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As it played on, nothing about the woman changed that I could hear. She seemed very detached. My mind kept getting sucked in to every sound Lily was making. I strained to memorize each breath. Every sound I thought might be her.
“I’ll be sending you the information on where to send the money.” A sniffle. “You have two days.”
Shattering glass had me spinning around. Mary was standing there paler than I had ever seen her. Slade was already rushing over.
“Hey, talk to me, baby, you okay?” His hand cupped her face as she clung to the front of his suit jacket. “Mary, honey, talk to me. Is it the baby?” I could see her legs giving out. If it weren’t for Slade’s arm wrapped around her lower back, I had no doubt she’d be on the floor. “Mary,” he growled. “Talk to me.”
“Play it again,” she whispered. “Play back the tape.”
Slade’s head tilted as he peered down at her. Before he turned, Brace was already on it.
“Twenty million, wired into my account or she dies.”
Mary’s hand lifted to her mouth. The voice continued while tears rolled down her cheeks.
“I’ll be sending you the information on where to send the money.” A sniffle. “You have two days.”
“Bethany, I’m positive,” she said, breaking down even more. “Oh God, Slade, she’s going to kill her. I know my sister. She’s going to kill Lily.
He held her tighter to the side of his body as he walked her over to the sofa. “I had a feeling it was her.”
“You have to call Gaige,” she pleaded. “You have to report this right now. Lily is in serious danger. No more waiting.”
Slade turned and looked at me, but brought his attention back to her. “I’ll take care of it. You trust me, yes?”
“Of course.”
He nodded, walking over and taking his phone from me. I could see the battle that played on his face. I wasn’t sure what he was planning to do, but I knew the police getting involved wasn’t going to be good for the revenge I had planned. For the life of me, I couldn’t see letting them handle it turning out well. I could find her first. I could save her.
“Boss, the coordinates match up with your estate. Unless they’re inside, I’m pretty sure this is fake.”
“Routed,” I repeated the word, walking over. “Let me see what I can do.” I hadn’t once been outsmarted on tracking a person. It wasn’t about to start now.
Chapter 19
Lily
“I hate you,” Bethany sobbed, jerking against the ropes. “I’ll kill you. You watch, I’m going to—”
Jonathon stuffed the gag into her mouth, tying it tight behind her head. His palm pushed against her temple, making her head sway before he stepped back and laughed under his breath. God, they were all sick. Well, all but Alec. He seemed to be the only one I had met that came out of the Brighton family with good morals and a kind heart.
My eyes went back to the body that still lay on the table. I couldn’t stare for long. The sight of Alec, dead, turned me weaker than I already was. It broke down my walls and left me on the verge of weeping. There was no room for that right now. Whatever game Jonathan had planned, I knew it was going to be bad. I had to stay strong. Fight to live. I’d come so far.
“Well, now that we’ve gotten the important part out of the way, I think we’ll go over a few things while we wait for my friend.” He paused, looking over at me and coming forward. The gag was pulled from my mouth. “Before we start…Zain.” His face turned hard. “He wasn’t supposed to live. There’s going to be a lot of people who aren’t going to be happy about that.”
My heart raced as I stared up at him. “What do you know about Zain?” My jaw ached. I moved it open and closed a few times, trying to loosen the tightness.
Jonathon pulled my chair to face the sofa as he sat down. “I’ve been watching him off and on for the last few weeks. You see, my father was prepared for the worst when it came to his illegal activities. He may not have protected us against the loss of his company, but he didn’t mind leaving his contacts my and Alec’s information. They weren’t stupid. They came to me. Knew I was the man for the job.”
He pulled out his phone, checking the time, only to stuff it back into his pocket. “Mr. Amari was concerned over his son’s loyalty when it came to our dealings. I didn’t think he had a reason…until I noticed him following you in secret. It took me awhile to figure out why he kept a routine that didn’t make sense. Then, when he went into Slade Industries...” a smile came to his face, “the pieces came together so clearly. Would have a lot sooner if his stupid father had mentioned you two being involved while you were there.
“I was so concerned over my brother and you, Zain was just an afterthought. But when I put everything together and he took you up to his penthouse, there was never a more perfect time to get rid of you both.”
My head shook. “But why him?”
The door opened and I felt myself push back into the chair. Every inch of my skin crawled as my eyes connected with Zain’s brother.
“Ah, perfect timing. Amir can answer that question.” Jonathon stood. “Lily was just wondering why anyone would want Zain dead. Would you like to enlighten her, or should I?”
