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"Yeah, the kid is the daughter of Leo Visconti, so treat this delicately. And…" I glance at my grandfather. "Mario Russo will be providing some intelligence. After all… it was he who found her in the first place."

"This is personal, Joker," I state. "She left a poor, sick child without a mother. I know we deal with some dangerous people on a daily basis, but my grandfather just took me to see her.”

Mario bristles happily as I talk.

“She needs a kidney transplant. Actually, do you think you could help with that?" I quickly reel off the hospital's name and Illyana's room number. "Maybe bump her to the top of the list?"

"Understood."

18

SABINA

Valentina's frantic demand about whether or not I can drive sent me into a momentary panic that we'd been found and she needed me to drive like hell while she did… whatever it is that she and Cassian do that allows them to kidnap people in the middle of the night.

Turns out it was nothing of the sort. She'd received a signal from Cassian that Mario was taking him somewhere important and it was our job to track him down. Which is why an hour later, we're both crouched behind a dumpster while Cassian loudly talks on his phone to someone about Illyana.

My daughter.

She's in this hospital, and the thought of seeing her again twists my stomach into all kinds of knots, not that I have time to think about anything other than how badly my thighs burn. Crouching here and not making a noise suddenly becomes the hardest thing I've ever had to do, but just as doubt enters my heart, I glimpse Mario through the gap between the dumpster and the wall.

I can't get caught.

I can't go back there.

Valentina shifts next to me, her face completely blank as she reaches for me and lays her hand on my arm. Clearly, she's used to being crouched for so long because there isn't a single tremble moving through her or a curl in her brow.

I have both.

Cassian suddenly announces a floor and room number, then his voice fades as he slips into the waiting car with Mario. Valentina's hand tightens against my thigh and she maintains that grip until the car starts up and pulls away from the hospital.

"Let's go get your daughter back," she says, and she flashes me a very slight smile. She moves, and it gives me permission to stand, although I have to brace on the wall to fight the prickle of blood racing back into my calves.

"Are you serious?" I keep my voice low and follow her as she strides confidently toward the hospital entrance. "How, exactly, are we going to do that?"

Valentina doesn't reply.

"Seriously," I hiss. "She's sick, remember? You can't seriously think we can just waltz in and take her out with us?"

The glass double doors slide open with a soft, hushed sound, and Valentina walks right through.

"I mean even if we talk to her, she doesn't know me. If she's any kind of sensible, she definitely won't believe me if I tell her to come with us."

Ignoring the front desk, Valentina heads for a long hallway where another set of double doors automatically opens up for us.

"And what if she has equipment and other things to take? Do you think we can just haul that out of here with us?"

Valentina suddenly takes my hand and drags me through a single doorway into a cold hallway. Chilled, clammy air immediately latches onto my face like a sudden sweat and I'm shocked to silence as she presses me up against the wall.

"I know you're scared," Valentina says and she holds my gaze. "But I need you to stop talking."

"These are all valid questions," I whisper.

"And I need you to trust me. Cassian and I know what we're doing. I wouldn't be here if I didn't have a plan, but I need you to play your part and you can't do that if you're panicking."

"I'm not panicking." My words come out so strong that I almost believe them myself.

"You are. And it's okay. Get it out of your system."