Page 98 of Hart of Darkness
“Dillon?” She sounded groggy and drunk and maybe in pain. “Don’t give him Grace. I’m already dead.”
My heart splintered.
Miguel came back on the line. “Do we have a deal?”
I balled my free hand into a fist. “What does she mean by she’s already dead?”
Duke’s face morphed into the Tasmanian devil.
“Answer me,” Miguel said. “Or your girl is right. She’s dead.”
Taunting him, telling him I would kill him, or any other threats wouldn’t speed up the process of getting Maggie back. “Where? When?” Those were the only two questions that were needed. Anything else, then I would be the one killing Maggie, and I wasn’t going to let that happen, regardless of how much I loved my sister.
“That’s a good boy.” Miguel laughed. “I knew you were the brother that would listen.”
Duke jerked. I didn’t have the call on speaker this time, but Miguel was talking loudly, and Duke was leaning in close to me to hear.
My jaw tightened when Denim came to mind. I couldn’t worry about my brother right now. “On second thought, I’ll pick the spot. I want to make sure you don’t have anything up your sleeve.”
“Fair enough,” he said rather quickly.
I didn’t have to think hard as to why. If Rick were feeding him info, then Miguel would know if we brought Hughes in on the deal.
“Meet Grace and me at Mooney’s Paint Factory at sunrise.” This was the perfect spot. No one was around. There was no public to worry about. The building was surrounded by water on the backside and a chain-link fence on the other three sides. The only possible place for his goons to hide was the abandoned building across the street.
“Any funny stuff, and your girl dies. Oh, and one more thing—don’t waste your time on Hughes. If you alert him, I’ll know.” He clicked off.
I marched toward the factory door.
Duke was on my heels. “Seriously, Dillon? You can’t think Grace is going to walk into the enemy’s arms.”
“I do, and she will.” I flew into the building.
Dom hopped up from his chair, while Grace whipped her head at me.
“I just got off the phone with Miguel. Grace and I will be meeting him at sunrise right outside here. He wants Grace in exchange for Maggie.”
Grace moved her head back and forth repeatedly. “I’m not going back to Miguel.”
“Why does Miguel want you?” Duke asked. “He’s jumping through hoops for you, Grace.”
The four of us stood in a circle of sorts.
Grace tugged on her ear, a habit she’d had as a kid when she didn’t want to talk but knew she had to when one of her brothers demanded an answer, especially when it came to an incident between her and our old man. “The man who bought me. The one I killed. His family put a bounty on my head and Miguel’s if he didn’t return me to the family.”
Dom mumbled something under his breath that I couldn’t make out.
Duke growled low.
I was numb.
“She’s not going back to him,” Dom said through clenched teeth. “She’s been through hell. Do you know how she was tortured?” He tipped his head at Grace. “Show them.”
Her shoulders slumped as tears clouded her eyes. “I can’t.”
Dom cupped her face. “Baby cakes, they’re your brothers. They need to know.”
Duke turned multiple shades of red. I was holding my breath.
