Page 90 of Dangerous Rhythm

“We do what we can. Sometimes, there’s a simple solution. Sometimes, things are a bit more complicated. It just happened this time. It was a big problem with a simple solution.”

The captain announced over the intercom they were about to take off.

“Your problem falls under complicated, Curtis,” Ken said. “As it involves emotion, a mother’s grief. Her need for revengeis misplaced, but you can’t argue with someone like Serafina Stiletto.”

“Then what can we do?” Curtis asked.

Ken looked thoughtful. “I honestly don’t know yet, Curtis. Putting you back within her reach might not be a smart move. We can still divert this flight somewhere else. We will need to make a stop before we reach New York, anyway.”

“No. I told you I can’t let her run me out of my home and my life forever.”

“We understand,” Lina intervened. “Ken is just saying there is still time to change your mind. We can always go somewhere else until we come up with a foolproof plan to end this.”

“No.” Curtis insisted stubbornly. “My family can’t get back to their lives until I resolve this. Either we figure out a way to do that peacefully, or I’ll draw her out myself—”

“That’s not an option,” Lina sharply cut him off.

“It might be the only way. Dangle me in front of her, force her to make her move.”

“I’m not using you as bait,” Lina flatly dismissed Curtis’ idea.

“She wants me,” Curtis argued. “Let’s give her what she wants. It’s the simplest solution. Then you and the police can swoop in and arrest her ass.”

“She’ll never do her dirty work herself. It’s too risky. You might get hurt or worse, dead, and we still wouldn’t get her.” Her hand slashed the air with a rare show of temper. “No!”

Curtis’ stubborn gaze met Lina’s. Her eyes were hard, her lips pursed.

“We may have to consider that idea,” Ken chimed in, a calm voice in the heated argument. “But let’s not make any decisions before we get all the information. Marcus may have new developments we could use in our plan.”

Ken took out a laptop and a few folders from his backpack that he passed on to Lina and Curtis. “I made some printouts of whatwe have so far. We have a long flight. What better way to pass it than to learn everything there is to know about the Stilettos? Let’s find their weakest link.”

thirty-six

New York City

It’d taken them more or less sixteen hours to return to New York. Not too bad, considering they’d had to stop and change planes. By the time Ken and Lina had worked their special magic at the airport to keep Curtis incognito, it’d been close to four in the afternoon Eastern time and he was exhausted.

Curtis didn’t know where they’d taken him. The travel across time zones had finally caught up to him. He just remembered getting into an apartment after Lina and Ken had cleared it. She’d pointed him toward a door, and he’d crashed onto the bed and had been out.

Curtis didn’t recall all that when he awoke. He blinked his eyes several times to adjust to the darkness and almost panicked when he didn’t recognize his surroundings. He could hear a muted wail of sirens in the distance somewhere, the hiss of a heater blowing warmth into the space, and a soft breathing next to him.

Lina.

Inhaling deeply, it all flooded back to him. He hadn’t taken in anything about this new space he’d been forced to hide in before he’d passed out. All he’d cared about was the bed and sleep.

Good thing we weren’t being attacked right then and there. Much help I would’ve been.

Feeling the sudden urge to relieve himself, he rolled up and looked around. A sliver of moonlight through the shades illuminated a path toward what he hoped was a bathroom. He made his way there as quietly as possible, not wanting to wake up Lina.

A nightstand lamp turned on.

“Ugh.” Curtis covered his eyes at the sudden brightness.

“What are you doing sneaking around?”

“I need to use the bathroom.”

Lina sat up and gestured to the door Curtis was heading to. When he returned, Lina was standing by a window, looking down to the street twenty floors below.

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