Page 63 of Reluctant Surrender

“He’s not going to just let me disappear.” Jared leaned forward in his chair, ready to negotiate. There would be no discussion.

“You’re a low-level thug. Your disappearance won’t matter to him, and after you fucked up the last hijack, he’s not exactly singing your praises, I assure you.” The last shipment had come in untouched. After Jared’s mission had gone bad, maybe Bertonelli had decided it wasn’t worth starting a war.

But considering the attacks he’d been making on my family since I arrived in Chicago, there wasn’t much hope of there not being conflict. If it escalated to an all-out war, I’d be ready.

“Thank you, Lukas.” Camille put her hand on her brother’s arm, probably to keep him from talking and messing up the gift I offered. She knew me long enough to know these sorts of deals were offered once and once only.

I nodded. “One more thing.” I locked eyes with her. “You are never to speak to Maggie again. If you need something, you’ll have a contact you can reach out to. They’ll get in touch with me. If I find out you reached out to her, all protection will be dropped, and you’ll be on your own.”

She swallowed hard, her head bobbing along with me as I spoke. It had been smart to go to Maggie, but I wouldn’t forgive dragging my wife into this mess. Her conversation could have put Maggie in danger.

“I understand.”

“Good.” I looked to Jared. “I have a man ready to take you to the airport. You’ll take my family jet to California where you’ll meet up with your contacts.”

“What about our things?” Camille asked, and this time it was her brother stilling her.

“We’ll get new things,” Jared said.

“There’ll be cash for you at the safehouse. Enough to last a few months, but you’ll need to get jobs, make your own living after that.”

“Understood.” Jared stood up from his chair, cupping Camille’s elbow and helping her up as well. “Thank you.” He gave a curt nod and pulled his sister from my office. As the door clicked behind them, I checked my watch.

Maggie had been gone for an hour. Maybe she wouldn’t have gone if I’d told her Camille was coming. I probably shouldn’t have let her leave. Walking away from me was no way to end an argument, but she’d had sadness in her eyes when she said she wanted to be alone. And I’d added to it by barging into the conversation. In my defense, when I heard the words coming out of Konrad’s mouth, I wanted to run in there and strangle him with my bare hands. I’d held back for her sake, but it hadn’t been enough.

There was a knock on my office door. Good. She was back and hopefully contrite.

“Come in.” I got up from my desk, better to appear as formidable as possible when she apologized for her outburst.

Andrezj walked in, his face gray with fear.

“What’s wrong?” My stomach twisted into a knot.

“She’s not at the coffee house.” He rolled his shoulders back, like a soldier ready to go into battle. “I gave her a head start like you said. The car’s parked outside the café, but I couldn’t see her inside anymore so I went in.”

“Maybe she went to the restroom,” I offered, already on the move.

“I checked.”

My throat clenched. “How could she get lost in a café?”

“I don’t know.” Andrezj followed me as I tore through the house. “Your car’s out front.”

“Find her, Andrezj. Now!”

Chapter 31

Maggie

Adeep throbbing pain ran up the back of my head all the way to my temples. I tried to reach back and rub away the pain, but my hands were bound. I awoke fully in that instant. I was tied to a wooden post, my arms pulled backward and bound behind it. Leather straps secured my ankles to the legs of the metal chair I sat in.

A chill ran through my veins as I took in my surroundings. A darkened, empty cement-walled room. What little light crept through the crack between the floor and the door let me take in my surroundings. In front of me, in the floor, was a drain. The floor slanted from all directions toward that drain.

Fear raced through my body. I was in a kill room.

It didn’t look so different from the room Lukas had hidden in the cellar. Although he didn’t have the convenient post.

“Where am I?” I blinked harder, trying to get my thoughts to line up in some sort of orderly fashion. I’d gone in for coffee. I ordered. I grabbed my drink and took a table at the back of the café, near the restrooms. I’d raged internally about my father’s neglect and then more about Lukas’ overprotective nature. Then I’d gotten up to use the washroom and leave. But no more memories came to me.

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