Ben is a good place to start asking questions.
If this is his mess, then I’ll find him, and I’ll have a conversation with him that he isn’t going to like.
But if this isn’t about Ben, then the rat is more candid about flushing himself out.
Thatsomeone elsewould more than likely be Konstantin fucking Lomonov.
My sources say he is still on the West Coast. But in my world, nothing is a given unless you’re staring at it with your own eyes. Considering today I was looking at two of my men gutted in a boat shed, I’m leaning toward that information being outdated. But it shows how clever he is at covering his tracks and how quickly he moves when he’s on the hunt. I understand the movements and can match his pace as long as I keep a cool head and stay three steps ahead—like always.
I don’t have enough information yet to know which scenario we’re dealing with. And I only work with facts, not speculation.
So I’m going to get the facts.
Starting with Ben.
The gates to my property open, and I drive up to the house, coming to a stop at the front entrance.
Leonore looks at me, and my gut twists when I see the fear in her glassy eyes.
“I’m going to find Nessa,” I reassure her.
She nods, but her chin trembles, and she looks like she’s carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. I understandher fear well. It’s different when you’re facing a monster yourself. That primal, violent thing that crawls to the surface is the same in her as it is in me. But when it’s for someone you love, and you can no longer control the situation, it flips us into a wounded, bloody animal. That’s how I would feel if anyone got their hands on her. I immediately push away the thought because I fucking refuse to let that happen.
“I need you to stay here with Larissa and let me do this,” I say to her carefully, reminding her that the little girl needs her just as much as her friend.
“What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to make some calls. And then I’m going to find Ben, and he’s going to tell me what the fuck is going on.”
“What if this isn’t because of Ben?” she whispers, her brows pulling in. “What if Nessa being gone is because of me?”
“Then I’ll deal with it.” I lean across and press my lips to her forehead. “Don’t drive yourself crazy with questions we don’t have the answers to yet. I will find her and keep you all safe.”
She bites her bottom lip as I pull away, but her hand catches mine, and my heart fucking breaks for the desperate mix of hope and hate. “I love you. I just want them safe.” Her voice hitches. “But I want you to be safe too. Let me come with you.”
I shake my head and look back at Larissa. “She needs to feel safe, and that is with you. She needs you right now. Trust me.”
She seems to fight with that, but I see the resignation in her eyes because she knows I’m right. “I love you too,” I say as I brush my thumb across her cheek, wanting to breathe reassurance into her lungs.
I climb out of the car and walk around to the passenger side.
In the back seat, Larissa is still asleep, so I slide my arms beneath her and lift her out. Her head lolls against my shoulder, and the way she curls into me without waking does something tomy chest, and I know without a doubt that I am going to find her mom and make things right.
I carry her inside and up the stairs to the guest room, where I lay her on the bed. Leonore climbs on beside her and pulls her into her arms.
“She’s going to need her Auntie Leo to be strong,” I say.
“I know. And I will be.”
I sit on the bed beside her. “The less she knows, the better.”
She gnaws at her lip. “I’m afraid,” she whispers.
That animal inside me tears me in two, hating that I can’t take this away from her.
I remove my gun and hand it to her. She looks at it, then back at me.
“Do you think I’m going to need to use this?” she asks.
