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Anxiety grows, clawing at my insides as I continue to search. It turns to full panic as I catch sight of Declan. Alone. A stricken expression on his face as he stares at Kade.
I move quickly, cutting through the crowd as more and more people begin to find their seats and head to the back. Declan catches sight of me and his fingers move to his ear.
“Scarlett followed Kade,” he says through the comms.
I press my own comm. “Hallway, now,” I snap, not bothering to watch any of their reactions. We need eyes on Scar now.
I abandon the tray and begin to pace back and forth as I wait for everyone to meet me. Declan and Luca are the first to appear.
“What the fuck do you mean she followed Kade?” Luca snaps.
Declan runs his hand over his jaw, looking more wild than I’ve ever seen him. “She was worried about Noah and saw Kade following. She was only a few steps behind him.”
“I never even saw her,” Kade says as he walks into the hallway, ripping his bow tie off and throwing it to the floor.
“The second mark is also gone,” I force out in a choked voice.
Their heads snap in my direction. “I couldn’t see him,” I explain. “When I came back out, I had a bad feeling. Everyone else was accounted for except Scar and the second mark.”
Luca’s fist hits a wall, and I almost miss Ryder and Charles showing up. That is until Ryder throws a new body on the ground at our feet. Glass breaks, but it all happens too fast for me to even comprehend what’s happening.
When my brain does finally catch up, Ryder is on the ground atop the man he threw there, a broken champagne flute in his hand pressed against his throat. A jagged edge digs into the fragile skin there, blood drips onto his white shirt.
“You’re not going to open your mouth until I tell you to. Got it?”
The man doesn’t react, not even a flinch or a blink. This may be harder than Ryder is anticipating. I look to Declan or Luca to take control, but neither one makes a move to stop him. Both too shocked at the scene in front of them.
“Shake your head yes or no to answer. Lie, and bleed out in this hallway. Open your mouth, and find out what a nightmare really is.”
Still no reaction, but no one moves to stop Ryder. Charles stands behind him wringing his hands nervously. He can’t be used to this type of thing. I’m not sure I am either. Not like this. Not with Scar missing. Possibly in danger.
Fear shakes me to my core.
“You work for Donahue,” Ryder pushes, jumping straight into the heart of his interrogation. The man doesn’t nod, but he doesn’t need to. His surprise gives away everything we need to know.
Ryder chuckles, a malicious, terrifying sound that grates on my nerve endings. I can’t imagine how it must feel to be at the receiving end of it. More blood begins to seep into the man’s shirt as he presses the glass into his throat. Dangerously close to his aorta. “Don’t even bother answering. We already know.”
He tilts his head and smiles sardonically. I can almost see Scar in his expression. It would be horrifying if it wasn’t so amusing. I wish I could really enjoy watching this side of Ryder blossom, but the nausea in my gut and the pounding in my head keep me from doing anything but be terrified for Scar. If this is going to get us the answers we need, then by all means. Let the psycho flag fly.
Crossing my arms across my chest, I lean back and let Ryder do his thing. Maybe unhinged is what we need. Better than anything the rest of us were doing.
“You’re here watching Josie Turner under his orders.” He drags the glass over his throat, slicing open the delicate skin. Enough to make him squirm, but not nearly enough to actually nic the aorta, though he dances right on top of it. “You’ve been watching her for years. Reporting who she meets with, where she goes, anything suspicious. Do you even know who or what you’re looking for?”
The slightest shake of the man’s head makes Ryder laugh again. The cut opens further due to the movement.
“No, you don't know? Or no, you’re not watching her?”
The man’s eyes widen in panic, the mask he was working so hard to maintain finally cracking under pressure. He doesn’t know how to answer.
“You don’t know?” Ryder repeats and the man shakes his head, making Ry click his tongue. “Go ahead and use your words now, but be warned, don’t waste them or I will rip your vocal cords from your throat.” The threatening tone sends shivers down my spine.
“Easy money, you know?” the man stutters. “Watch the girl, report her movements, anyone new she meets with, anyone she talks to at these parties. If she acts like she’s hiding something. She likes her routines. The reports are never interesting. It’s just an easy job.”
Ryder nods along with him, a sadistic gleam growing in his eyes. “How many of you are on this easy job tonight?”
“Three of us,” he stammers.
“Names,” Ryder demands. Instantly, I have my phone in my hands and take down the names and send them off in a text to Joe. He has all the equipment he needs in the van to run the basic checks on them. I wish I could do more, my fingers itch with the need to be behind my laptop, but there’s only so much my phone is capable of.
