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“Zuko and Diego said they have Lev,” I tell Kane, still suspicious.
“Show me,” Kane demands.
We follow them to a hallway closet, where Zuko opens the door. Lev is inside, tied up and unconscious. “I don’t know what happened here,” Diego starts. “But we didn’t have anything to do with it.”
“We need to grab him and get back to the house.” Kane looks at me. “Eli.” It dawns on him the moment that leaves my mouth. He knows just like I do if they got Kira, Eli is in danger too.
“Let’s go.”
I’m coming for you, Sweetheart.
CHAPTER39
ELIJAH
Icheck my phone for the thousandth time, but there’s still no update from anyone. They haven’t been gone long, but my stomach has been in knots since they left. I can feel something is off, but I can’t put my finger on it.
“I’m sure they’re fine,” Saint says, not looking away from the laptop.
He hasn’t stopped typing, and I hope he’s getting close to finding out where Kane’s dad is. Something about that doesn’t sit right with me, either. Why the hell would he hand it to Kane just to destroy the empirehebuilt? I should have said something earlier, but I don’t always feel like it’s my place. Kane and Blaze have been in this life longer than me, so I’m sure they know what they’re doing.
“I feel like something’s wrong.”
“Something will be if I don’t find Vlad,” Saint says dryly. “I’m already on Kane’s hit list.”
“Kane’s not going to hurt you, Saint.”
Saint snorts. “Right. I fucked up not finding out about Jaxon until it was too late,andI missed that his dad is a fucking narc.”
“I don’t know if he is.” Saint slowly looks up at me. “Think about it. Vlad built this life here, right? Why would he turn it over to the cops? Why give it to Kane in the first place?”
“From what I know, Vlad is a narcissistic asshole. Maybe he just wanted to watch Kane fail.”
“I’m not so sure.” I shake that thought away and stand up. “I’m going to go get something to eat. Do you want anything?”
“No. I’m good. I don’t want to get caught slacking on the job.”
With a roll of my eyes, I leave the office and go to the kitchen. I pull out leftovers from yesterday and pop them in the microwave. It’s so quiet in the house without the guys here, and that thought makes me pause. It’s too quiet with all the guards that have been milling around. I shrug it off. They’re probably just patrolling the outside. I’m just making myself paranoid for no reason.
The timer for the microwave beeps, and I’m reaching inside to get my food when one of the guards rounds the corner. “Hungry?” I ask. I’ve seen him around but can’t recall his name. “There’s plenty left.” He casts a nervous glance toward Kane’s office, and my instincts go on high alert. I start backing toward the door to the wine cellar, and his eyes flash back to me. “What’s going on?”
He walks slowly into the kitchen without a word, and I don’t like the look in his eyes. He dives for me when my hand touches the handle, and we crash against the door. My head snaps back with the force of the hit, and he grunts in pain. All the self-defense Kane and Blaze taught me kicks in, and I start fighting him off, but he’s much stronger than me. He wraps his arms around me, trapping mine against my body.
“Stop,” he growls.
“What the hell are you doing?” I struggle harder, and his arms tighten. He picks me up against his body, and I kick against the door. He stumbles backward and lands against the kitchen island. “Let me go.” Where the hell is Saint?
“Stop fighting me.” I feel something sharp and metal press against my neck. “You’re coming with me.”
Fear washes over me, and I let him lead me out of the kitchen. He stops and looks around before continuing down the hallway. I open my mouth, and he presses the knife harder against my neck. “Why are you doing this?”
“He said he needs me to bring you to him.”Him.Who the hell is he talking about?
“Who?”
“Shut up,” he hisses, jerking me back into a bedroom when another guard starts walking down the hallway. He pulls me against him and hides against the wall. I want to call out for help, but he’ll slice my throat open if I do. I test his grip, and his arms are like steel bands around me. “Stop moving.” The knife digs in further, and I feel blood dripping down my neck. I’ve never been in this situation, and I’m ashamed to admit how fucking scared I am. “Fuck, you smell good.”
All my muscles lock when he buries his nose against the side of my neck and sniffs. “Just let me go,” I say, trying to keep the quiver out of my voice when I feel his hardness press against my ass. He reaches over to grab the door handle and eases the door closed.
