Page 5 of One Second After Another

“I fucking guess!”

“And—”

“Where is she?” Naz demanded.

Luca blew out a breath, refusing to even turn toward the mirrors where he could see his reflection staring back. Like he needed the visual reminder of the mess this had become and his failures. He felt it more than enough.

“I don’t know,” Luca admitted. “I basically forced my way to Nevada with her when the people she works for here called her back, but she seemed all right about it. Except I woke up and she’s gone, people are banging down the door, and this is all bad. Every bit of it.”

“None of that makes any sense.”

“It does. I just haven’t explained the rest.”

Any of it, really. And he wouldn’t have the chance to.

Three figures slipped into the airport bathroom, making Luca quiet as he recognized one of the men. The one in the middle with his neat braid flipped over his shoulder and dark eyes nailing into him as if he’d just caught his prey.

“Cree,” Luca greeted.

Were they on a first-name basis now? He figured ... why not? It wasn’t like this situation could end well for Luca, so he might as well do what he wanted while it happened.

“Luca, what’s happening?” Naz asked, a worried tinge coloring his tone.

“Nothing—”

“Hang up the phone,” the man to Cree’s right said.

The one on the left was now pointing a gun at Luca.

All good things.

Not.

“In a sec,” Luca replied. And then to Naz, he said, “It’s really bad now, man.”

“Who?”

That was all Naz asked.

Luca simply said, “The League.”

“Hang up the phone.”

He did.

Not that he wanted to.

Up until that moment, Cree had said nothing. Only the men that accompanied him—men Luca didn’t know—spoke. Since he didn’t care about the other two, he looked to the man in the middle for what would happen next.

“She’s not with you,” Cree said, the statement sure and certain.

Nothing else was.

“No,” Luca returned, gaze darting back and forth between the two men who stepped closer to him with every second. “Did I give her a head start?”

He didn’t need an answer.

Cree’s expression was enough.