Page 11 of Brutal Obsession

“What are you doing up here?”

“That’s what I should be askingyou,numb nuts.” Rory strides my way, exasperation in his hazel eyes. “You weren’t answering your radio.”

My radio? Forgot all about the thing. Seeing Harper’s photo undid my focus completely.

Embarrassment bursts in my gut. Am I really so worried about her that I lost track of my surroundings like some green kid?

“Enzo pulled one over on us.” I delete the photo of Harper before Rory makes it behind the desk.

“No shit. We’ve gotta get out of here.” Rory yanks the USB out of Enzo’s computer.

“Come on.” I nod toward the cable still hanging from the open window in the ceiling, moving in that direction myself. And not a moment too soon.

Outside the study, pounding footsteps crescendo.

Yelling grows closer.

Apop-popof gunfire erupts.

The bookcase bucks as men throw their weight against it.

“Cian!” Rory’s already halfway up the cable.

I scramble up after him, and we’re out of there before the De Luca enforcers charge inside.

Half an hour later, we’re headed back to the estate, the second vehicle in a small caravan.

“How the fuck do we keepmissinghim?” Rory tightens his grip on the steering wheel. “Tell me you at least got something off his computer.”

“Enzo doesn’t have her.”

My friend’s startled gaze lands on my profile.

“What?”

With difficulty, I swallow the anger searing my throat. “He’s been searching for Harper for weeks, same as us.”

“I don’t know whether to be insulted or impressed.” Rory scoffs. “So, Enzo was bluffing the entire time…”

He was, but now his bluff is about to come true. Enzo concluded his search for Harper.

He found her.

Whoever sent him that picture knows Harper’s location, and that person is there, physically, right now. Me deleting that message doesn’t change a thing.

Harper’s in danger.

Chapter 3

Cian

“Something stinks.” With just those two words, Finn sums up the uneasiness among us all as we climb toward his father’s office.

The estate’s grand staircase is six flights of wide steps that begin in the large, open foyer and end on the third floor. My feet drag as I follow the others. I’d rather stand down in the foyer and count the lights on the five-layered chandelier or crawl around on the floor picking out the individual-colored fibers in the expensive hall rugs than reach the top of the stairs. I don’t want to get up to where Shane Gallagher waits for us, because then I’ll be forced to explain what I know. And I’m still pissed.

But as we pass the second-floor landing, I catch myself glancing down the window-lined hall toward the door that leads to Harper’s suite, and my heart executes a weird thumping twinge in my chest.

Furious as I am, she’s still in danger. We need to ensure we pick her up before the De Lucas do.

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