Page 28 of Bad Business

“I’m sorry Gage couldn’t be here. He’s been dealing with some health issues since the accident. His wife, Poppy, stayed home with him,” Drake says, his voice calm despite the mess.

“I understand. I’m grateful you came… all of you.”

“We might not have come about being a family in a traditional sense, but regardless of how, you’re our brother.” Roland taps the table. “And we fight for each other, Dallas. Between the six of us, we can figure out who is behind this.”

The door bursts open, and my sister Danika rushes in. “What the fuck, Dallas? Why did you not call me?” She glances around the room, her eyes widening. “Shit… I’m sorry… I just… Fuck.” Danika pulls out a chair and plops down beside Griffyn. I almost laugh when her eyes nearly bug out of her eyes. “Holy shit, you’re here… in my brother’s house.”

Roland laughs. “Yeah, sweetheart. I’m family… remember?”

“Right. Family.”

Danika’s arrival brings a jolt of energy into the room, cutting through the tension like a knife. We needed that. The room quiets as everyone realizes the gravity of our situation.

“We need a plan,” Ryker starts, leaning forward with his elbows on the table. “That woman, Clarissa, was murdered simply because she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Am I right?” He shakes his head. “Her need to embarrass Willow got her killed. That’s pretty fucked up.”

As much as I despised Clarissa’s behavior earlier, I can’t help but feel guilty that she was caught in the crossfire of this mess. Daniel, the bodyguard, is recovering in the hospital, and so is Kara, the nanny. From what Kara said, Daniel fought hard. He was lucky the shot didn’t kill him. Kara was able to tell us that it was three men in masks who came in and took Juniper. They didn't bother searching the house or asking her for anything—they just took Juniper.

Drake nods, his expression hardening. “We need to understand what they wanted. They took Juniper without hesitation. There is something Lark has that they are willing to use her daughter as a bargaining chip for.”

Willow’s phone buzzes across the coffee table. I glance in her direction and note that the color drains from her face as she reads the message.

“They want me to return what Lark took if I want to see Juniper alive.”

Addison’s face pales. “What could Lark have taken that would get her killed and for them to take a freaking baby?”

“What could she have taken that someone would want back so desperately?” Rhiannon, always the practical one, starts listing items on her fingers. “Did she tell you anything about the men she was seeing?”

“No.” Willow swallows. “I didn’t even know she was working as an escort. She told me that she was the event coordinator for a company.” She shakes her head and stands. “She was gone so much—overnight trips… all lies.” Willow’s eyes light up with sudden realization. “Juniper’s teddy bear! Lark gave it to her after one of her trips. She said it was a special gift.”

Roland leans back, chuckling. “Well, if it’s anything like our triplets’ teddy bears, it’s probably a nanny cam.” The room falls silent, everyone staring at him in shock. “What?” he says defensively. “Izzy wanted to keep an eye on the nannies.” He rolls his eyes, unaware of what he just said.

“Holy shit.” I shake my head in shock. “What if the bear is a camera? And it caught something someone is desperate to get back.”

Ryker stands. “We need to get that teddy bear and see what’s on it.”

“Willow, baby.” I push to my feet and walk to her. “Where is the bear?”

“In storage back in Reno.” Her shoulders slump. “When we left… we left almost everything behind. Brian… Detective Hughes,”—she shakes off the fog I can see clouding her eyes—“he thought it was best.”

“Reno.” Drake chuckles. “Seems like we can’t seem to get away from Nevada.”

“You know someone in Nevada?” Willow blinks, a wave of confusion washing over her features.

“Yes. We made some friends in Vegas earlier this year. In fact,” Drake slips his phone out. “I think they might be able to help.”

“Who’s he talking about?” Willow stares at Drake. “Who’s he calling?”

“If I have to guess, Massimo Anastasi.” I shrug my shoulders. “If there is one man who is going to know if something shady is happening right now, it’s him.”

“Massimo, I’ve put you on speaker.” Drake sets his device on the table. “Dallas, Willow, tell him everything.”

What I don’t know or am unclear about, Willow fills him in.

“Look, the police told us to expect someone with the FBI. This is going to get taken out of our hands soon.”

“Don’t worry about that. I have a contact in the FBI I’ll call. He can take lead on this, which means we can still work it behind the scenes.”

“How the hell do you have a contact in the FBI?” Willow blurts.

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