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They only drove for half an hour until they arrived at the house that sat isolated. No neighbors for miles. No one around to witness her coming and going. Once they pulled into the garage, Toro hopped out first then came around and opened her door, helping her out with a hand on her elbow.
He really was too fucking good to be true.
She’d warned him how she’d ruin him, but he didn’t want to listen.
Love.She scoffed silently at that as she strode from the garage into the main area of the house. It was a large one-family home. Expensive. Empty too. And perfect for what she had in mind.
The guards greeted her first, all of them armed, faces covered with black ski masks. Hers and Toro’s were the only faces not covered as she faced the two people waiting for her. They sat on a black leather couch, the only piece of furniture in the huge empty space, huddled together.
At the sound of her heels on the dark wood floors, their heads jerked up.
“Hello.” She smiled. “I am Seraphina Cook.”
The man spoke first. “What is this? Why are we here?”
“You are here because you have something—someone, rather—that I want.” She left Toro, who’d been standing side by side with her, and went to the couple, crouching down in front of them. “Do you know who I am? Does my name sound familiar?”
The woman shook her head, trembling, but her husband spoke. “No, should it?”
“It shouldn’t, no.” Seraphina pursed her lips. “At least, not to people like you.” Good people. Upstanding citizens. “I want to talk to your son.”
The woman’s eyes flew wide. “Why?”
Seraphina straightened. “Because, Pauline—” She paused. “May I call you Pauline? Your son knows wheremyson is, Pauline.”
“Who-who is your son?” the man asked.
“Israel Storm is my son. And Reggie is yours.” Seraphina smiled. “So, we’re technically family. Which is why you’re sitting here—” She gestured. “—unrestrained and unhurt.”
“We were snatched from our homes!” Reggie’s father thundered.
His wife gripped his shoulder as she stared at Seraphina. “But I-I thought Israel’s mother was dead.”
“Nah, still alive,” Seraphina told her. “Israel and Reggie moved out of the house in Queens. Where are they?”
“If you’re Israel’s mother and they don’t want you to know where they are, there must be a reason.” Pauline swallowed. “We won’t tell you.”
Her husband nodded his agreement.
Seraphina narrowed her eyes at them. “I could just make you.”
“Yes.” Pauline glanced around. “I think you could,” she said softly.
“But I’ll give you a little time to think things over. I’m accommodating like that.” Seraphina motioned with her chin. “Talk it out amongst yourselves.” She spun away. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Wait!” the husband, Junior, shouted. “You can’t keep us here!”
Seraphina glanced over her shoulder. “I think you’ll find that I can do a great many things.” Except find her son. She couldn’t do that. She walked away, ignoring Reggie’s parents’ shouts, past Toro, who stood with his arms crossed, expression unreadable.
How did he feel about her actions?
She didn’t want to know what he thought, but at the same time, she did. That filled her chest with anger. At herself. At him. They made it back to the car, Toro at her side, and once the car pulled off, he touched her knee closest to him.
She flinched away without looking at him.
If Reggie’s parents didn’t give her what she wanted, how far was she willing to go? What was she prepared to risk in order to have Israel in her life?
Anything. Everything.
