Page 68 of Rami

“Toth’s working on it. He’s got some of the guys checking the camera footage from the gas station for clues, as well as any highway cams. It’ll take some time—”

“We don’t have time.”

“He’s got the whole team working, and his brothers as well. We’ve got the best people on this. Toth’s brothers have tracked and rescued many times before. We need a plan for when we get ahold of the leader.”

“Already got it.” He quickly told Taschen how he planned to offer the hundred grand Gigi had given them to find Ivy.

“Good. I think that’ll work. I’ll have Toth bring the money from the safe. Maybe we can make a quick trade once we talk to someone.”

Rami nodded. That’d be the best-case scenario. But another thought percolated in his mind: Gigi had no idea Ivy had been taken again.

He’d failed. They’d taken her right from under his nose, and he was a lesser man for it. But he couldn’t hide the news from Gigi. And he wanted her to know they were doing everything in their power to find Ivy.

“I’ve gotta make a call,” Rami said, as he slipped from the truck. Taschen nodded but already had his phone to his ear.

Dialing Gigi’s number, Rami stalked around his vehicle to stand at the edge of the ditch. The line rang in his ear as he stared out at the trees. It was long after midnight, and he had no clue what time it was in Colorado Springs. Nor did he give a fuck.

“Hello?” Gigi’s voice hitched with worry.

Ah, hell. “Gigi. It’s Rami. I’m so sorry—” His voice broke. “Ivy was taken. She—”

“What?” The shrill note in Gigi’s voice made him pull the phone away from his ear.

“Listen. Please,” he said slowly. But she was already sobbing. “We left town in a hurry when we learned the cartel was close, but they were one step ahead of us. I don’t know how they knew the direction we were heading in, but some of their men attacked us at a gas station outside of town. They shot up the place and I was on my own with her... and they grabbed her.”

“I don’t understand,” she wailed. “Why are they still after her? What do they want?”

“I’m going to find out. In the meantime, I need your permission to give them the hundred grand you gave us last week. I was planning on giving back what we didn’t use to pay the guys—”

“Yes! God. Don’t even ask. Just get her back.”

“I will. I promise.” He didn’t hide the wobble in his voice. He never made promises he didn’t keep, and he wasn’t about to start now.

“I’m coming home. Todd’s booking flights right now and—”

“It’s dangerous here. You’re better off staying there until we get this sorted out.”

“Not happening,” Gigi snapped. “I’ll be on the next plane to Seattle. Just, please, Rami. Do everything you can.”

He swallowed down the defeat threatening to bring him to his knees. Fresh anger surged inside him. When he got hold of the motherfuckers who’d taken her, he’d slaughter every one of ’em. “I am.”

“And Rami?” Gigi said, before he could hang up. “This isn’t your fault.”

Her words pierced his chest like a sword. “Yeah, it is. But that’s not the point right now. Have a safe flight.” He disconnected and walked to Taschen’s side of the vehicle to rap on the window.

His friend pushed open the door and pocketed his phone as he got out.

“Tell me you’ve got something from Toth.”

Taschen grimaced, the expression creasing the scar on his face. “Yeah, I do. But I don’t know if it’ll help.”

“Tell me.”

“So you know how we’ve been trying to figure out how they found her, how they were one step ahead.”

Rami nodded, anticipation nearly blinding him.

“They put a tracking device in her, man. They knew where she was the whole fucking time.”

---