Page 109 of Lucky Strike

“Sure, hold on.” There’s a rustling of papers, then he gets back on. “Ready?”

“Go ahead.” I jot down the address onto a pad of paper in the kitchen and pocket it. “Thanks.”

“I’ll nix this morning’s order,” he says. “I’ll also have to put your account on hold until you clear this up.”

“I understand. I appreciate your call.”

“No problem.” We disconnect, leaving my world spinning.

The Sokolovs are dead, so they weren’t making calls to anybody this morning. They would have been my first guess, though. The local Bratva is known for its ability to hack into nearly any network, which is why they were able to disarm my security and break in.

But it’s not them, and no one outside of Saoirse knows the identity of my supplier. It has to be someone with inside knowledge, someone pretending to be me to acquire firepower under the umbrella of the syndicate. Ivan’s parting words, which I haven’t been able to get out of my head, circle back once again.Your problems are a lot closer to home than you think.

As fucked-up as it feels, there’s only one man I can think of who might have reason to do this. Only one person entitled enough, capable enough, and he’s sitting in my office. My instincts are rarely wrong, but until I cross-check that IP address, there’s no way to prove it.

I return to my office, trying to listen as the others work through things, but my head’s not in the game. This is the one place that should be safe, the people I should feel safest with. It kills me that I can’t talk to them about what I just learned.

An unfamiliar chirp sounds from my phone. I pick it up and glance at the screen, zeroing in on the notification that just came through. It’s from Liam’s smartwatch, letting me know he’s left the school. Confused, I click the notification and open the app. According to the map, Liam’s on the move. Alarm jolts through my chest like a volt of electricity. I jump to my feet. “I have to go.”

“What’s wrong?” Dad asks, getting to his feet.

“It’s Liam,” I say, fumbling for my keys. “I’ll be back.”

“You okay, kid?” Donovan asks, also rising. “Need backup?”

“I’ll let you know,” I call, jogging from the room. Downstairs, Terry slips into his shoes and follows me out the back door as I text my father a quick message.

Keep an eye on Heath.

Also, I have an IP address that needs looking into

“Everything okay?” asks Terry, jumping into the passenger seat.

“I don’t know—Liam’s tracker has him on the move.” I dial the school as we reverse out of the garage. The day is cold and gray, and it looks like it's going to snow. I think briefly of Bacon, wondering where he is.

“Hello, Young Friends,” a sweet, older voice answers. “This is Ms. Nancy.”

“Hi Ms. Nancy, this is Conlan Kelly. Is my son Liam Kelly present and accounted for?”

“Oh!” she says, sounding startled. “I haven’t seen him this morning, but I can do a quick check, Mr. Kelly.”

“I’d appreciate that.”

By the time she finally comes back, I’m halfway to the school. “Mr. Kelly, Liam did not come in today. Is something the matter? Do you need me to call?—"

“No, I think there was just a little mix-up.” My stomach flips so violently that for a second, I feel like I might throw up. “Thanks for checking.” She’s still talking when I disconnect the call, my heart racing.

Terry frowns, texting as I pull over. “He’s not there?”

I check the app again, shaking my head. The watch is still moving, leaving city limits now. “You heard from Mitch yet?”

“I just texted him,” he says, troubled. “You think maybe the doctor’s appointment ran over?”

“I don’t know,” I say dubiously. “Hey, I need you to drive.”

We switch places. Trepidation rolls in like fog as I consult Liam’s watch app again. The small red dot is moving west of the city now. “Get on 90,” I tell Terry, zooming in on the dot’s location. “West.”

And then I call my brother.

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