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The plan was going without a hitch.
I stood outside the hospital, watching people go in and out. Sirens rang somewhere in the distance, blue and red lights cast in the darkness of night as they approached the hospital.
I knew the Blades wouldn’t arrive in an ambulance. They’d had no idea where they were. Killing them would have been ideal, but creating a confusion…that was just as good. And if I managed to turn them all against each other, that would be even better.
I could leverage their confusion, and I could leverage Sofia.
Everything would go perfectly.
At first, I was worried that Archer Holden had been incompetent. Then my son had tried to get me to believe that he was going to be on my side, but I knew better. I could read him like a book. More importantly, I was certain he was going to bring his sister to me.
I had been ready for their attack, but I hadn’t expected it to go so well.
The Blades had been separated from Sofia and I had even managed to grab one of the gang members, the scariest looking one. It was all going to give me far more bargaining power when I finally confronted Mateo Costa.
I hadn’t messed with them because it was fun–though that had certainly been part of it. It was because they were part of my big plans.
The men I dealt with were getting nervous. They didn’t understand just how important my operation was, they didn’t know how much money moved in my circles. If the people I dealt with found out that the law was looking into me, they were going to be more than angry.
But someone was always looking at the Mercy Blades. They weren’t exactly inconspicuous and taking over their operation would provide me with a lot of cover. Plus, as much as the Everglades had been helpful for getting rid of bodies and disappearing into the night, but I missed the normalcy of home.
I missed the hustle and bustle of the city, the restaurants, the ability to go wherever I wanted. There was a reason I had chosen Orlando so long ago.
It was time for me to return home.
It was time for me to make Orlando mine again.
Chapter Four: Grayson
Teo was in recovery, but he needed to rest, and the morphine was taking its sweet time to kick in. I could tell from the thin line his mouth was drawn into, the way his brows furrowed. He had been a rock, taking the blow that was meant for all of us. Now, he looked anything but invincible.
I stared at the closed door leading to his room for a moment longer before forcing myself away, back to the reality of our situation. Sofia and Victor were still missing, likely in the hands of that monster. The hospital might have been a sanctuary of sorts, a break from the battle we were fighting, but it also felt like a prison. A cage keeping us from doing the one thing we needed to do.
Jace approached me, wearing a hospital gown and looking as haggard as I felt. He handed me a steaming coffee, his gaze steady on my face. “I don’t think you’re supposed to be out of bed,” I said.
Jace smiled. “What are you, my dad?”
I laughed, a dry husk of a sound. I took the proffered drink, savoring the heat seeping through the styrofoam cup. The bitter aroma of the coffee was some small comfort in the sterile environment.
We moved to sit by the window, watching as the last vestiges of daylight disappeared over the horizon. I didn't say anything about Sofia, and neither did Jace. The silence hung heavy between us, but it was comforting in its own way.
“Nothing on the call, then?”
He shook his head. “No, it was a VoIP,” he said.
“What’s that?”
“Voice over Internet Protocol,” he replied with a shrug, “Basically, a call made through the internet. Harder to trace, almost impossible if they knew what they were doing.”
“Nothing?”
“No location data, no numbers to trace. The IP address bounces all around the globe. It was a ghost call, Gray."
I clenched my jaw, frustration bubbling within me. Each setback was like a punch to the gut, leaving me feeling more helpless than before.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. Bastard is toying with us,” I said.
