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“He would after a bottle of wine,” I replied. "Sam has a good sense of humor.”
“Right. But this mess with Brady Thompson—it’s no laughing matter. Your brother’s caught up in something much bigger than we thought.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Right. We both are, though, right?”
“That’s why we need to make sure to be one step ahead of the Viper,” Teo said. “Which, you know, is hard. Considering he seems to have unlimited resources and time.”
“I mean, you have a lot of resources.”
“I’m a businessman,” Teo replied softly. “I’m pretty short on time.”
“You’re right. It’s unfair of me to bring you into this.”
“No, it isn’t. Your well-being is my priority. That includes making sure your brother is okay. Beyond that, the Viper is badfor my bottomline. Making people scared of us and putting a fucking bounty on us makes us look vulnerable to our enemies, and it makes people who want to attack us have an excuse,” he said. “I think it’s looking like Brady was more than just a casualty in all this. We need to understand what really happened between Sam and Brady.”
“Sam wouldn’t hurt anyone,” I said. “He’s not capable of it.”
Teo stared at me for a second. “I’ve seen your brother clip a man, Sof,” he said. “Now I don’t think he would do it without cause, but still…”
“So maybe he can defend himself,” I said.
“Yeah, maybe,” he replied. He leaned back against the couch, muscles coiled like those of a jungle cat ready to spring. “I’ve sent a team down to the Everglades. They’re good—ex-military. They know how to stay out of sight...and how to look.”
“Look for what?” My heart thumped against my ribcage, each beat echoing an unsaid fear.
“Your father,” Teo said, the words sharp as broken glass. “The Viper. If he’s ensnared Sam into his mess...”
A shiver ran down my spine, the mere mention of my father conjuring images of venomous snakes sliding through murky waters. “Sam wouldn’t get involved with him, not after everything.”
“Sometimes we don’t have a choice.” Teo’s voice was a low rumble, his gaze never wavering. “You know that better than anyone. How did you end up here in the first place?”
“It’s not the same,” I said. “Someone was trying to kill me. You guys helped.”
“You’re right, sunshine,” he said. “It’s not the same. That’s Sam’s father. Do you really think your brother has that much of a choice?”
I swallowed hard, the weight of his words pressing down on me. “Grayson found my phone in Brady’s apartment,” I said. “It shouldn’t have been there.”
Teo furrowed his brow. “Your old phone?” he asked. “The one you lost when the Strangler broke into your house?”
“Yeah,” I replied. “That one. Where would Brady have gotten it?”
“I don’t know,” Teo said. “But it is weird. I thought it went missing when the Strangler died.”
“It did. But it had all my information on it, including all the conversations I ever had with Sam. Brady could’ve been using it to bait Sam.” The thought had haunted me since the discovery, a specter lurking at the edge of my consciousness. “A honeytrap.”
“I mean, he wasn’t trying to get murdered, Sof,” Teo said. “Brady was a lot of things, Sofia, but a mastermind? I don’t have to know the man to know that this wasn’t the case.”
He pushed off the couch, coming to stand in front of me. His hands settled on my shoulders, a gesture meant to steady, though the touch sparked a trail of fire beneath my skin.
“Mastermind or not, he played Sam. And now Sam’s missing.” My voice cracked.
“Sam is smart, resourceful.” Teo tilted my chin up, forcing me to meet his gaze. “Just like his sister.”
“Being smart doesn’t make you bulletproof,” I shot back, anger and fear warring within me. “You know that better than anyone.”
“I do know that better than anyone. I also know that it gives you a fighting chance.” There was steel in Teo’s words. “And we’re going to use every resource we have to bring him home.”
“Teo, what if...” I hesitated, the words catching in my throat.
