Page 222 of Merciless Daddy

“Yes. And you were supposed to.” He adjusted one cuff. “The tracker was real. The driver was useful. His daughter was recovered precisely when your people needed a reason to believe they had solved the problem.”

My stomach turned cold.

“No.”

“I wanted them looking at your brother while I took you.”

I fought the restraints again. Gianni caught my wrists in one hand.

“Don’t,” he said. “You’ll hurt yourself.”

“Do not touch me.”

He let go with a small, mocking gesture.

“The attack withdrew when Caruso reserves arrived,” he continued. “Pietro and Tonio are still protecting Kiryl. Your brother is safe.”

“Proof.”

Gianni held up a phone.

A traffic feed filled the screen. Grainy. High angle. Armored SUVs moved through an intersection under Caruso escort. Men leaned from windows with rifles. One vehicle in the center had been reinforced with steel plates.

Kiryl was inside it.

Alive.

I stared until my eyes burned.

Gianni watched me.

“See?” he said softly. “I am not unreasonable.”

I looked at him over the phone.

“You kidnapped me from a legal examination.”

“Perfectly reasonable.”

“You shot Sal’s guard. You hurt Angela.”

“Yes.”

“You staged an attack on my brother.”

He smiled.

“I moved the pieces I needed moved.”

The city slipped away behind us. Somewhere, Sal would be tearing Chicago apart to find me.

Somewhere, Kiryl was alive, worrying about me. I held that fact like a blade in my fist. Then I looked at Gianni and let him see exactly how much I hated him.

“You made one mistake,” I said.

His brows lifted.

“What is that, little bird?”