Page 109 of Lethal Alliance

“I don’t care, Inger.” I feel so furious I want to throw something. “Talk.”

“Ilyan Fedorov has your father.”

The world lurches to a slow, sickening halt. I lean forward in my chair.

“What?” I say blankly.

“Tell Bryce to call Spain. They’ll confirm it.” Inger is sobbing weakly. “Ilyan flew me here two days ago. He’s been keeping me isolated. Then an hour ago a man came and put me in a taxi and told me to come here and deliver his message. He gave me a cell phone I have to give you, and something else that he said is proof. He told me I have to give it to you, and nobody else. He said”—she starts crying in earnest—“he said they will kill me, and your father, if you don’t follow their instructions. Please, Darya.”

“Give the phone back to the man who gave it to you.” I cut her off when she begins to protest. “Now,Inger.” I wait until the phone has changed hands. “Keep her outside until we call you back.”

I end the call and throw the phone to Bryce. “Call the security at my father’s villa in Spain. Inger said they’ve taken him.”

“Mierda.” Rosa stands abruptly, her hand going to her mouth. Bryce’s face is white as he punches out the number. All three of us wait, the long continental beeps audible in the quiet room.

“There’s no answer.” Bryce stares at me. “Let me try Pillars.”

We wait again.

“Fucking answering machine,” he mutters.

I call Abby’s number.

No answer.

Oh, Jesus.

“We need to call Mak.” I nod at the door, and Bryce follows me out. I close it so Rosa can’t hear. “It’s Fedorov. He’s got Papa, which means Miami is nothing more than a distraction. He’s going tocome here, Bryce.” I know it, in the pit of my gut. “They need to know they’re walking into a trap in Miami, if it isn’t already too late.”

He nods, dialing the number. “What do you want us to do with Inger?”

I frown. “Wait for Mak’s instructions.”

Bryce switches the phone to speaker as it answers.

“Da.” Mak’s voice comes hard down the line.

“You’re walking into a trap.” Bryce doesn’t waste time. “Fedorov is in Spain. He’s got Sergei, and he’s taken Pillars. Inger is at the gate. She says she has instructions she has to give Darya in person, or they’ll kill Sergei. What do you want us to do?”

“Sit tight.” Mak’s voice is cool and collected. “I’ll send a team straight to you. Don’t let Inger through that gate, and keep it locked down until my people get there. Is Darya with you?”

“Yes,” I say.

“Darya, you and Rosa get inside the safe room. Bryce, put your best men on the door and two inside the room with them. I’ll call when my team is close to you. Any questions?”

“No,” we both say.

He hangs up without waiting for a response.

“Rosa.” I put my head around the door, where a white-faced Rosa is waiting, tense and alert. “Come with me.”

We follow Bryce downstairs. “What about Vera?” I ask him as we go.

“I’ve got someone on her door,” he says curtly. “She’ll be fine where she is.”

The safe room is off the kitchen, behind a temperature-controlled wine cabinet. Bryce punches in the code, and the wall of wine swings open. A set of stairs leads down to a small but comfortable room, with a bathroom off on one side. There’s a fridge and a couch in the center by a coffee table.

It still makes me shiver. I’m never going to like being underground, or locked in.

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