Page 175 of Dance of Deception

My face scrunches up. “Jesus fucking Christ,” I snap. “I don’t?—”

“When a man and a woman love each otherverymuch,” my sister giggles in the background, “and they want to make a baby to express that love?—”

“Kratos,” I snarl lethally.

He clears his throat. “I, uh…sorry, man,” he grunts. “I mean, that you had to hear?—”

“Is my sister fucking SAFE!” I bellow into the phone.

“Always.” There’s no hesitation in his response. “I don’t let anything hurt what’s mine.”

That satisfies me. For now.

“Are you home?”

“Yes,” he grunts.

“Good. Stay there. Call backup that you trust. I’m sending over some of my own men.Stay inside,” I bark before hanging up.

Another quick call has Santino and ten of my guys heading to Kratos and Bianca’s penthouse.

Then I get in my car and drive like a man possessed to Lyra’s old apartment.

The front door is closed,but not locked.

I push inside, gun drawn, my senses on high alert. The place is empty and eerily still, and there’s no signs of a struggle.

But there’s also no sight of Lyra or her mother, either.

I scan the space, scowling when my gaze lands on the coffee table with Lyra’s phone sitting on it. The fucking battery's dead.

I grab it and plug it in before I turn to scan the rest of the place. Just as I’m about to head down the little hallway to the bedrooms and bathroom, a metallic glint on the floor catches my eye.

It’s her silver necklace with the ballet shoe pendant, lying half underneath a side table.

I walk over, crouching down to pick it up, my pulse humming.

Lyra loves this necklace. She almostnevertakes it off. It’s actually one of the very few ground rules we’ve had in our games; that I never tear this from her, or break it in any way.

My chest tightens. This was left here on purpose.

A chime pulls my attention from the necklace. Lyra’s phone is back on.

It’s…strange that she left it here if she and Vera left. Even with a threat looming, it doesn’t make sense that she’d just leave it.

I punch in her passcode and tap on her messaging app.

That’s when I see them, and my jaw grinds.

Text after text from an unknown number.

Demands. Orders.Threats.

Unknown

I just saw you on the news, Lyra.

Unknown

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