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He exited as quietly as ever, even his steps silent. I drummed my fingers on the table, not knowing what to do next. Normally, I would bound down to the basement, determined to go over and re-go-over every detail of the next assignment, but I couldn’t gather enough energy to care. With my heart heavy, I pulled open the freezer. In cases like that, a girl needed chocolate and ice cream as much, if not more so, than she needed oxygen. Groaning at the empty shelves in front of me, I checked my watch. Sweet Nothings, my favorite ice cream parlor, would be open for another hour.
I grabbed my keys and jumped in my car. It was an actual emergency, much more so than the whole Oliver issue ever was, and I wasn’t about to give anything a chance to interrupt me. It didn’t take long to traverse the few blocks, though I had to park down the street from the storefront. By the looks of things, baseball practice for the kids had just let out. I wasn’t great with ages, but I’d guess they were a year or two younger than Gia. The parlor was packed, forcing me to dodge running kids and skim past parents talking to other families as they celebrated the end of another game.
“Well, hello, Alessia. Is that niece of yours with you today?” Nancy, the aging owner of the store, asked as I practically slid to a stop at the counter.
“No, ma’am. Just having a chocolate emergency tonight.”
She gave me a sympathetic look. “Man troubles?”
I hesitated. “Is it that obvious?”
She laughed. “Honey, there are only a handful of things that can drive a woman to run through a horde of screaming children. Man trouble is the leading cause, so I played the odds.”
I gave her a smile I didn’t much feel. “Well, you guessed right. What do you recommend?” I learned long ago to bow to Nancy’s wisdom.
She smiled sympathetically. “My granddaughter created a new concoction this morning. Chocolate Dream Supreme, I think she called it. Chocolate ice cream with a hint of espresso, homemade dark and milk chocolate mini chips, plus swirls of caramel and marshmallow, topped with chocolate sprinkles.”
It sounded rich, over-the-top, and perfect. Licking my lips, I nodded. “I’ll take a double scoop.”
My eyes practically closed in bliss as I took my first bite. I sucked on the spoon as I exited a few minutes later. The mix of coffee, chocolate, marshmallow, and a hint of caramel swirled on my taste buds. I would have a stomachache and sugar rush for sure, but it was totally going to be worth it.
I was halfway back to the car when I felt it. The feel of eyes watching me caused the hairs on the back of my neck to rise.Damn it, I thought, looking down at the half-eaten bowl mournfully. Apparently, Karl was much more impatient than anyone had thought, and my plans for the next few days were about to be fucked to hell. To top it off, I wouldn’t even have a full stomach or a night of sleep to tide me over. I kept my attention on my vehicle, resisting the urge to see where the source of the stares were coming from. Three, possibly four, I decided, busying myself by digging my keys out from my purse. Once I had them in hand, I dropped them so I could case the area. I pegged the black sedan with tinted windows parked just in front of my car as the getaway driver—real original there, but they would have to get me out of there somehow with no one seeing. There was still a fair amount of pedestrian traffic a block or two away, but it had cleared out a bit from before.
The quiet in the darkness was almost deafening and further cemented that, although I’d pegged them, the team was comprised of experienced professionals since they weren’t making a sound. For the first time in my career, I had to force down a shiver of fear. We’d thought we’d have time to put a team of our own in place. One that could watch from a distance, sure, but be there as backup nonetheless. Now I didn’t even have Brody to watch my back. The realistic part of me knew that if he were there, the team circling me would have killed him to get to me, but the human element in me wished I had someone by my side to help steady my nerves. I was used to being the hunter, not the prey, and I didn’t like the change one damn bit. Worst-case scenarios flashed through my brain. What if I was totally off base, and this team hadn’t been hired by Karl, but by some other unknown threat? I couldn’t imagine Oliver having the resources, but he wasn’t the only one with an unhealthy fixation—just the one who was currently the most persistent and had the easiest access to me. Would my backup be able to find me? How long until someone realized I was missing? Would my brothers find out, and how worried would they be? If this was Albrecht, was I strong enough to endure whatever was in store for me until I could be rescued? I had seen the reports of what he’d done to his past victims; was knowledgeable enough to know just what the human body could withstand, and what the brain could not.
I was almost to my door when I saw the first man materialize behind me, courtesy of my side mirror.Sometimes it sucks, pretending to be ignorant, I mused as I watched him without looking like I was watching him. With an unknown team around me, and if I were to assume it was Albrecht, my orders had been clear to hold my cover in place. I couldn’t take out everyone and it would only help me later to be underestimated. I completely missed the partner, who grabbed me from behind and slapped a hand over my mouth. Panic took over despite my attempt to hold it at bay, and I struggled in the man’s grasp, feeling the needle prick my neck as the first man reached us. The drug took effect quickly, and my strength waned almost immediately. For the first time since I was a teen, I truly felt helpless as my movements were easily subdued. Fear ran through me in a cold, metallic wave as I realized just how vulnerable I was. There were no cameras to see what was going on, no people to hear my pitiful struggles. No team for at least hours, assuming Matteo realized quickly I was in trouble, and even that was doubtful. My last conscious thought before darkness descended was of Brody, and my somewhat foolish wish that I would make it through this alive, if only so I could see him again.
Chapter 22
Brody
Iwasstewing,andI knew it. What was worse, I knew with absolute certainty that if I hadn’t opened my mouth and spewed out nonsense that I didn’t even believe, I wouldn’t be stuck in my apartment in a shitty mood and hungover from the beers I’d drunk the night before. Instead, I could have spent the night with a passionate woman who, believe it or not, had a brain I found even more intriguing than her body. I was an idiot, but I couldn’t quite bring myself to voice it out loud. I knew my apology and subsequent groveling were inevitable, but not yet. A man had a right to take his time when he knew the woman he owed an apology to would make him work for forgiveness. Eating crow was nasty any day of the week, but Lessia wasn’t the kind of woman to let me pluck, marinade, and grill that meal. She’d make me eat it feathered, raw, and bloody.
I yanked open the fridge, hoping that food was magically delivered while I was sleeping last night because, other than a moldy block of cheese and a few bottles of water, I knew nothing was in my apartment. My phone rang from where I’d left it on the counter, so loud I jumped at the sound, my head hitting the refrigerator. Swearing, I rubbed the back of my head as I retraced my steps, snagging it before it went silent.
“Yeah,” I said, not bothering to look at the screen to see who was calling.
“Where are you?” Matteo’s voice sounded off.
“My apartment. Lessia sent me home, remember?” Even I could hear the bite in my tone.
“Alessia’s been taken. If you want to be a part of her rescue, I need you to leave your phone and get in your truck right now. Her brothers are finding out she’s missing as we speak, and they can’t know the details of where she is or how we’re going to get her back.”
Every muscle in my body tightened. “What do you mean, she’s been ‘taken’?”
“Look,” impatience colored every word Matteo spoke, “I have a jet getting ready to take off in less than forty-five minutes. If you want to help save her, you’ll get your ass in your vehicle in less than five and haul ass. Otherwise, I’m leaving without you.” He gave me a few more details about where to meet, then hung up.
I didn’t hesitate, slamming the phone down and running to grab my shoes. Not even bothering to tie them, I snagged my keys. My phone rang again, and I saw Keene’s name displayed on the screen. It tore at me to ignore the call, but if Matteo said they couldn’t know where we were going, I would wait until I could at least ask the man what had happened, where we were going, and why the hell her family—who had more contacts in law enforcement and the federal government than I could dream of—couldn’t be told what had happened.
Glancing at the dash as I started my truck, I noted the time. I had forty-four minutes to get to the airstrip. Tires squealed as I peeled out of the parking lot. With any luck, I’d be able to avoid red lights, traffic, and police while I drove because there was no way in the hell I was stopping for anything.
I didn’t know what to expect, but a Gulfstream 650ER parked in a darkened hangar was not it. I jumped up the steps two at a time, acting like I belonged, though I half-expected to find I’d somehow ended up on the wrong jetway. The luxury jet didn’t scream “rescue transportation” any more than a stretch limo would have.
“What’s going on, and whose plane is this?” I demanded when I caught sight of Matteo. He ignored me for a moment, talking to someone on the phone and signaling to the only other person in the aircraft, a man wearing sweats, a sweaty tee shirt, and a slightly panicked expression as he practically ran past me and into the cockpit.
Matteo motioned me to take a seat and sat next to me as he wrapped up his call, setting the phone down next to him before reaching for his seat belt. “We have three minutes to get this thing in the air before someone notices it’s missing,” he announced nonchalantly. As if he’d not just informed me we were in the process of stealing what I was sure was a multimillion-dollar jet, he narrowed his eyes at me. “You left your phone, right? Any electronics—laptop, watch, anything that can be tracked?”
I nodded. “I’m clean. Why and how are we stealing a jet? What happened to Alessia, and where are we going?”
