Page 37 of A Fine Line

In the flesh.

What the actual fuck?

Chapter Fourteen

Tony

Ittakesusawhile to clear the scene and head back to Agatha’s place. I’ve had to compartmentalize everything that’s happened, which makes me more efficient and methodical but also impossible to talk to. We looked around as best we could, given the amount of damage to the building, and a few of Anton’s men stayed behind to do a more thorough search as things cool off enough to sort through.

Dare has been right by my side the entire time, and I can tell he’s torn between figuring out how the fuck Lilith Ferro is still alive and making sure I don’t go into full-destruction mode.

I think he realizes we need to stay in our own lane and let Nettie handle the Lilith thing. The only one we can think of who might know what’s going on is Matt, and of course, he’s not answering his phone. With the time difference, he’s probably on a shift, which pisses me off even more because the idea that this fucking criminal is a police chief is fucking asinine.

He doesn’t even need the damn money. And then there’s Mickey, who also isn’t answering his goddamn phone.

Those two motherfuckers are going to get it.

Anton loaded Lilith into the medic van, so at least I didn’t have to look at her. I’m leaning against the hood of the van, my forehead against my forearms, when a hand squeezes my shoulder, and Dare says, “I’m sorry, man.”

I shake him off and straighten, turning to him as I reply, “Sorry for what?”

“I wish there was something I could do. I know how excruciating it is, that feeling of loss.”

I glare at him, taking a step closer and pushing hard against his chest. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. You shut your fucking mouth.”

Dare takes the hit without flinching, even stepping back a bit as a sign that he’s not going to engage. He says nothing, but the look on his face says everything that he doesn’t bother saying, and I grind my teeth as the pressure in my chest reaches a fever point. I bellow with rage, whirling around and putting my fist through the side window of the van, not even feeling the pain of my split knuckles splitting open again.

I turn back to Dare, who’s standing there with a helpless expression on his face, and I grit out, “She’s not dead. She’s not gone.”

I gasp in a sharp inhalation as my heart stutters in my chest, almost taking my breath. I pause for a moment, then give him a hard look. “I would know. I don’t know how, I don’t know why, but if she was truly gone, I would know.”

I half expect him to argue with me or, if nothing else, give me a pitying look and ignore the conversation entirely. But he doesn’t. Instead, he steps closer to me and grips my upper arms in both his hands, then leans in so he’s looking right into my eyes as he replies, “Then we’ll find her.”

I search his eyes briefly, recognizing the sincerity of his words, and I manage to expel the breath I was holding as the ache in my chest eases. I shouldn’t be surprised, given if anyone knows the agony of never giving up on the one you love, it’s Darius Hughes.

He releases me and steps back, looking back toward the van I know Lilith is in. He shakes his head and turns back to me, saying, “Antoinette’s gonna lose it.”

“Oh, yeah. I have to wonder how deep this treachery goes.”

“What do you mean?”

“Matt? Mickey? Who all knows about this?”

Dare grimaces, his features twisting as my meaning sinks in. “I have a hard time believing Matt wouldn’t tell us, but I guess we never really know. If he thought it was safer for us not to know, then he definitely wouldn’t have told us.”

“Did you tell her?”

He winces and shakes his head. “I was going to, but I didn’t know what to say, and she’s with Agatha and Flora, so I didn’t want to agitate her before it was necessary.”

“They made it back to Aggie’s okay?”

“Yes, they’re there. I’m sure she’ll come right out when we get there, so I’ll have a brief word with her first. See what she wants to do.”

The ride back is quiet as we’re all lost in our own thoughts. By the time we arrive, my anger has dissipated, and a cold sadness that I am thoroughly not used to is left behind. I push it all down as Nettie walks out into the driveway and then waits as Dare and I walk over to her.

He pulls her close, leaning in and pressing his lips against hers. Her hands clutch his neck, the worry on her face changing to relief, and he pulls back, staring into her eyes as he says, “We didn’t find Carolina, but someone else showed up in the chaos.”

She frowns, her arms falling to her sides and her hands fisting as she replies, “I swear to Christ, Darius Hughes, if you tell me Vincent or Dimitri is alive, I will lose it.”

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