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“Sir, it was a man named Dominic Parker.” My world dropped completely away at those words. He had access to the building from his visit with Robert Harrington, but his access should have been revoked the same day. “Okay,” the male voice on the end of the line said, breaking through my downward spiral. “You should have the videos showing Parker entering the elevator, we followed him off the lift and straight down the hall. He knew exactly where he was going.”
I crawled over to Cabot and used the dresser he’d set his computer on to pull myself up and watch as a smug looking Parker walked casually down the hall. He pulled the gun from the back of his pants and stopped at the door to my apartment. His head cocked to the side slightly, and I could tell he was listening to something inside before he smiled and stepped back, raising the gun.
The door flung open and I caught the look of surprise on Kasey’s face as Parker pulled the trigger and followed my falling brother back into the apartment and out of sight. I was instantly pissed that I’d refused cameras inside the apartment and vowed to have them installed the second we could return. The ocean between me and my crumbling world was a gaping wound.
It seemed like an eternity before there was movement on the screen again, and it stopped my heart. Lake came running out of the apartment, terror radiating from her as she ran for her life. I knew Dominic Parker had her; I knew how this turned out. But I still watched, moisture rising in my eyes, and silently cheered her on to run and escape. And then, complete devastation as Parker tackled her with such force, her head bounced off the floor, nothing bracing her chin as it slammed into hardwood.
And that was it. She was motionless as Parker hoisted her over his shoulder and carried her to the elevator, casually pressing the call button like he hadn’t just taken my life from me. I faintly heard the words of the techie on the phone relaying angles as we had to watch helplessly as Lake was taken to the garage and casually driven out and to her certain death.
I’d worked so hard to make sure Lake was safe, I’d put everything into securing that, I’d fought, bled, and almost died. I would have given my life to protect that woman. And to watch as the monster she’d needed protection from, just casually walked into her safety and took her. I’d failed on so many fucking levels. I’d lost her and I had a feeling I was going to lose Jack Kasey.
Cabot was still speaking to the man on the other end of the phone as he reached out and smacked the back of my head with such force that my head jerked forward, breaking me from my silent torture. Then he was in my face forcing me to look him in the eye.
“I need Lieutenant Mullins right now, not bitch baby PTSD Decker.” His words were filled with venom that coursed through my veins immediately. I moved forward, ready to rip his head off, but Cabot pushed me back. “Are you with me, sir?” His growl and the use of sir after so long had that battle-ready calm trickling over me until I mentally shoved everything else behind that carefully constructed wall.
I nodded before standing to my full height and grabbing my own computer from the night stand. I began my own work, setting up the next flight out of this fucking place and also working on locating the information we had on Dominic Parker. With the agonizing fear tamped down, I could focus on the logic of it all. Parker had been the one person Lake hadn’t wanted to deal with ever. She’d never trusted him, but I’d assumed it was due to the relationship with Robert Harrington and how he seemed to care for Parker more than his own daughter.
She’d known instinctually not to trust him, and she’d been right. I was done securing our flight out, chartering a private plane since it would be the fastest. Damn the cost when I needed to get to my family, a family that very much included a feisty little brunette.
My phone was shoved into my face by Cabot and I saw Fitz’s name on the screen. Grabbing the phone, I noted Cabot had somehow gotten his out and was already on a call. I answered the phone without an ounce of warmth. “Fitz, tell me what the fuck is going on.”
“Single GSW to the chest for Kasey. It was a sucking chest wound, so they just got him stabilized for transport. Turner wasn’t shot but looks like blunt force to the skull. By their position it looks like Kasey knocked into Turner and he hit the side table exactly wrong.” Fitz’s voice was calm and clinical and I knew this was his coping mechanism. Doctor mode was the easiest mask for him to hide behind. “We have two more things to add to the pile of shit.” His voice broke through my thoughts.
“What?”
“Scout’s here. Well, she was. She’s been taken by the police to the hospital. Apparently she left for her visit with Lake just before Parker got to her fiance. He’s critical but stable.”
“What’s the other thing?” I couldn’t bring myself to care about Scout and her man when all I wanted was to get Lake back.
“Robert Harrington is missing as well.”
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LAKE
“Why are you doing this?” The voice was familiar but distant as I soaked in the serenity of unconsciousness. It was cradling me in the best way, all while that voice was trying to pull me from its quiet embrace.
I didn’t want to wake up, I wanted to stay in my warm cocoon of darkness and just rest. I was so tired.
“Once Dance Club Barbie is awake, we can have a nice family reunion.” That voice had my mind snapping to consciousness faster than the gentle coaxing of the first. Pain slammed through my jaw and my skull, and I only had time to turn my head before gagging and retching on a cold floor. I couldn’t even remember the last time I’d eaten; there was nothing to vomit.
“Lake, are you okay?” My head turned toward the voice that had gently coaxed me. Robert Harrington was tied to a chair several feet away, pulling on his bindings in a futile effort to reach me.
That was when I could finally take in everything. Only my head had turned because I was tied, no chained, to a bed frame. It was one of those old metal ones, with a mesh screen attached, my body sinking into it painfully. I had a moment to look down at my body that was in nothing more than my underwear.Oh God, I can’t be here.The words played over and over in my mind as I looked around a worn down square of a room, cement walls closing in on me from every side.
My eyes finally landed on Dominic, perched on a wooden stool in the corner, a smug half smile on his face. When our eyes met, he raised his hand and gave a small finger wave before his smile became a full grin. I’d seen a lot of expressions on his face over the years, but I’d never seen the pure evil that was radiating from his features now. He didn’t look like himself, the lens of malice had made him far more grotesque. Or the damage to my head was causing vision problems.
“Welcome back, Lake. I worried that little knock to your chin would have snapped your neck or something.” He lifted a knife and began to use the tip to pick under his nails. “But it didn’t; we were all just stuck waiting on your fucking timeline again.”
I opened my mouth to ask why the fuck he was doing this, but the pain from that one action had the urge to vomit alive and well again. So I kept my jaw as still as possible, asking through gritted teeth. “Why are you doing this?”
He tilted his head to study me and I felt like a mouse trapped under the murderous gaze of a cat. “Is this the part where I’m supposed to deliver some epic monologue?” He glanced back at Robert and snickered. “Like some cliche villain?”
“We wouldn’t be here if you didn’t plan on it.” Robert sounded very calm, but when his eyes flashed to mine I could see fear and concern swimming in his pale green depths.
“Or maybe I just wanted Lake to watch as I killed you.” He stood up and pointed the knife between Robert and I. “Or you to watch as I killed her.” He let out a sigh and shrugged. “Honestly I hadn’t figured out which. I can plan the destruction of both of you, but I just can’t settle on who to kill first.”
He stepped up beside Robert and pressed the tip of the knife to his throat just hard enough to cause a bead of blood to form. “I’ve wanted to gut you since the day I met you, watch you bleed out for all the shit I had to go through because of you.” His voice had turned into a hateful snarl, but when his malicious gaze snapped back to me, he pulled the knife away and strolled over to the bed he had me chained to.
