Page 74 of Kortlek

Arlo freezes. It’s evident on his face that he’s not surprised — he knew about this. He’s shocked I found out this quickly. I take the piece of paper with the note and toss it at him. He catches it with ease, not looking away from me while unfolding it.

He reads the words quickly and curses, tossing the paper into the trash. He sits down and gulps down the remainder of his whiskey. He’s no longer looking at me — he’s looking through me. His mind is elsewhere, going into a deep overdrive.

“Well?” I demand, tapping my forearm with my index finger impatiently. Arlo snaps back into reality, releasing a deep sigh.

“Four days ago, Rose called me.’’ Blair speaks for the first time and takes a seat next to Arlo. My attention splits between the two of them as I sit across from them. “She was out for the day, probably visiting James, and noticed a car following her. She was on her bike and did her best to lose them. Arlo and I were on our way immediately, and she was safe. But that same night, I couldn’t get a hold of her again.’’

“And no one thought to check in on her? To have her sleep at your place? Or how about not leaving her out of your sight?!”

“Aria,’’ Blair softens her voice slightly. “We had no idea they’d come for her. Why her?”

“Because out of all the people close to me, she’s the easiest target!” My voice raises. “Rose is a lot of things. A spitfire, amazing on a bike, and overall an amazing person. But fighting? Using weapons? That’s us. Not her.’’

“I know,’’ Blair admits. “I know we fucked up. We’re currently looking for her.’’

“I can’t believe no one thought of telling me this.’’ I bury my face in my hands. Now that the emotions have settled, an immense sense of guilt and worry washes over me. I don’t know where she is, if she’s even alive, and the thought of Rose being dead makes my skin crawl.

“We were going to tell you,’’ Arlo says. “And we’ll find her, safe and sound.’’

“You sound almost convincing,’’ I scoff. “Is there anything else you’re keeping from me?”

“The reason I had Cove take you to Italy is because we found out what Wyatt’s planning,’’ he pauses momentarily, glancing at Blair. She gives him a firm nod of approval, and his eyes flicker back to me. “He wanted to kidnap you.’’

I blink. “Excuse me?”

“We couldn’t track him down or confirm the plans, so you leaving was the safest option. All we knew was that he was staying somewhere in Brooklyn. Our men were immediately on him, but to focus on Wyatt and finding him, I needed you gone, Aria.’’

I swallow the lump that forms in my throat and lean back into the chair.

“Rose didn’t get the license plate numbers off the car that was following her, nor did she remember the model, just the color. I put two people on the lookout outside our buildings, but a black SUV isn’t a rare thing in New York. Especially in this part of the city.’’

I take a deep breath. “How did it happen?”

Arlo shakes his head.

“I don’t know. My best guess is that they got into your apartment and snatched her.’’

“And the men you had watching over the building never noticed a thing? I sure hope they were fired.’’

“They didn’t notice because technically, she never left the building.’’

My back straightens and brows narrow. “What?’’

“We searched the building top to bottom many times, every nook and cranny, and nothing — she’s nowhere to be found. There isn’t an apartment, basement, or room we haven’t searched. Yet the cameras aren’t showing Rose leaving the place, and our men didn’t see her leave either.’’

“Are you telling me she just vanished into thin air? Because I found the note in my bedroom, which means they were there.’’

Arlo pauses. “Your bedroom? Where?”

I nod. “Bedside table, why?”

“Because we went through your room and there wasn’t anything there yesterday.’’

Realization dawns on me slowly. “They were there today,’’ I whisper. “They’re fucking playing us like a fiddle.’’

“The only reasonable explanation would be tampering with cameras and switching out the footage, but it doesn’t explain Rose vanishing.’’

“She didn’t vanish,’’ I retort. “Given the note, Wyatt has her. The question is, how did he get her out?”

---