Page 58 of Fast Vengeance

People began rushing everywhere.

“How long has it been since you were there?” he asked her.

“I was twelve or so the last time.”

“Do you remember the layout?”

“Yes. Though it could be changed now.”

Taggart thrust a pen at her and slid a piece of paper in front of her. “Show me what you remember.”

She began sketching out the basic floor plan, wanting to do whatever she could to help. Hoping it would be enough to find Brock in time. “How do we even know Brock is really there? The caller could have been lying, just trying to get money.”

“It’s the only thread we’ve got, so we’re pulling on it,” Taggart said, leaning one hand on the table to watch.

Searching her memory, she drew the ground floor. Kitchen, library, dining room. Family room. The upper floor had bedrooms and bathrooms. Her room had its own attached bath, just down the hall from her parents’ master suite.

“Is there any place that matches the look of that room?” he asked, jerking his head toward the computer she’d glimpsed on her way in.

Forcing herself to look over at it again, she focused on the horrific image of Brock strung up by those cruel chains. The room was horrible. Cold and sterile. All concrete. Like a bunker.

She sucked in a breath. “The basement. There was a wine cellar down there, and some other rooms I was never allowed in. My fa—” No. “Nieto said they were off limits and I was forbidden to go down there without an adult.” Because he hadn’t wanted her to see what he used that room for. God.

She swallowed, the memories washing over her, conflicting and difficult. He’d been such a kind, attentive father, especially when she was young. Even on the rare occasions when he had spent time with her as an adult. When she was little he had flown kites with her on the beach. Given her piggyback rides up and down the sand and through the lush grounds of the house. He had played hide and seek in its rooms. Read stories to her and tucked her in at night.

Had he been an evil monster even back then? Or had his lust for money and power warped him over time?

“Any tunnels down there or anything like that?” Taggart asked, bringing her back to the present.

She could feel everyone’s gazes burning her. Wished she held the power to fix this mess. “It’s possible. I heard him mention secret passageways once.”

She’d been outside his office while he’d been on the phone that morning. The moment she’d stepped into view his expression had frozen. He’d immediately ended the call and distracted her with an ice cream sundae in the kitchen, and she’d forgotten all about the tunnel until just now.

“Might lead to the beach,” Taggart muttered to the others, and signaled to someone out of her line of sight.

She surfaced from her memories, her skin crawling. Was Brock being held and tortured in one of those basement rooms right now, in the place where she had vacationed with her parents all those years? It was too awful to contemplate. “I want to talk to him.”

Taggart looked at her sharply. “Who?”

Her heart was racing, her breaths coming faster as the anger hit. “Nieto.”

“Not a good idea. And we only have his contact as a go between right now anyway.”

“Then I want to talk to him.” She raised her chin, looked at Taggart defiantly, anger pulsing hotter with each heartbeat. “Put me on the phone to him. Right now.”

“Why?”

Because. Goosebumps broke out on her arms. “Because I’m going to end this.” Once and for all.

Taggart shared a loaded look with Gabe for a moment, then waved someone over. The man dialed the contact for her. The room went eerily silent as the phone rang, the sound of it echoing because she was on speaker.

“Yeah?” the male voice answered in Spanish.

She kept her gaze locked with Victoria’s as she spoke, drawing strength from her friend. “This is Oceane Nieto. I want to speak to my father.” She only used that term now because she had to.

The man snorted. “I’m supposed to believe you?”

“I don’t care if you do or not. Just put me in contact with him. Now.” The rage was building again. A deep, blinding supernova she couldn’t suppress.

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