Page 80 of The Shadows We Keep

“I’m assuming by your reaction you know exactly who I’m talking about.” He tilts his head in that way dads do when they already know the answer to the questions they’ve asked.

“Jesus, what have you gotten yourself into,” he whispers to himself before draining the small mug and placing it on the table in front of us.

“What did I get myself into? You mean what did you drag me into! What did you tell him?” I ask, keeping my composer and trying not to show the anxiety spiking in my chest.

“The truth. That I wasn’t sure where you were since we haven’t spoken in weeks. But he knows where the apartment in Brooklyn is, so I figured I’d call you as soon as possible and get you out of there. I was already in the city, so it made sense to draw you here.”

“Fuck.” I jump to my feet, dumping the small mug on the glass coffee table before heading for the door.

“Harkin, wait. Where are you going?” he calls after me.

“I have to get back to the apartment. I left her alone.” That’s not entirely true. James should be there by now, but I’m not. And if I’m not there to protect her, every promise I vowed last night is about to be broken.

“You need to tell him where she is.” His comment stops me cold in my tracks, fingers laced around the handle seconds from pulling the door free. I turn slowly to face him, taking in his worried eyes.

“What do you know?” I ask, leaving no room for falsities between us.

“He wants her. There’s more to the story than you know, Harkin. Just tell him, he won’t hurt her, but he needs her.”

My blood boils.He needsher? Too bad; she’s mine. There’s more to the story. Shit, there’s more to the story than he knows from my point of view, too. But I’d hand her over, no sooner than hell freezing over.

“That’s never going to happen. I have to go. Thanks for the warning, I guess. But don’t be surprised if you don’t hear from me for a while,” I tell him before walking out the door, with one thing on my mind.

Her.

My feet pound against the cement steps, too on edge to wait for the elevators. I peel out of the parking garage, nearly missing a jogger on their morning run when I careen around the corner to get onto the road. It only takes fifteen minutes to get from the hotel back to the apartment, but it might as well be hours for how long it feels.

I dial James’ cell, but he doesn’t answer. It’s after the third ring with nothing more than his voicemail on the other end that has my skin itching as nerves crawl up the back of my neck.

I’m pissed at my father for his incessant vague texts. But also, at myself for not just calling and demanding he tell me what was going on. Now, I know nothing more than they’re coming after us if they haven’t already. I slam my fist against the steering wheel, letting the frustration build instead of wean from the outburst.

The apartment isn’t safe; it doesn’t matter if I reworked the security system. If they got in once, I’m sure they can make it happen again. Though this time after what we did, I don’t think they’d bother being stealthy.

I slam into my parking spot and jam the SUV into park. When my feet finally make it to the third floor, I slow, quieting my pace. But then I see it. The front door is open just a crack. “Fuck,” I hiss under my breath, pulling the gun from the holster at my back. The cold metal in my grasp is another reminder of how fucked up this whole situation is.

I creep into the entryway, praying to God she’s still here. Sweeping the kitchen and living room, I notice nothing’s amiss. Pushing open her old room, I find it’s dark, no movement from within. Stopping outside my room where she was sleeping earlier, I pull in a deep breath calming my nerves before pushing into the room.

No one’s in here. Her compact form doesn’t take up the right side of my bed. Her beautiful dark hair doesn’t fan across the white bedding. A brick forms in the pit of my stomach when I step around the end of the bed and see the floor coated in thick red blood. A cold sweat beads across my forehead at the sight. That’s too much blood, and if it’s hers, I can’t wait to make whoever thought they could come into our home and steal away my girl pay.

“Keira!” I call out, not expecting her to answer but quiet just in case she’s hiding somewhere now, waiting for me. When the only sound I hear is my ragged breathing I drop to my knees, head bowing in devastation.

A white piece of paper snags my attention from this angle. I reach forward under the bed and unfold the one clue they left.

I hope she was worth what’s coming to you. But she’s mine now.

Rage ignites in my chest,filling my limbs with a need to move. I’ve never felt a predatory need to destroy someone, but it’s the only thing filling my head now. The world will parish around me before I give up on finding and freeing her. Even if it’s the last thing I do.

I’m coming for you, little one. Hold on.

* * *

I stomp through the apartment,heading to my office, phone tucked against my shoulder trying to reach James again for the millionth time. The front door slams open, and I stall my pacing across my office floor. Quickly ducking behind the door, I freeze, gun at the ready for whoever is running down the hall toward me.

“Kiera!” the deep voice calls out. I recognize it instantly and meet him in the hall. His gun points at my chest, but he quickly drops it when he sees it’s me.

“She’s gone,” I state, any emotion I’d felt earlier locked down deep as I shifted into problem-solving mode.

I take him in, he’s got one hell of a shiner and a cut above his left eye.

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