marriage. Hell, if I have my way, he’ll never set eyes on her again. Any man who can use his child in the way he has doesn’t deserve that privilege. He had no idea what I’d do when I found out about Jade, but with my reputation, he had to have thought that the worst-case scenario was possible—even probable. And I’m confident that it didn’t give him one moment’s pause. He remains standing—again another attempt at control. He’s wasting his time. Nothing about this man intimidates me although the very fact he is breathing offends the fuck out of me. I make a deliberate show of straightening my cuff links before brushing an imaginary piece of lint from my slacks. A quick glance his way shows a muscle twitching in his cheek. He’s angry. But he’s also nervous, which proves he’s not a complete idiot. Finally, I relax back in my seat as if I haven’t a care in the world. “I thought after all these years that we should finally meet face to face. After all, you did think enough of me to send your daughter Jade to Falco.” I force a smile to my lips. “I owe you my thanks for that. She’s an amazing woman. She must have taken after her mother.”
He may have had a sneaking suspicion that I know who Jade is, but he really needs to work on his poker face. “What the fuck is this all about?” Ah, the gloves are off and all pretenses of civility are gone. “You barge in here uninvited, spouting some nonsense. You may have nothing better to do, but I can assure you that I have. Now, if that’s all—”
“Sit down and shut the fuck up,” I bark in a voice that brooks no arguments. He stiffens but surprisingly takes a seat. Pussy. He’s used to being the bully and doesn’t know how to deal with an authority figure, so he looks like a sullen child now. But isn’t that the way of all spineless cowards? I get to my feet and begin pacing his office. Fear literally comes from him in waves, and I wonder fleetingly if he’s even aware of it. He’s broken faster than I estimated, but I’m not a fool. Evil men are even more dangerous when they’re backed into a corner. He’s not stupid enough to try anything here, but as soon as I’m gone, he’ll be calling in reinforcements. He’ll be too fucking scared not to. “Let me bring you up to speed here, Wrenn, so we can have a reasonable discussion afterward. You planted your daughter at Falco to acquire incriminating information that you could use against me. You also paid off several people in my employ to cover her identity. All this under the guise of revenge for my part in the acquisition of Wrenn Wear almost twenty years ago.”
“You killed my wife,” he blurts out, but it sounds scripted.
There’s no real emotion there. Certainly, that many years might dull the pain a bit, but the only thing I can detect is anger, and I feel in my gut that even that isn’t directed at me. But I have a pretty good idea who it is aimed at. “That’s bullshit, and you know it. I think your real problem here is that you’re still pissed over your wife daring to prefer Draco Moretti to you. That must have been quite a blow to your pride.” Momentarily, I see the intense fury he’s trying to contain. His fists are clenched, and his nostrils flare as he fights for control. And we have a winner, folks. He wants to lash out, yet he also doesn’t want to give me the satisfaction.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about, Jacks,” he spits out. “Moretti taking control of Wrenn Wear was the only association she had with him. And if you knew anything at all, you’d know that was the true love of her life. Not some thug who took things that didn’t belong to him.”
I shrug indifferently “Whatever lets you sleep at night. The word is, Jasmine and Draco were an item for quite a while. Not just a brief fling because she wanted to leave you. Take the kids. But you used them as your trump card, and she panicked and fell back in line. But I guess living with you was too much for her, hence the drinking. Draco taking Wrenn Wear, living without her lover… One drink too many and boom, she wrapped her car around a tree.” I pause, stop my pacing, and look him straight in the eye. “Or did she?”
His face goes ashen at my insinuation. Truthfully, the last part had been thrown in for no other reason than to piss him off, but his reaction gives me pause. “Whatever you’re insinuating, you’re wrong. You know nothing,” he all but shouts. Color floods his face once again as his temper soars. “My family is none of your fucking business!”
I stride to his desk and lean across it until he’s only inches away. He moves back to get more distance between us. “You made it my business when you sent your daughter to Falco to spy on me,” I snarl. I struggle for composure, as the urge to pull him from his chair is nearly impossible to resist. But that’s not why I’m here. He’d love nothing better than for me to lay hands on him because he’ll have me arrested for assault before I make it out of the damn building. So I carefully pull away and regroup. When I speak again, my voice is level—almost pleasant. No doubt, it’s making his skin crawl. “You know, Wrenn, you’re right about one thing. I don’t know nearly enough about your family—but it’s an oversight I intend to correct immediately.” I stride toward the door and open it before turning around to lob my last grenade. “After all, Jade is mine now, so it only seems right that there be no secrets between us. I’ve always found that dirty laundry has the power to stink up a room at the most inopportune times, haven’t you?” I don’t wait for a reply. Instead, I leave him there with the look of a man who has been caught with his dick in his hand. Some days, I get off on being an asshole, and this is one of them. But for now, it’s time to go home to Jade. The bait has been cast, and if I were a betting man, I’d say that Hunter picks immediately. Game on, you smug bastard.
JADE
My cell phone rings, and I glance at the caller ID. I ponder ignoring it, but she’ll just keep calling until I give in. So with a sigh, I click answer. “Yes,” I say shortly. She never calls for a sisterly chat, so she wants something from me. I’ve often wondered who she talks to about things. I can’t think of anyone she’s ever been close to. Apparently, Wrenn women don’t cultivate close relationships with other females. But I do have Lia, Rose, and Kara.
“I need you to come pick me up,” she says without preamble. “My fucking car won’t start.”
“Call the auto club,” I suggest. It’s what I do rather than contacting her. Heck, hitchhiking is preferable.
She releases an irritated breath before saying slowly and deliberately. “I did, Jade. But they’re backed up for like two hours. Everyone in this godforsaken city has an emergency tonight. I don’t want to sit in a dark, deserted parking garage alone.” Before I can answer, she adds quietly, “As if you’d really give a damn if anything happened to me. Just forget I even asked.”
I roll my eyes in exasperation, but considering she’s not there to see it, the gesture seems pointless. We both know I’ll do what she wants because there’s no way I could live with it on the outside chance that some poor bastard attacks her. “Where are you?” I ask, already getting to my feet.
Now that she’s gotten her way, all trace of softness is gone, and she says impatiently, “At Wrenn, naturally. Could you get a move on, I have plans tonight.” She disconnects the call without bothering to say goodbye or heaven forbid, thank you. I could carry her on my back across a freaking river and not receive any gratitude.
I grab my purse and rush out, making it to my car in record time. I consider calling Lee to see if he’s left my father’s office but decide against it. Surely, if Dad is still there, Jacey doesn’t need me to rescue her. I’ll wait until I get back to his place to find out what happened during his impromptu meeting.
Jacey is standing next to her car when I pull into the garage. It is rather deserted and creepy. I’ve never noticed the lack of after-hours security here. My father really should do better for his employees, but I doubt he gives a damn. I park next to her and lower my window when she doesn’t make a move to get in the passenger seat. “I thought yo
u were in such a rush.”
“Could you give me a hand?” she huffs out. “I have a couple of boxes to carry, plus my briefcase.” Shit, what else, princess? I leave the engine idling and the door open, hoping that one trip will do it. She has her trunk open, and I’m leaning over, looking at nothing but empty space, when pain explodes in my skull. My vision blurs as I struggle to remain on my feet. “I’m sorry, Jade. I don’t want to do this, but it’s either you or me. I really have no choice.” What? Her words make no sense. I am attempting to steady myself and turn around, when there is another blow. This time, I can’t hold on. My legs begin to buckle beneath me as the world goes black.
13
Lee
I’ve been home for almost an hour, and there’s still no word from Jade. I stopped by Falco on the way in to check my messages and to see if she was still there, but security said that she’d been gone for a while. I assumed she’d be here, so when she wasn’t, I checked the parking garage. Her car is gone. I wasn’t overly concerned at that point, thinking she may have run home for some clothes. I used the time to talk with Luc about my meeting with Wrenn and about hiring additional security for our families.
When all that has been taken care of, there still is so sign of her, and she isn’t answering her phone, so I begin to get nervous. Warning bells are sounding in my gut, and that always spells trouble. I have my phone in hand, ready to call Luc again, when it rings. I look and breathe a sigh of relief when I see Jade’s name—well, actually Liza’s on the caller ID. “Hey, where are you?” I ask, feeling instantly better.
“Lee.” Her voice is low and shaky, barely audible. Fuck.
“What’s wrong? Where are you?” I fire off the questions, as I begin pacing. “Are you okay?”
Her line is silent for a long moment before she says, “I-I don’t know. I think Jacey hit me. It’s so dark, and I can’t sit up.” Her voice is rising, and I hear the panic, bordering on hysteria. I want to lose my shit right along with her, but that will accomplish nothing. I need to calm her down and find out what’s going on.
“Jade,” I say soothingly, yet firmly. “Sweetheart, take a deep breath. You must focus so I can help you. Now start at the beginning and tell me what happened.”
I hear her do as I’ve instructed. “Jacey called me to ask me to come get her because her car wouldn’t start. I’m not sure, but someone hit me in the back of my head. Then she said something about being sorry and that’s the last thing I recall. I woke up in the dark and tried to get up. But I can only move a little on either side.”
I’m already racing through the lobby of my building before she finishes talking. My car is still parked at the curb, and I fumble for my keys before unlocking it and jumping inside. But I haven’t a fucking clue which direction to head in. I consider going to Luc’s briefly, but I don’t want to panic Lia, so instead, I go to the man with resources I need. “Okay. Let’s work this out. Can you find the flashlight button on your phone? Then you can flip it on and look around.” I notice there is a roaring noise in the background, but I can’t identify the sound. I hear her fingers touching the keys, then she shrieks.
“Oh my God! Lee, I’m in the trunk of Jacey’s car. Or at least I think it’s still hers. I remember now that she had some boxes she needed me to help her with, and that’s when someone hit me. She must have pushed me inside.” What. The. Fuck? Her sister?
I’m furious. Her fucking sister will never walk if something happens to Jade. Keeping it together is almost impossible right now. “Listen to my voice, baby,” I murmur soothingly. “You’re going to be okay. I’ll find you, I promise. Just stay on the line with me. If you hear the car stop, hide the phone. I’m going to have it traced.” I pull to a stop in front of Tony’s club and leap from my car, not bothering to shut the door. As luck has it, Tony is standing a few feet away smoking a cigarette with the guy I recognize from my first visit here. He gives me a questioning look. “I need your help.” He doesn’t ask questions. He nods once, then tosses his cigarette onto the sidewalk before turning to the entrance of his building and walking inside. I follow him as I tell Jade, “Hang tight, sweetheart. I need to tell my friend what’s happened. Remember what you’re supposed to do if necessary.”
“I got it. Just find me—please.” Her voice is still high and tight with fear, but she’s holding her own. I’m so fucking proud of her. Most people would be freaking the fuck out right now, but she’s hanging tough. That’s my woman.
“I will, baby. I’m working on it now. I-I love you,” I add. I’ve never told anyone that before. Apart from Jade. My voice sounds rusty as I utter the words. Yet as if they were always waiting for her, they’re so right on my tongue. Tony is standing in the center of the club with his hands on his hips as I mute my side of the conversation. I don’t want to cause Jade more panic as we discuss the situation. “Jade’s been taken. She thinks she’s in the trunk of her sister’s car. She has her cell phone, so I need to trace the call before it’s discovered. I haven’t a fucking clue where she’s being taken. I doubt she’ll be at the Wrenn family home.”
“What is Jade’s phone number?” He tosses me a napkin and a pen from the nearby bar, and I quickly jot it down before handing it back. He has his own phone out now, quickly punching buttons before lifting it to his ear. “Marco, get here now. Trace this number,” he says sharply. He relays the digits and ends the call. No other information is given, nor apparently are any questions asked. And I recognize the name of the man who he’s just spoken to. Marco Moretti is no one’s errand boy. He’s a heavy hitter within the organization. Tony studies me for a moment before saying quietly, “This won’t end well for the Wrenns. Jade has immunity because she belongs to you, but the other two are fair game. And you can bet your ass Marco will know the connection between Draco and Hunter.”
I nod. “I could give two fucks what happens to them. They punched their ticket when they dared to take Jade. They should hope Marco is who they face because this is personal.”
“Understood.” I fill him in on my visit to Wrenn’s office, pausing to check on Jade every few minutes. I’ve just finished relaying the last of it when a tall hulk of a man dressed in a black suit walks in. Marco. He and Tony were close growing up, and it’s obvious by the way that they embrace that the connection is still there. “Thanks for coming so quickly, brother.” Tony claps his shoulder.
Marco then turns toward me and extends a hand. “Lee, it’s been a long time.”
“It has indeed,” I say warmly, seeing traces of the boy I knew in the man before me. “I appreciate it,” I add, and he inclines his head.
“You’re family,” he says. And that explains it all. I hear my name and realize Jade is calling me. I moved the phone away from my ear when talking to Marco and hadn’t realized it. I hastily raise it again asking, “What’s wrong, baby? I’m right here.”
“I think the car has stopped,” she whispers. There is no longer any background noise, which unsettles me, too. While they were moving, she was relatively safe.
“All right, honey. Leave the call connected on mute, but put the phone back in your pocket.”
“I’m scared,” she says. “What if I never see you again?”
Her words, as well as the shakiness of her voice, nearly breaks my heart. I strive for confidence that I’m far from feeling. “I’ll find you, piccolo uccello. Just hang on a little longer. Do what they say and try to buy us a little time.”
“Okay,” she says uncertainly. “I love you, Lee.”
“Me too, baby,” I murmur, then swallow hard as she does as instructed and puts the phone away. “We need to trace that call now. They’ve stopped. If we can at least find the general area, we’ll have a starting point. Based on how long she’s been moving, they should still be in the state.”
Tony looks at Marco who is already typing on his phone. “My guy is talking to his contact. We have an approximate grid around the Pisgah Forest, but we’ll be wasting our time without narrowing it do
wn. There are so many subdivisions and wooded areas there that finding a needle in a haystack would be fucking easier.”
Apparently having the same thought, Tony and I head toward the door. “We’ll at least be mobile when we get some more information,” he says. He pulls a set of keys from his pocket and clicks to unlock a black Land Rover a few feet away at the curb. “I’ll drive so you can monitor Jade.” He tosses me his own phone. “Call Lucian. Fill him in. Let’s make certain everyone is on guard until we know what the fuck we’re dealing with.”
“I’ve tightened security and so has he. But too fucking late. I’ll let both he and Pete know.” I quickly fill both Luc and Pete in and am grateful how calm they are under pressure. They both agree to add another layer of protection to our family and ask to be contacted as soon as I have further information. Even though they want to help, I tell them they can do that by taking care of the people we love.
I hand Tony his phone back, then say softly, “Marco needs to know that the person who orchestrated this is mine.”
Tony doesn’t respond for a moment, then he glances my way before turning back to the road. “Family is a funny thing, Lee. Jade may hate her father, but if you’re the one who kills him, she might not be able to get past it. Something like that—even when warranted—has a way of changing the way a person looks at you.”
I run a hand through my hair in frustration. “Don’t you think I know that? But what kind of fucking man would I be if I let this stand?”
“I know you did shit when necessary for my dad and Victor. But at your core, you value human life. I also know that you believe in an eye for an eye,” he adds. I know without him putting it into words that he’s talking about the bastard who hurt Lia. I’ve never told anyone what happened the day I did what needed to be done to ensure the safety of my only child, nor will I. That’s yet another secret I’ll take to the grave. And I’ll never lose a moment’s sleep over it.
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