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I nodded.
“That boy disappeared a week ago.”
Shit. “I’m sorry. Any other names?”
“You really believe me?”
“Yes. Swain was already on my suspect list.”
“They only other name I’ve heard is Arlington.”
“Donald Arlington?”
She shrugged, but it almost had to be him. I hadn’t suspected Arlington was involved, but he had the means and the connections. He was a rich asshole with more money than sense who moved in some of the same social circles as the Marchesis. He fancied himself edgy because he dabbled in drugs and kinky sex, but I’d not given him credit for being subtle enough to take part in the trafficking ring.
“A girl I know escaped and came back. She said she’d been on Arlington’s yacht.”
Fucking son of a bitch. “Did she report what happened?”
Brianna snorted. “Like anyone would believe her.”
I hated how right she was
“She was just glad to have escaped.”
“Could I talk to her?”
Brianna frowned. “She’s not on the streets anymore. She’s… I shouldn’t say.”
“Do you have a way to contact her?”
“Maybe.”
That was enough for now.
“Thank you. Go with Elena, and I’ll let her know if I have more questions.”
Brianna nodded. I thanked Elena again, then met Devil at my apartment.
“Beer?” I asked when he’d made himself at home on my couch.
“Am I going to need something stronger?”
I laughed. “Possibly, but if we’re going to make a plan of action with the information I have, we should be marginally sober.”
Devil snorted, but he accepted the bottle of beer I offered him.
I explained exactly what had happened from the time Renzo had called me until I’d left Brianna with Elena, including the information Brianna had given me.
“I fucking knew it,” he said as soon as I mentioned Swain.
“Yeah, we both did. We need to move on this as fast as we can.”
“I’ll make a call. Expect a man at your shop tomorrow.”
“Hold up,” I said, lifting a hand. “What man?”
“Someone from Vigilance.”
“Fucking Giorgio?”
He grinned. “Maybe. He’s a little mellower now that he’s found a man.”
No way in hell did I believe that. “Really?”
“A little.”
“Uh-huh.”
“I doubt it will be him, though. He’s too close to all this now.”
“And I’m not?”
“You’re angry and invested, but you want justice, not revenge for these bastards hurting the man you love.”
I snorted. What was it with all these men I worked with falling in love? It was ridiculous. “No way in hell would I let myself get tied to another person like that.”
“Then you’re invested rather than compromised.”
“Whatever I am, I’m not backing down. This is my fight, and I want to lead whatever plan we put in place to take these bastards out.”
“This is too big for you to do on your own or even with me and my family. We need all the resources we can get if we want to end this once and for all.”
“I’m not working with just anybody.”
“Vigilance only uses the best.”
“And the most arrogant.”
Devil smiled. “That may be true, but—”
“Give me a day or two.”
“Marco, you need—”
“I need to figure some shit out before I bring anyone else in.”
Devil didn’t respond. I scowled at him. “You’re going to call them anyway, aren’t you?”
He shrugged. “I’ll talk to Lucien first.”
Lucien was his cousin and the head of their family. He was less impulsive than Devil but also unlikely to let me take the lead in this operation. Devil was right that I couldn’t do this alone, but I also wasn’t going to put up with some arrogant shit thinking he could tell me what to do. And I sure as fuck wasn’t working with Niall.
2
Niall
My phone buzzed as I stepped off the treadmill. I grabbed a towel and wiped the sweat from my face before picking it up. It was Giorgio. I’d been hoping it was someone I could ignore, but I always answered when any of the senior members of Vigilance called. A call from one of them didn’t always signal an emergency, but I had to assume it was, especially since it was nearly midnight. I’d tried going to bed early after a hell of a day, but I hadn’t been able to fall asleep, so I’d been trying to exhaust myself with a workout.
“What’s up, Giorgio?”
“I’ve got some intel on the traffickers.”
“How?”
“Devil called. An associate of his saved a girl from being taken last night, and she’s heard rumors.”
“You think they’re true?”
“Devil does, and I trust him.”
“So am I supposed to talk to this informant or what?”
“That’s up to X. He wants you at his office tomorrow at eight.”
“Did he tell you to call me?”
“Yes. He’s at an event tonight representing his family.”
I rolled my eyes. X, the leader of Vigilance, led two lives, one working with us solving problems that were easier to deal with when you didn’t have to worry about staying within the law and another as a prominent figure in Boston society. His family connections meant he had an obscene amount of money and untold resources at his disposal, so I didn’t begrudge the time his other life took away from our work—not much anyway.
