Page 100 of Hero's Heart

But they both stayed near Sloane. “Your father set this whole thing up,” Jakob said. “The kidnapping, the ransom, all of it.”

What?

Nikola laughed. “Insurance scam. He wanted money.”

A sick clarity came over Callum. It made so much sense. William Getty had taken out a kidnap and ransom insurance policy on his daughters, then hired the Kozaks to do the dirty work. A quick way to double his money.

Sloane’s eyes widened, and her mouth dropped open in shock.

“You’re lying.” But Sloane’s voice wasn’t firm. She could believe William had done that.

Jakob leaned toward her, cupping her chin in his hand. “I can tell you know I’m not lying. And it gets better. Your father could’ve gotten both you and your sister back safely and still gotten his money, but he decided he’d rather have a few thousand dollars more and collect on a death policy with you.”

Callum hated the tiny sob that escaped Sloane’s lips at Jakob’s words. But she didn’t call him a liar again. This was way too calculating to be anything but the truth, and everybody in that room knew it.

“It was a good plan. It could’ve changed our entire business. But then”—Jakob yanked Sloane’s face to look over at Callum—“he had to come and ruin it all. The small-town sheriff with no ties to anything was sent in with one job to do: exchange your sister for the money. Our payment.”

“Dustin Reynolds was in on this too.” As soon as Callum said the words out loud, he knew they were true.

It had never made sense that Dustin had come to Callum for a random handoff mission. He’d only done so to throw any suspicion off himself. Callum making the trade—a former federal law enforcement officer turned small-town sheriff—had added a layer of credibility for this whole scheme when the insurance company read the report.

That fucking bastard.

Fury lit Jakob’s eyes. “Dustin swore you were the perfect person to follow orders and who could be trusted not to run off with the money yourself.”

Sloane let out a whimper as he pulled harder on her face and leaned down closer to her. “But instead, your boyfriend here decided to go off and play hero. He ruined everything for everyone. He cost me my face. And I’m going to ruin your pretty face too.”

Shit. Jakob’s knife was way too close to Sloane’s skin. “Is it money you want, Kozak? I can get you that. Just let me know what the going rate is for fixing features that terrify little kids.”

Baring his teeth, Jakob stormed back toward him. Callum knew more pain was coming, but he’d still rather have this psycho’s attention on him than Sloane.

This time, Jakob used his knifeandhis fists.

Callum could barely distinguish the different types of pain—the burn of the knife as it sliced along his chest, arms, collarbone, and the heavier pain of the punishing blows to the ribs, the gut.

He locked his jaw against the agony, refusing to give the bastard the satisfaction of screaming, but hanging on to consciousness was becoming harder by the second. Callum swayed on his knees, hardly able to see from both eyes nearly swelling shut as Jakob finally stepped back. Almost from a distance, Callum could hear Sloane crying.

Jakob was still talking, but his words were just noise now. Callum managed to narrow his focus on Sloane. She was looking at him, tears rolling down her cheeks. Nikola, that sick fuck, had stepped back and was touching himself, enjoying Sloane’s sobs.

But to do so, he’d set the knife down on the counter.

This was the only chance Callum was going to get. He needed out of these fucking cuffs so he could get to the Glock under the end table.

“I’ve saved your face for last.” Jakob massaged his facial scars. “I will have my pound of flesh.”

“I don’t think a pound of flesh is really what you want.” Callum spoke as deliberately as he was able, which was becoming more difficult by the second.

Jakob raised an eyebrow. “Is it not?”

“No. In the end, you won’t have beaten me man-to-man, and you’ll wonder if you could’ve. From one warrior to another, believe me, I know that’s true.”

Callum could only pray that playing to Jakob’s ego—calling him a warrior—would work.

It did.

“You’re right. I do need to beat you in a fair fight.” The other man’s smile was smug. Probably because he knew there was no way Callum could beat him. Callum knew that too.

But he didn’t have to beat him.

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