Page 3 of The Reckoning
“Wait,” Drew says suddenly. “Go back. There—that car.”
Arson backs up the footage slightly, and a black sedan with tinted windows appears at the edge of the frame, driving slowly along the access road. As Lilian walks, it picks up speed, pulling alongside her.
“Fuck,” I breathe as the passenger door opens and two men in suits emerge.
One approaches Lilian, who backs away immediately. There’s no audio, but her body language screams fear.
“Shit,” Arson says, his voice tight.
I cast him a sharp glance. “You know them?”
He ignores me, his gaze intent on the screen.
The second man moves behind her, cutting off her escape route. The first says something, gesturing toward the car. Lilian shakes her head vehemently. Then the second man grabs her arm.
“No, no, no,” I mutter as she struggles briefly before being forced into the vehicle. The car pulls away smoothly, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
I curl my hands into fists, nails digging into my palms hard enough to draw blood. The image of Lilian being manhandled and forced into that car while I sat helpless in a cell burns like acid in my veins.
If they hurt her...
“Who the fuck was that?” Drew demands, anger and shock in his tone.
“My backers,” Arson says, voice flat with controlled rage, his fingers flying across the keys as he fiddles with something. “The men funding this operation. I’ve been...offschedule lately. They aren’t very happy with me.”
“Your backers just kidnapped Lilian?” Drew grabs Arson by the shirt, hauling him up and shoving him against the wall. “Backers for what? What the fuck? What have you dragged her into? She’s innocent in all of this.”
I move to separate them, surprising myself when I pull Drew off him, versus joining him in the destruction of my brother. A zing of jealousy zips up my spine. Why does Lilian matter to him? “What the fuck do you care so much about Lilian for? She isn’t anyone to you.”
He takes a deep breath, then whispers, “You’re right. She isn’t anyone to me, but she’s something to you. We all knew you were obsessed with her from your first interaction. All that cold indifference...toomuchindifference.”
I ignore Drew and direct my attention to Arson. “Do you know where they might have taken her?” Forcing myself to remain calm despite the terror clawing at my chest is difficult. I can only imagine what she’s going through, the pain she’s suffering because of us.
Arson nods his head. “I have a few ideas. They own properties throughout the city. Places they use for...sensitive discussions.They’ve likely taken her to one of those locations.”
“How dangerous are these men?” Drew asks, straightening his shirt as the reality of the situation finally sinks in.
Arson’s expression darkens. “Very dangerous. Especially when they think someone has compromised their investment.”
“And has she?” I ask, already knowing the answer but hoping he says no.
“Yes,” Arson admits, turning back to the monitors. “It’s because of her that the entire plan has changed. Initially, it wasabout revenge, but now I yearn for something more than that. They see that. They know it’s because of her, and they will do anything to ensure we stay on task.”
The admission hangs in the air between us, unexpected and revealing. I file it away for later examination, focusing instead on the immediate problem.
Drew studies him, then steps away. I keep my eyes on Drew, though, and I spot each emotion as it crosses his face, born from years of friendship and playing together on the football field. He feels guilty, and I can use that.
“And how the fuck do we find her?” I ask. “These are your guys, you know them better than either of us. What do we need to do to get her back?”
Arson pulls a phone from a drawer—not his usual one, but something older and more basic. “There’s a number. A direct line. But using it means we are on the vulnerable end of the negotiation.”
“I don’t care,” I say immediately. “Call them.”
“It’s not that simple,” Arson warns. “These men—they don’t operate like normal people. They have their own rules and codes. If we go charging in...”
“They might kill her,” Drew finishes.
“Jesus Christ,” I mutter under my breath.
