Page 83 of The Woman in the Warehouse

He was quick with the backhands, the punches, and occasionally, the hand around my throat, cutting off my air.

In between each punishment, he only had one question.

“Where is Matej?”

“Fuck you.”

I lifted my head at the last second, taking the hit to my jaw instead of my cheek. Still, the pain was becoming overwhelming.

“Where. Is. Matej?” Jan roared.

Then, just like that, the basement door whipped open.

“Right here,” Matej said, glaring at his brother.

Then, well, all hell broke loose.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Anthony

“Focus,” Miko demanded, reaching for my shoulder and turning me to face him. “What might the code be?” he asked.

“I don’t fucking know.”

“What’s her birthday? Her mom’s birthday?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” I growled.

“Who might know?”

Sam.

Sam would know.

I reached for my phone, dialing Sam, who picked up on the first ring. “Anthony? Did you find her?”

“Sam, I need to know all of the dates Saylor might use as a code to get into the warehouse.”

“Something happened,” Sam said, the pain evident in her tone, but I didn’t have the time to comfort her.

“Sam, please,” I begged.

She rattled off the birthdays I asked for. Hers, Saylor’s, her brother’s, their dad. Nothing.

“Sam, what was the date of your son’s death?” I asked, thinking of the story about how Saylor had come to take over this business.

Sam rattled it off, voice tight, and this time instead of a beep, the door unlocked. “Thank fuck,” I said, rushing inside, gun drawn, frantically rushing around the vast, empty space.

But there was nothing.

No one.

My heart sank seeing Saylor’s phone, set on the counter next to the sink. Like she’d put it down to have her hands free to fill Fury’s water, then completely forgotten about it.

“Did you find her?” Sam asked, tone tight.

“No,” I admitted. “Sam, I need to go, but I will call you as soon as I find her. I promise.”

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