Page 130 of Coerced Queen

“I’ll take care of the street cameras,” Dante says.

Since Giorgio died, Dante took over the task.

“What about the door?”the man asks.

Dante’s tone is flat.“Leave it like that.”

This way, someone will find the body before the cleaning lady comes in tomorrow morning.That’s to say if they employ cleaning staff.It doesn’t look like it.

Dante dismisses the guard with a nod.When the man is gone, he says, “It’s a fucking dead end—literally.”

“We’ll find Raphael.”Wehaveto.I clench and flex my fingers.“Let’s go.”

We can check the video from the street camera in the car to save time.I want to already be on the road by the time we have a new lead.There’s not a second to waste.

Urgency drives my steps.If I let it, fear will destroy my ability to think logically, to strategize, so I push it down and keep on moving.

My phone vibrates in my pocket when I exit onto the walkway.

It’s Nicole.

I tense.

The old man and his woman are still at it, fucking like bunnies.

I swipe the button and speak when I’m out of earshot, not that the couple will hear me through their noisy humping and moans.

“What’s wrong?”I ask.

Dante, who’s one step ahead, stops to look at me over his shoulder.

Nicole sucks in an audible breath.“Sav.”

The way she says my name—sounding uncertain and as scared as fuck—has the hair stand on end in my nape.

“What the fuck is wrong?”I repeat.

“Anya got a call.”

My spine goes rigid.

Hold on.Why isn’t Anya calling me herself?A terrifying feeling sweeps through me, leaving me weak in its wake.

I press the speaker button and hold the phone between us for Dante to hear.I have a feeling I won’t have time to repeat the message.

My voice rasps, my control about to snap.“Where’s my wife, Nicole?Put her on the phone.Now.”

“You need to listen to me.”Nicole adds with emphasis, “Calmly.”

“What’s going on?Spit it out, for God’s sake.”

“Raphael took Claire,” Nicole says.

Dante stills.

Mary just told me, but who told Anya?Morelli himself?And if it was him, there’s only one reason why he’d make that call.

Static noise rings in my ears and reverberates in my skull.I clench the phone hard.“Tell me Morelli didn’t convince my wife to meet him somewhere.”

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