Deception, p.25
Deception, page 25
“You said last night that I was part of a job. What job?”
Sully approaches, palms up as though if he makes one wrong move, I might bite. I might. He better walk carefully. Wisely, he stops a couple feet away from me.
“We do jobs for our uncle,” Sully explains. “It’s stupid, but he gave us a place in his family when our mother went to prison.”
“I thought she died,” I choke out. “You guys led me to believe she died.”
“She may as well be dead. Winston Constantine made it so she’ll never leave that hellhole,” Sparrow growls.
“Why is she in prison?” I shake my head. “Forget it. I don’t care. I want to know how I tie into your fucked-up games and why I’m here.”
Sully sighs, taking another step toward me. I narrow my eyes, warning him from getting any closer. “There’s this ongoing war between the Morellis and the Constantines.”
“So you’re Morellis?”
“Technically,” Sully agrees, “but legally, we’re Mannfords.”
Mannford.
Ford Mann.
Oh my God.
If I would have just googled Ford Mann, I might have eventually discovered the truth. I was too afraid of Dad finding what I’d search out, and when I had the opportunity, I was more concerned with finding an escape from my father, not researching my boyfriend.
Boyfriend?
Dumb girl. You were played by three evil twats.
“The Morellis hate the Constantines. We, specifically, hate the Constantines. So, when our uncle asked us to meddle in your dad’s life, since Winston Constantine was planning to do some business with him, we jumped at the chance.”
I sidestep Sully, unable to look at his face. My gaze finds Sparrow. “And it was in the plan to fuck me? I bet you guys had so much fun laughing at my expense.” Swallowing hard, I fight the tears forming in my eyes. “I feel so stupid.”
Sparrow slides off his stool, but I don’t want him near me either. I step backwards and bump into Scout. He wraps an arm around me, pulling me to his chest. Sparrow and Sully watch with matching jealous expressions on their faces.
“Don’t feel stupid, prickly princess,” Scout says, breath hot near my ear. “We’re really good at deceiving people. Been doing it our entire lives.”
“Scout,” Sparrow spits out, a warning in his tone. “Stop.”
“Stop what, little brother? Being real with her?”
“Stop antagonizing her,” Sully grumbles. “It’s…too much.”
“Don’t tone story time down for my benefit.” I seethe, my blood boiling over with fury. “Scout’s right. Give it to me straight. I deserve that. You know I do.” I want, no, I need to feel every blade of betrayal cutting through me so I don’t fall for their charms ever again. Or anyone’s for that matter.
“Our uncle set us up with fake IDs and gave us our jobs.” Sully gestures to himself. “I was in charge of, uh, infiltrating the home.”
All the hairs on my arms stand on end. A shiver of disgust ripples through me. Scout mistakes it for me being cold and he hugs me closer. I don’t want to be in his grip, but he’d probably force me to stay there anyway. It’s better I’m staying by my own choice.
“I was to be with you at school,” Sparrow mutters. “Hence our same schedules.”
“And you?” I ask Scout, slightly turning my head to look at him. “What was your job? Or was kidnapping your part?”
“That was just a bonus.” He grins at me. “My job was to befriend Ty Constantine.”
I wish Ty were here. At least he’s innocent in all this. All he wanted to do was to be my friend. Apparently, he trusted Scout, too. I’m putting together the pieces pretty quickly. Scout obviously used Ty to get me here.
“Ty was going to help me leave my dad,” I admit, frowning. “We made a plan on our date.” I chew on my bottom lip thoughtfully. “He was going to give me some money to get away.”
“How did you get here?” Sully asks.
I attempt to extricate myself from Scout. He squeezes me tight for a second and then releases me. Curling my arms around my middle, I back away from the three of them until my butt hits the counter behind me.
“Since they’re besties,” I supply, enunciating the word, “he obviously intercepted Ty’s message to me—”
“Beat him to the punch,” Scout interjects. “Go on. You’re good at these guessing games. It’s a shame you didn’t put it all together sooner.”
I want to kick him in his bad knee. Asshole.
“I came here thinking I was going to Ty’s. I thought I was going to get away.”
“You did get away,” Sparrow says, stepping toward me. “You’re safe here.”
Is he serious right now?
I was split up from my sister and forced to sleep naked with a monster. How is that safe?
“Don’t touch me,” I warn, scowling at him.
“Laundry,” he murmurs, eyes flashing in pain.
Unreal.
“You don’t get to call me that, Sparrow. You don’t get to look like the victim here. Fuck you. Fuck all of you.” I plant my palms on his chest and try to shove him, but he’s built like a brick wall, going nowhere.
“It wasn’t all a job for me.” Sparrow’s maple-syrup eyes dart back and forth, willing me to understand. But I don’t. It’s so stupid and wrong. “You and me—”
“There was me and Ford, but there was never me and Sparrow.” I move away from him and look at Sully. “Have you seen the news? What are they saying?”
His lips press into a firm line and he drops his gaze to the floor. “Nothing.”
“What do you mean nothing?”
“No Amber Alerts. No missing person reports. Nothing. No one’s looking for you.”
He’s wrong.
If my dad isn’t taking this to the news, that means he’s trying to fix this before it becomes a thing. Quietly. Efficiently. Him going to the news would be a last-ditch effort.
Dad is looking…
And I dread thinking about him actually finding us.
Being trapped with these three liars isn’t ideal, but it’s still better than being at home. I can breathe and think. I’ll get me and Della out of here.
The triplets used me.
My turn to use them back.
Chapter Six
Scout
She’s so pretty when she’s mad.
Her blue eyes lose their softness, electrifying until they practically glow. The plump pink pillows of her lips twist into a sneer and the skin on her neck and face turns crimson from the emotions stampeding through her veins.
It makes me want to pull her close and twist my fingers in her golden locks, tugging and pulling until she’s forced to face one of the monsters in her life. I want to fuck her while she glares at me, drawing pleasure out of her that forces her snarls to be replaced with needy moans.
Landry Croft is sneaky.
Sneaky in the sense that I wasn’t prepared for her.
I was fixated on Ash Constantine—a fading ghost from my past. So distracted by the stale memories of what I thought I wanted that when something fresh tickled my nose, I wasn’t ready for my every sense to be invaded.
That’s what Landry did.
She chased away those old desires, replacing them with something heart-pumping and addictive. Too easily she lured me away from what I thought I wanted.
Now, she’s all I see.
And we have her.
I didn’t just do this for me. I did it for my brothers, too. I could see how they wanted her. How they cared. Either we each tug at a piece of Landry, none of us giving an inch, or we play nice and share.
Mom would have forced us to share when we were kids.
Since Mom’s not here, I’m stepping in.
We have Landry in our home and no one knows where she is. At the end of the day, she’s ours.
Not Ty’s. Not her father’s. Ours.
My phone buzzes in my pocket, distracting me from my thoughts. I pull it out and read the text.
Ty: Dude. Shit has gone down. Can you meet up? I’m so fucked.
Me: Yeah. At your office?
Ty: God no. I need to get out of here. There’s a coffee shop on the corner.
Me: I know the one. See ya in twenty.
I tuck my phone back in my pocket, my eyes darting back to Landry. She’s sitting next to Della at the table, signing something to her. They’re carrying on an entire conversation with their hands. It’s fascinating to watch. Where Sparrow and I watch in rapt interest, Sully intently stares at them, understanding on his face. Since he doesn’t appear to be alarmed, I assume it must be benign whatever they’re discussing.
“Looks like Sparrow is on dishes,” I say, pushing back my chair. “I’m meeting a friend and I’m going to find out how much Alexander knows.”
Landry abandons her conversation with her sister to glower at me. “Ty?”
“You think he’s my only friend?”
“Your brothers don’t count,” she drawls out, face flickering in a bitchy way that gets my dick really hard. “Me and Della are your captives.”
“Spoiled captives,” I say with a grin as I stand. “I made the kid extra bacon. No one’s tied up here or gagged, though it can be arranged.” I motion at the kinky fuck in the room. “Right, Sparrow?”
Landry shoots me the bird and Sparrow huffs in exasperation. I wink at Della who’s watching me with interest.
“Don’t have too much fun while I’m gone,” I instruct. “If the captives escape, I won’t be happy if I have to hunt them back down.”
Landry’s glare is sharp enough to cut glass. If she knew how much that look turned me on, I doubt she’d use it on me so frequently.
* * *
The coffee shop is bustling with people. While I wait for Ty to arrive, I sip my mocha latte and people-watch. I’m quite relaxed. Having Landry in my possession feels like a win—a win I’ve been chasing after for five long years. Victory is as sweet as the chocolate syrup drizzled over the top of my latte.
A bell chimes, barely audible over the hum of businesspeople buzzing around, aching for their next caffeine fix, and my gaze darts to the door.
Ty fucking Constantine.
His features are twisted into an expression of pure panic. He even looks a little green, like he might puke his guts up at any second. I take another sip of my latte before waving to garner his attention. Relief causes his shoulders to bleed away some of their tension and he forces a grim smile for me.
I’m his…friend.
Friends talk to each other through problems and offer advice when they can.
“What’s up, man?” I say, grinning at him as he takes a seat.
I push the coffee I ordered him closer to him. Cream, two sugars. I’m his bestie, so naturally, I know how he takes his coffee. He flashes me a grateful smile and then sips the hot liquid before relaxing further.
I like to think I have a calming effect on people.
Though, I’m sure few people would argue that idea.
“So?” I ask, leaning toward him. “Did you do it?”
He scrubs his palm over his face. “I didn’t get the chance. We had a plan, but she must have just left, Ford.”
Ford.
Ah, yes. My name.
“Left?” I furl my eyebrows together. “Where did she go?”
“Hell if I know.” He sips his coffee again, face going stormy. “He must have done something to upset her last night. She didn’t wait for my message, which I was going to deliver today, and just left. Took Della with her.”
“How do you know all this?”
His face pales. “Alexander. I got into the office this morning and I overheard him on speakerphone with his assistant.”
“The assistant I fucked?”
It’s too bad that Ty is just an easy person to lie to. The fucker believes every damn thing out of my mouth.
“I knew it was that old hag,” he says with a grimace. “Anyway, he told her his girls are missing. That he won’t be in the office until he figures out where they went.”
“Did he sound pissed?”
“No.” He groans, pinning his stare on me. “He sounded calm. So self-assured. Like he knew he was going to find them and very soon.”
“And you think because he sounded calm, he’s already figured out you were involved in her disappearance somehow?” I arch a brow in disbelief. “He’s cunning, but I mean, that’s a bit of a stretch, don’t you think?”
“You don’t know this guy,” Ty grumbles. “He’s just so…intense. Knows things before they even happen. His ironclad control on every aspect of his life is intimidating. Like on our date…”
He’s blathering on about Landry and the movies, but I’m overwhelmed with jealousy. Imagining him alone with her in the theater, especially now that she’s officially ours, has my blood heating to inhuman degrees.
“Did you hear me?” he asks, cocking his head to the side.
“Hmm?” My jaw clenches with barely checked anger.
“She had no money,” Ty explains. “She’s out there with nothing. No money, no shelter. And, worst of all, she has one of the most rich and powerful men hunting her down. When he finds her…”
He won’t.
He can’t.
She’s ours.
We have her and no one will be taking her away from us.
I don’t care if I have to throw Ty Constantine under the bus because I will. If he’s a casualty in our war against her father, so be it. And, if I need to do more shit for Bryant, like burn the entire goddamn city to the ground just to make all this go away, I will.
“I’m just fucking worried,” he grunts. “I wonder how long it’ll take for them to realize the timing of our date and her disappearance are suspect.”
“But they won’t find anything,” I assure him, “because I gave you the money in cash and she’s not at your place. You never had a chance to send her a note. Stop freaking out, Ty.”
He nods vigorously as though he needed to hear those words. “I’m trying not to. My cousin will lose his shit if I make a mockery of our family. This kind of scandal will tarnish the Constantine name. Accessory to child kidnapping or whatever.”
“Which you didn’t do,” I remind him.
I’m the kidnapper around here and I’m certainly not bothered.
“Right.” He sighs heavily. “I just feel so guilty. Like it’s obvious I tried to help her.”
“They won’t tie you to it.”
“Maybe not,” he agrees. “It doesn’t change the fact she’s out there alone and penniless. Fuck. All I wanted to do was help her.”
I almost feel bad for the guy.
He really does care about her.
Lucky for him, she’s safe.
“Landry seems like a smart girl. She’ll make good choices.”
“I don’t know, man. This city is huge and you can’t do much without a dime to your name. She could be dead in an alleyway right now for all I know.” He cringes at that thought, looking as though he might vomit up the few sips of coffee he’s had. “I’d never forgive myself.”
“But you didn’t do anything.”
“Exactly!” He throws his hands up in the air. “I should have gotten her out of there the night she told me. Leaving her until I sorted shit out was the wrong thing to do. Clearly, she didn’t feel safe and needed an escape.” He curses, pinching the bridge of his nose. “She was terrified, Ford. Fucking terrified. I could have helped her right then, but I didn’t.”
As fun as it is watching a Constantine wallow in his own misery, I’d much rather be curled up in bed with the woman he’s obsessing over.
“He’s going to find them,” Ty mutters. “He’ll find them and there will be hell to pay. I feel it in my bones.”
Alexander won’t find his daughters easily. Our apartment is paid for by our uncle, who has a different last name than us. Even if Alexander figures out Ford Mann is the Mannford triplets, it doesn’t get him any closer to us—to Landry and Della.
“Sitting here, worrying about what might happen, isn’t doing Landry any good.” I give him a pointed look. “You need to get back to the office and learn what you can. Find out what he knows. Stay two steps ahead of him. If you really care about her getting free, like you say she wants, then you need to do what you can to help her. Hiding from Alexander will only raise suspicions.”
“You’re right,” he croaks out. “Maybe if he figures out where she’s at, I can warn her somehow.”
“Be her hero.”
My brothers and I will be her filthy villains.
After letting loose a heavy sigh, he nods. “I can do this. I’m going to go right back in there and make sure she stays ahead of him.”
And I’ll be right behind Ty, steering him away from the truth of her location any chance I get.
* * *
Bryant: I want it done. Today.
The text comes from Bryant just as I’m leaving the coffee shop. His demands make me edgy. Set fire to another one of Bryant’s enemy’s building. It’s absolutely the last thing I want to do right now, but I don’t want Bryant knowing we’ve gone off the rails, ignoring his demands for us to drop the Croft job. We’re making our own rules now. The longer he doesn’t realize that, the better.
Me: Yup.
I drive to the location—a sketchy area known for high crime. I’ll probably get my ass shot just for leaving my car. Luckily, I’m packing heat. I dare someone to fuck with me when all I want is to get back to Landry.
Passing the target building, I park a little way up the road in front of an abandoned shop with boarded-up windows. Black hoodies work best for this shit, so I yank one on and pull the hood up over my head. Climbing out, I stuff my gun into my hoodie pocket and then grab my bag from the backseat.
The fires I set aren’t going to bring down an entire building. They’re mainly meant to cause surface damage, involve the authorities, and stall sales or delay construction. I make my way up the stairs to the entry of the empty building. With a grunt, I slam my shoulder into the brittle door. It splinters upon impact of my weight and allows me to kick the broken door the rest of the way in.
Inside, it smells like mildew and piss. It’s littered with trash leftover from the last tenant or vagrants. I unzip my bag, yank out my giant jug of kerosene, and unscrew the cap.
Sully approaches, palms up as though if he makes one wrong move, I might bite. I might. He better walk carefully. Wisely, he stops a couple feet away from me.
“We do jobs for our uncle,” Sully explains. “It’s stupid, but he gave us a place in his family when our mother went to prison.”
“I thought she died,” I choke out. “You guys led me to believe she died.”
“She may as well be dead. Winston Constantine made it so she’ll never leave that hellhole,” Sparrow growls.
“Why is she in prison?” I shake my head. “Forget it. I don’t care. I want to know how I tie into your fucked-up games and why I’m here.”
Sully sighs, taking another step toward me. I narrow my eyes, warning him from getting any closer. “There’s this ongoing war between the Morellis and the Constantines.”
“So you’re Morellis?”
“Technically,” Sully agrees, “but legally, we’re Mannfords.”
Mannford.
Ford Mann.
Oh my God.
If I would have just googled Ford Mann, I might have eventually discovered the truth. I was too afraid of Dad finding what I’d search out, and when I had the opportunity, I was more concerned with finding an escape from my father, not researching my boyfriend.
Boyfriend?
Dumb girl. You were played by three evil twats.
“The Morellis hate the Constantines. We, specifically, hate the Constantines. So, when our uncle asked us to meddle in your dad’s life, since Winston Constantine was planning to do some business with him, we jumped at the chance.”
I sidestep Sully, unable to look at his face. My gaze finds Sparrow. “And it was in the plan to fuck me? I bet you guys had so much fun laughing at my expense.” Swallowing hard, I fight the tears forming in my eyes. “I feel so stupid.”
Sparrow slides off his stool, but I don’t want him near me either. I step backwards and bump into Scout. He wraps an arm around me, pulling me to his chest. Sparrow and Sully watch with matching jealous expressions on their faces.
“Don’t feel stupid, prickly princess,” Scout says, breath hot near my ear. “We’re really good at deceiving people. Been doing it our entire lives.”
“Scout,” Sparrow spits out, a warning in his tone. “Stop.”
“Stop what, little brother? Being real with her?”
“Stop antagonizing her,” Sully grumbles. “It’s…too much.”
“Don’t tone story time down for my benefit.” I seethe, my blood boiling over with fury. “Scout’s right. Give it to me straight. I deserve that. You know I do.” I want, no, I need to feel every blade of betrayal cutting through me so I don’t fall for their charms ever again. Or anyone’s for that matter.
“Our uncle set us up with fake IDs and gave us our jobs.” Sully gestures to himself. “I was in charge of, uh, infiltrating the home.”
All the hairs on my arms stand on end. A shiver of disgust ripples through me. Scout mistakes it for me being cold and he hugs me closer. I don’t want to be in his grip, but he’d probably force me to stay there anyway. It’s better I’m staying by my own choice.
“I was to be with you at school,” Sparrow mutters. “Hence our same schedules.”
“And you?” I ask Scout, slightly turning my head to look at him. “What was your job? Or was kidnapping your part?”
“That was just a bonus.” He grins at me. “My job was to befriend Ty Constantine.”
I wish Ty were here. At least he’s innocent in all this. All he wanted to do was to be my friend. Apparently, he trusted Scout, too. I’m putting together the pieces pretty quickly. Scout obviously used Ty to get me here.
“Ty was going to help me leave my dad,” I admit, frowning. “We made a plan on our date.” I chew on my bottom lip thoughtfully. “He was going to give me some money to get away.”
“How did you get here?” Sully asks.
I attempt to extricate myself from Scout. He squeezes me tight for a second and then releases me. Curling my arms around my middle, I back away from the three of them until my butt hits the counter behind me.
“Since they’re besties,” I supply, enunciating the word, “he obviously intercepted Ty’s message to me—”
“Beat him to the punch,” Scout interjects. “Go on. You’re good at these guessing games. It’s a shame you didn’t put it all together sooner.”
I want to kick him in his bad knee. Asshole.
“I came here thinking I was going to Ty’s. I thought I was going to get away.”
“You did get away,” Sparrow says, stepping toward me. “You’re safe here.”
Is he serious right now?
I was split up from my sister and forced to sleep naked with a monster. How is that safe?
“Don’t touch me,” I warn, scowling at him.
“Laundry,” he murmurs, eyes flashing in pain.
Unreal.
“You don’t get to call me that, Sparrow. You don’t get to look like the victim here. Fuck you. Fuck all of you.” I plant my palms on his chest and try to shove him, but he’s built like a brick wall, going nowhere.
“It wasn’t all a job for me.” Sparrow’s maple-syrup eyes dart back and forth, willing me to understand. But I don’t. It’s so stupid and wrong. “You and me—”
“There was me and Ford, but there was never me and Sparrow.” I move away from him and look at Sully. “Have you seen the news? What are they saying?”
His lips press into a firm line and he drops his gaze to the floor. “Nothing.”
“What do you mean nothing?”
“No Amber Alerts. No missing person reports. Nothing. No one’s looking for you.”
He’s wrong.
If my dad isn’t taking this to the news, that means he’s trying to fix this before it becomes a thing. Quietly. Efficiently. Him going to the news would be a last-ditch effort.
Dad is looking…
And I dread thinking about him actually finding us.
Being trapped with these three liars isn’t ideal, but it’s still better than being at home. I can breathe and think. I’ll get me and Della out of here.
The triplets used me.
My turn to use them back.
Chapter Six
Scout
She’s so pretty when she’s mad.
Her blue eyes lose their softness, electrifying until they practically glow. The plump pink pillows of her lips twist into a sneer and the skin on her neck and face turns crimson from the emotions stampeding through her veins.
It makes me want to pull her close and twist my fingers in her golden locks, tugging and pulling until she’s forced to face one of the monsters in her life. I want to fuck her while she glares at me, drawing pleasure out of her that forces her snarls to be replaced with needy moans.
Landry Croft is sneaky.
Sneaky in the sense that I wasn’t prepared for her.
I was fixated on Ash Constantine—a fading ghost from my past. So distracted by the stale memories of what I thought I wanted that when something fresh tickled my nose, I wasn’t ready for my every sense to be invaded.
That’s what Landry did.
She chased away those old desires, replacing them with something heart-pumping and addictive. Too easily she lured me away from what I thought I wanted.
Now, she’s all I see.
And we have her.
I didn’t just do this for me. I did it for my brothers, too. I could see how they wanted her. How they cared. Either we each tug at a piece of Landry, none of us giving an inch, or we play nice and share.
Mom would have forced us to share when we were kids.
Since Mom’s not here, I’m stepping in.
We have Landry in our home and no one knows where she is. At the end of the day, she’s ours.
Not Ty’s. Not her father’s. Ours.
My phone buzzes in my pocket, distracting me from my thoughts. I pull it out and read the text.
Ty: Dude. Shit has gone down. Can you meet up? I’m so fucked.
Me: Yeah. At your office?
Ty: God no. I need to get out of here. There’s a coffee shop on the corner.
Me: I know the one. See ya in twenty.
I tuck my phone back in my pocket, my eyes darting back to Landry. She’s sitting next to Della at the table, signing something to her. They’re carrying on an entire conversation with their hands. It’s fascinating to watch. Where Sparrow and I watch in rapt interest, Sully intently stares at them, understanding on his face. Since he doesn’t appear to be alarmed, I assume it must be benign whatever they’re discussing.
“Looks like Sparrow is on dishes,” I say, pushing back my chair. “I’m meeting a friend and I’m going to find out how much Alexander knows.”
Landry abandons her conversation with her sister to glower at me. “Ty?”
“You think he’s my only friend?”
“Your brothers don’t count,” she drawls out, face flickering in a bitchy way that gets my dick really hard. “Me and Della are your captives.”
“Spoiled captives,” I say with a grin as I stand. “I made the kid extra bacon. No one’s tied up here or gagged, though it can be arranged.” I motion at the kinky fuck in the room. “Right, Sparrow?”
Landry shoots me the bird and Sparrow huffs in exasperation. I wink at Della who’s watching me with interest.
“Don’t have too much fun while I’m gone,” I instruct. “If the captives escape, I won’t be happy if I have to hunt them back down.”
Landry’s glare is sharp enough to cut glass. If she knew how much that look turned me on, I doubt she’d use it on me so frequently.
* * *
The coffee shop is bustling with people. While I wait for Ty to arrive, I sip my mocha latte and people-watch. I’m quite relaxed. Having Landry in my possession feels like a win—a win I’ve been chasing after for five long years. Victory is as sweet as the chocolate syrup drizzled over the top of my latte.
A bell chimes, barely audible over the hum of businesspeople buzzing around, aching for their next caffeine fix, and my gaze darts to the door.
Ty fucking Constantine.
His features are twisted into an expression of pure panic. He even looks a little green, like he might puke his guts up at any second. I take another sip of my latte before waving to garner his attention. Relief causes his shoulders to bleed away some of their tension and he forces a grim smile for me.
I’m his…friend.
Friends talk to each other through problems and offer advice when they can.
“What’s up, man?” I say, grinning at him as he takes a seat.
I push the coffee I ordered him closer to him. Cream, two sugars. I’m his bestie, so naturally, I know how he takes his coffee. He flashes me a grateful smile and then sips the hot liquid before relaxing further.
I like to think I have a calming effect on people.
Though, I’m sure few people would argue that idea.
“So?” I ask, leaning toward him. “Did you do it?”
He scrubs his palm over his face. “I didn’t get the chance. We had a plan, but she must have just left, Ford.”
Ford.
Ah, yes. My name.
“Left?” I furl my eyebrows together. “Where did she go?”
“Hell if I know.” He sips his coffee again, face going stormy. “He must have done something to upset her last night. She didn’t wait for my message, which I was going to deliver today, and just left. Took Della with her.”
“How do you know all this?”
His face pales. “Alexander. I got into the office this morning and I overheard him on speakerphone with his assistant.”
“The assistant I fucked?”
It’s too bad that Ty is just an easy person to lie to. The fucker believes every damn thing out of my mouth.
“I knew it was that old hag,” he says with a grimace. “Anyway, he told her his girls are missing. That he won’t be in the office until he figures out where they went.”
“Did he sound pissed?”
“No.” He groans, pinning his stare on me. “He sounded calm. So self-assured. Like he knew he was going to find them and very soon.”
“And you think because he sounded calm, he’s already figured out you were involved in her disappearance somehow?” I arch a brow in disbelief. “He’s cunning, but I mean, that’s a bit of a stretch, don’t you think?”
“You don’t know this guy,” Ty grumbles. “He’s just so…intense. Knows things before they even happen. His ironclad control on every aspect of his life is intimidating. Like on our date…”
He’s blathering on about Landry and the movies, but I’m overwhelmed with jealousy. Imagining him alone with her in the theater, especially now that she’s officially ours, has my blood heating to inhuman degrees.
“Did you hear me?” he asks, cocking his head to the side.
“Hmm?” My jaw clenches with barely checked anger.
“She had no money,” Ty explains. “She’s out there with nothing. No money, no shelter. And, worst of all, she has one of the most rich and powerful men hunting her down. When he finds her…”
He won’t.
He can’t.
She’s ours.
We have her and no one will be taking her away from us.
I don’t care if I have to throw Ty Constantine under the bus because I will. If he’s a casualty in our war against her father, so be it. And, if I need to do more shit for Bryant, like burn the entire goddamn city to the ground just to make all this go away, I will.
“I’m just fucking worried,” he grunts. “I wonder how long it’ll take for them to realize the timing of our date and her disappearance are suspect.”
“But they won’t find anything,” I assure him, “because I gave you the money in cash and she’s not at your place. You never had a chance to send her a note. Stop freaking out, Ty.”
He nods vigorously as though he needed to hear those words. “I’m trying not to. My cousin will lose his shit if I make a mockery of our family. This kind of scandal will tarnish the Constantine name. Accessory to child kidnapping or whatever.”
“Which you didn’t do,” I remind him.
I’m the kidnapper around here and I’m certainly not bothered.
“Right.” He sighs heavily. “I just feel so guilty. Like it’s obvious I tried to help her.”
“They won’t tie you to it.”
“Maybe not,” he agrees. “It doesn’t change the fact she’s out there alone and penniless. Fuck. All I wanted to do was help her.”
I almost feel bad for the guy.
He really does care about her.
Lucky for him, she’s safe.
“Landry seems like a smart girl. She’ll make good choices.”
“I don’t know, man. This city is huge and you can’t do much without a dime to your name. She could be dead in an alleyway right now for all I know.” He cringes at that thought, looking as though he might vomit up the few sips of coffee he’s had. “I’d never forgive myself.”
“But you didn’t do anything.”
“Exactly!” He throws his hands up in the air. “I should have gotten her out of there the night she told me. Leaving her until I sorted shit out was the wrong thing to do. Clearly, she didn’t feel safe and needed an escape.” He curses, pinching the bridge of his nose. “She was terrified, Ford. Fucking terrified. I could have helped her right then, but I didn’t.”
As fun as it is watching a Constantine wallow in his own misery, I’d much rather be curled up in bed with the woman he’s obsessing over.
“He’s going to find them,” Ty mutters. “He’ll find them and there will be hell to pay. I feel it in my bones.”
Alexander won’t find his daughters easily. Our apartment is paid for by our uncle, who has a different last name than us. Even if Alexander figures out Ford Mann is the Mannford triplets, it doesn’t get him any closer to us—to Landry and Della.
“Sitting here, worrying about what might happen, isn’t doing Landry any good.” I give him a pointed look. “You need to get back to the office and learn what you can. Find out what he knows. Stay two steps ahead of him. If you really care about her getting free, like you say she wants, then you need to do what you can to help her. Hiding from Alexander will only raise suspicions.”
“You’re right,” he croaks out. “Maybe if he figures out where she’s at, I can warn her somehow.”
“Be her hero.”
My brothers and I will be her filthy villains.
After letting loose a heavy sigh, he nods. “I can do this. I’m going to go right back in there and make sure she stays ahead of him.”
And I’ll be right behind Ty, steering him away from the truth of her location any chance I get.
* * *
Bryant: I want it done. Today.
The text comes from Bryant just as I’m leaving the coffee shop. His demands make me edgy. Set fire to another one of Bryant’s enemy’s building. It’s absolutely the last thing I want to do right now, but I don’t want Bryant knowing we’ve gone off the rails, ignoring his demands for us to drop the Croft job. We’re making our own rules now. The longer he doesn’t realize that, the better.
Me: Yup.
I drive to the location—a sketchy area known for high crime. I’ll probably get my ass shot just for leaving my car. Luckily, I’m packing heat. I dare someone to fuck with me when all I want is to get back to Landry.
Passing the target building, I park a little way up the road in front of an abandoned shop with boarded-up windows. Black hoodies work best for this shit, so I yank one on and pull the hood up over my head. Climbing out, I stuff my gun into my hoodie pocket and then grab my bag from the backseat.
The fires I set aren’t going to bring down an entire building. They’re mainly meant to cause surface damage, involve the authorities, and stall sales or delay construction. I make my way up the stairs to the entry of the empty building. With a grunt, I slam my shoulder into the brittle door. It splinters upon impact of my weight and allows me to kick the broken door the rest of the way in.
Inside, it smells like mildew and piss. It’s littered with trash leftover from the last tenant or vagrants. I unzip my bag, yank out my giant jug of kerosene, and unscrew the cap.
