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“We’ll worry about it later.” Grabbing his arm, we’re out the door, racing across the empty bar to the alley door where I entered.
Slamming through it, we collapse against the brick wall to catch our breaths. Jack is across from us with Hutch’s arm over his shoulder.
“We need to keep moving.” I nudge Scar before stepping over to take my brother from our backup. “If they light the gas line, it’ll blow up the whole block.”
Quickly, we make our way to the street, across it, and down another block, where we wait against the wall. I’m the only one with a phone, and I send a series of texts—first to Louie letting him know we’ve got the guys out, then to all three of the girls, letting them know the men are safe.
“What now?” Jack asks, and I look at my partners.
“What do you think?” I ask. Hutch’s brow is furrowed, and I know that look. “What?”
“It was a setup.”
“Yeah, it was. She confessed as much—”
“No, I mean, all of this. They’re not going to torch Gibson’s. They weren’t even guarding us. They aren’t here.”
A pinch in my stomach tells me he’s right. “If they aren’t here, where are they?”
Scar’s voice takes an ominous tone. “Natasha said she wouldn’t let any of Zander’s heirs live.”
Our eyes meet, and I straighten. “She wanted us to dispose of Rainey…”
“But we’re all here. She made sure all of us came to this location.”
A fist tightens over my throat as I realize the meaning of his words. She knew I was watching when she made her threat, when she showed me exactly where my brother and Scar were being held. She made the phony threat about cleaning out the office and burning it to the ground. It was all bullshit, but she knew I’d come running.
“They’re headed to Hamiltown.” I’m in motion, ordering the plane as the words leave my lips, adrenaline surging in my veins. “They’re going back for Rainey.”
Scar’s voice is deadly. “And my son.”
28
Rainey
We’re sitting at a small,round table in the kitchen laden with slices of baked ham and pineapples on a platter, a plate of long-cut green beans, and a bowl of small, golden potatoes, and my stomach is too tight to eat.
Hugh van Hamilton is out of town, but Norris has prepared the sisters’ favorite dishes for our dinner. I spear a small potato and put it in my mouth. It’s buttery and delicious, but my head is still spinning from everything we learned. I was always pretty sure Simon had a hand in my father’s death, but learning why… He killed his own brother to steal his inheritance. Not only that, is it possible Scar could be my brother?
Add to all of it my fears about what Dirk could be walking into. I should’ve gone with him. He has no idea how sneaky Natasha can be—and how driven she is to get what she wants.
“You’re so different now.” Hana smiles at me from across the table, where she’s working on large plate of everything. “You were so… I don’t know,” she waves her hand, “before, but now you’re like, umm… Oh, I know! Lara Croft!”
That almost makes me laugh. “I’m not the tomb raider.”
“Whatareyou doing now, Rainey?” Blake’s low voice is smooth, and she’s as polished as she ever was.
She eats with her knife and fork, and her dark brown hair is parted in the middle and hangs in waves behind her shoulders. She’s dressed in a tan, curve-hugging dress, and her gray eyes study me seriously. No Lara Croft references from Blake.
She’s always been the exact opposite of her sister, whose spiral, light-blonde hair is piled on her head. Hana is playful and impulsive, and she looks like something between a waif and a fairy.
“Up until last week, I was a student.” I say with a bitter laugh, but Hana gasps.
“You’rethe student Dirk’s seeing?” Her eyes are wide and sparkling with excitement, and heat rises in my cheeks.
“You knew about that?”
“I knew he was interested in one of his students, but I didn’t know who she was. Only…” Her brow furrows, and she seems to be connecting the dots. “But wait… Didn’t you already graduate from Columbia?”
