Page 77 of Linger

I felt more than saw the way Maverick glanced at me before he said, “We’re getting it. We can study it on the way if you wanna go now.”

“Diggs,” Dare hissed, and my attention shifted to the frustration and disappointment dripping from him. “Snap out of it. Don’t make me pull you from this.”

“You’re not pulling me from shit,” I said numbly before letting my eyes drift back to the screen. “I’ve got her.”

Just as he was about to argue, we all looked at Einstein when her phone began ringing.

“Richmond number,” she said slowly, then shared a quick look with Maverick when Dare gestured for her to answer it. Once the call was answered and on speaker for the rest of us to hear, she offered a bored, “Yes?”

“Einstein.”

At the sound of Lily’s voice, Dare swiped the phone from Einstein as the rest of us rushed from our spots at the long table to get closer.

“Lily,” Dare breathed in pain and relief. “Fucking hell, I—”

“I need to talk,” Lily said on a rush, the words coming out soft and shaky.

“Did they hurt you?” Dare demanded, and it felt like Conor, Maverick, Einstein, and I all held our breaths as we waited for her response.

A hushed, pained sound filled the room, contradicting her next words. “No. No, but—”

Conor had pushed from the table at her response, phone in hand, but paused at the next grieving sound that left her.

“Dare, you have to listen,” she pled softly. “Is Einstein tracking the call?”

“Already had you locked a while ago,” Einstein answered. “We’re about to come get you.”

“Don’t,” Lily warned harshly, sending an ominous threat through the room. “They want you to come out here.”

“Babe, that isn’t anything new for—”

“I’m not who they want,” Lily said over Dare. “They told me everything and left a phone near me. They wanted me to call because they know I can get you out here. They know you’ll make the trade, but you can’t.”

Dare’s narrowed glare touched on the four of us before he said, “Who do they want?”

“They weren’t supposed to take me,” she confessed shakily, a quiet sob leaving her when she continued. “Vinny Guerra wanted me in the house when—God, Dare. The house. Your mom.”

“Who do they want?” Dare repeated, voice taking on a hardened edge.

A sound of hesitation and harried worry filtered through the phone. “Who’s there?”

“Conor, Mav, Diggs, and E,” Dare rambled quickly, looking more anxious the longer she delayed telling him.

“Lachlan?” she began, sounding so damn remorseful. “He’s James Keane’s oldest. He wants Willow.”

Felt like the world dropped out beneath me at her confession.

The roaring in my ears and rage burning a path down my chest drowned out everything for long seconds before Maverick tightly gripped my shoulder and muttered, “He won’t get her.”

My gaze snapped in his direction as a deep panic threatened to overwhelm me. As that dull echo to get Willow far from me exploded into a need. But Maverick’s hold just tightened.

“She’s still here,” he reminded me. “She’s safe.”

She’s still—fuck.

“...when her boyfriend was murdered,” Lily was explaining when I struggled to focus on the conversation again, but my mind raced.

Willow’s still here.

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