He gasps, teeth chattering. “A life for a life. Your woman’s life for mine.”
“Keep going,” I growl, tightening my grip.
His bravado collapses. “Your word,” he pants. “Once I tell you… please. Let me go.”
I nod once. He won’t die. Not yet. But I’ll collect my pound of flesh. “I’ve been following Olivia,” he rushes out. “It’s leverage to protect myself.” His head lolls. “I know where she lives… west side. Apartment. The flash drive’s in the right leg of the stool. Everything you need is there.”
“Col, stabilize him.”
Collin moves, wrapping Ethan’s shattered leg with surgical precision as I cross the room. I find the flash drive exactly where he said and jam it into the laptop. A password prompt flashes. “Ethan,” I bark. “The password.”
“The Ten Irish Fists,” he groans.
I type it in. That he used our family name makes bile rise in my throat. He wanted to bring us down; we are his obsession. Now it’s going to cost him everything.
Files load—names, addresses, photos and right away I forward the info to Jake. We’ll know who she is within the hour.Please let this be the lifeline that leads me to Aria.I walk back to where Collin is finishing up with Ethan.
“Troy,” I say without looking up from my phone. “Stay here. Call Trent for cleanup. Take him to the tunnels. Get Amir to patch him up. He needs to stay alive.”
“You got it, C.” Troy’s already dialing.
“You promised,” Ethan wheezes. “A life for a life!”
I turn to him. “Aye. You’re alive. For now.” I lean closer. “But until Aria’s safe in my arms? Your life stays on the table. If your information pans out, I’ll personally release you.”
“You fuckin—.”
“Someone tape his mouth shut,” I order. As Troy moves, I look to Thomas, and Collin lets go. Jake’s meeting us at Olivia’s address.”
Collin, Thomas, and I head for the elevator when my phone buzzes again. I pull it out. Lorenzo.
The moment I see his name; my gut turns to stone. I swipe to answer, my voice dropping into a low growl. “What do you want?”
Lorenzo’s voice slides through the line, smug and satisfied. “I have something of yours.” Then I hear it. Aria’s scream, torn straight from her chest. The sound shreds me. My blood freezes, then boils all at once.
“I’m going to rip you apart,” I snarl, barely holding myself together.
He laughs. “A car will wait outside your towers at dawn. Be in it, or she comes back to you in pieces.” The line goes dead. Another notification hits before I can breathe. A text comes through, I open it.
Lorenzo:
Cyan, my boy. It’s simple. Bring yourself to me at dawn. Her life for yours. If you don’t, you’ll get more videos like this. She’ll suffer. This is your only chance to save her.
A video, I tap it; she is tied to a chair. One of Lorenzo’s men presses her palm flat against a table. Another hand moves toward her, holding a nail gun. The crack of its discharge is brutal as the nail drives straight through her hand, pinning her to the table. The phone slips from my fingers and hits the floor as she cries out.
“Fuck!” I slam my fist into the wall. Again, again red dots bloom across the wall, but I don’t stop. Can’t stop. A door creaks open and immediately slams shut. Arms wrap around me. Collin drags me back.
“Fucking hell,” Thomas mutters, staring at the message, the video. I hear her scream again in my head. It’s too much. Collin releases me and takes the phone from Thomas.
“This is a fucking trap, Cyan. You’re not doing this. Right?” My legs give out. I slide down the wall, head falling into my hands as Aria’s screams echo again, a permanent clog in my brain.I’ve failed her. I’ve failed again.
“Cyan. You know trading yourself won’t bring her back. Lorenzo will kill you both. You die, and we lose everything. Our revenge, our family and you. All gone.”
Sixty
“A rat sat at my dinner table, smiling like family. And I let it happen.”–Cyan MacBrady.
Ihear him, but my heart is already moving ahead. I see Aria laughing. The way she lights even the darkest corners of my life. She’s my light, and I’ll be damned if I let it be snuffed out.For her, I’d wade through a river of blood and claw through fire if it meant bringing her back. I lift my head and meet Collin’s gaze, my resolve absolute. “My life for hers.”
