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"What are you talking about? Her kidnappers got the ransom money."
"They didn't," I say softly. "Someone stole it out from underneath them. It's the whole fucking reason she wasn't released."
Chris Branson goes stonily silent for a long moment. "Who?" he finally growls.
"Don't know yet, but I'm working on finding out. I'd highly recommend not trusting anyone until we know. According to your daughter, someone let them into your house the night she was kidnapped. She believes one of your people may have even been there when they took her."
"Believes?"
"They drugged her."
"Jesus Christ."
"How soon can you get here?"
"I'll be on the next flight out, but it may be tomorrow."
I glance at Dante. "Can you pull some strings and get him a plane back here?"
"I'll call Jude," Dante says. "We'll get him back here."
"We're working on it. Just hang tight."
"Did they hurt her?" he asks, his voice cracking.
I know what he's saying, what he can't bring himself to say, anyway.
"No," I say softly. "They didn't touch her. Seems whoever arranged for her to be taken may have cared enough about her to spare her from that fate."
He exhales a shaking breath. "I want to talk to her."
"Belle Arakas is looking her over. As soon as she's finished, I'll make sure she calls you."
"Call Dillon Armstrong."
"There may be an issue with that," I admit.
"What issue?"
"The house full of bodies I left behind."
Chris grunts, the sound full of satisfaction. "It won't be an issue. Make up whatever fucking story you want, and I'll make sure it sticks. The motherfuckers kidnapped my daughter."
"Noted." A little tension falls from my shoulders. Maybe I won't be going to prison, after all.
"Say that again," Dillon Armstrong growls.
"I found Aurora Branson," I repeat. "You can come see for yourself if you don't believe me. But until her dad gets here, you aren't leaving with her."
"What the fuck? You found her? Just like that?"
"No, not just like that." I pinch the bridge of my nose. Dealing with law enforcement is exhausting, even when they are decent. They ask too many goddamn questions. "There was quite a lot more than that involved. But I'd rather not go into the details over the fucking phone."
"Jesus Christ. I knew having the mafia in this town was going to be a pain in my ass, he mutters. "I'm too old for this shit."
"Aren't you in your forties."
"Exactly. That's too goddamn old for this shit. Where is she?"
"Arakas compound."
"Do I even have to ask if that's where you conveniently found her?"
"Do I need to stab you when you get here?"
Dante barks laughter from the far side of my desk. "We didn't kidnap the girl, Armstrong. That's not our M.O., and you know it."
"Yeah, I know." Dillon sighs heavily. "I'm guessing the Carmona Kings are involved in this?"
"Something like that."
"Are any of them still alive?"
I don't answer…which is answer enough.
"The four of you will be the sole reason I retire before forty-five, in case you're wondering. Being in charge in this town with you in it is way too much goddamn work. Jesus Christ, Constantine. You didn't leave any of them alive?"
"I saved a kidnapping victim from a cartel. Shit happened in the process," I mutter. It's a version of the truth. Shit did happen while I was saving her. I fell in love with her. But the dying came before. He doesn't need to know that though. I'm working with what I've got here. Sue me. "It tends to do that when it's eleven against one."
"You know what? I don't even want to hear anything else. I'll be there soon."
"She isn't leaving with you."
"You said that already."
"I mean it, Dillon. Someone in your circle is the reason she was taken. It'll be a cold day in hell before I let her leave here without me to guard her back."
Dillon falls silent for a moment and then curses abruptly. "You know, when the rest of this town falls in love, it's an amusing shit show for me. When the Arakas family does it, there are always bodies to clean up. Why is that?"
"That's just the way the cookie crumbles, motherfucker."
"One day, I'm going to arrest you, Attias."
"One day, I may let you, but that day isn't today."
Dillon sighs and hangs up on me.
I slide my phone back into my pocket before turning to Dante.
"Well, that went well," he says.
I snort, shaking my head. Sheriff Dillon Armstrong is an interesting man. He was right about one thing, though. When we fall in love, there do tend to be bodies on the ground.
Chapter Six
Aurora
Aurora
"I talked to your dad, starlight."
I glance over my shoulder, startled as Constantine's voice sounds behind me.
"Shit." He grimaces, striding across the back patio toward me. "I didn't mean to startle you."
"It's okay." I turn from the pond at the back of his property to face him. "You called my dad?"
