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She noticed the blinking dot. “What is that?” She cradled the phone between her shoulder and ear, pointing at my screen.
“Tracking.”
“You can do that?”
Anybody could use the technology in this day and age, but mine just happened to be courtesy of the US government. “It’s necessary,” I said unapologetically.
She ended the call. “No answer.”
“Keep trying,” I encouraged, my voice giving away how worried I felt. I gripped her hand like my life depended on it.
I glanced at Stone, who looked like he’d aged a decade in the last half hour. If he knew who had Muriella, what the man was capable of, he’d lose his mind. Or he’d kill me himself for allowing someone like that near her.
A flash of regret ran through me. I shouldn’t have warned him off her. I knew he was a good man, and probably good for her, but his fame was a problem. One international photograph of Muriella, and it would all be over. The risk hadn’t seemed worth it, but what if I’d kept her from the happiness she could have had with him? What if I’d robbed her of the chance and now there wouldn’t be one?
“Stop it.” Vivian’s stern voice cut through my thoughts.
“When we get there, I want you to stay in the car.”
She looked at me like I’d lost my mind. “The hell I will. If Muriella is in trouble, I’m going to get her out of it.”
I dropped my phone on the seat beside me and plowed my hand through my hair. “Goddammit, Vivian. You have no idea who we’re dealing with.”
“That’s because you won’t tell me anything,” she said, her voice rising.
I leveled Stone with a look. “You stay in the car too.”
He snorted and gave me a wry smile. “No offense, Elliott, but a thousand men couldn’t keep me in here, let alone you.”
I snapped my head away from the both of them and stared out the window.
“I refuse to put either of you in harm’s way. You’ll do as I say.” We were close. It was too fast and and too slow at once. I needed to get to Muriella, yet I dreaded how I would find her.
Vivian squeezed my hand, and I drew strength from it. She tried to give me an encouraging smile, but it came off awkward and uncertain. Just like I felt.
“We won’t interfere.”
Stone and I both looked at her incredulously, but there was no time to dwell on it. The car rolled up to the building, and I had the door open before it stopped.
I sprinted past Paul, who held the door to the lobby open, and stabbed the call button to the elevator repeatedly as if that would make it arrive faster.
Vivian slid past me as soon as the doors opened, Stone right behind her.
“You said you wouldn’t interfere,” I said through my teeth.
She lifted her chin and grabbed my hand. “We’re not.”
Worry knotted my stomach. I needed every bit of my concentration if I was going to get all of us out of this unharmed. I didn’t have it. I’d never put any of them in danger before, and I was struggling to control my fear.
The elevator crawled to the penthouse level. When the car stopped and the private lobby was revealed, the front door was wide open.
I held my arm out to keep the two of them from charging ahead. We had no weapons. I couldn’t say the same of our adversary.
“Is this how you make yourself feel important? By threatening innocent women?” Muriella’s voice sounded from the direction of the living room. A surge of pride filled me at the strength in her tone.
Vivian attempted to edge around me once we got to the foyer, but I kept her behind me. Sensing my urgency, Stone gently maneuvered her behind him. She glared at both of us, but said nothing.
I held up my hand, indicating for the two of them to stay put. Stone nodded once, catching my drift that it would be better if all of our presences weren’t made known.
