Page 12 of Fatal Thrill
3
Of all theabsurd turns her life had taken in recent minutes, Jaya never expected this latestone.
That was saying something since her life had skidded off the rails at top speed before she’d even entered thebuilding.
Jon stalked across the tiled floor toward her as Savanna spoke to her fiancé, and Parker rushed to the receptionist desk, telling Connor to get Beatrice on theline.
All because of the text that had just come from a blockednumber.
Even though Jaya was staring at Jon—strong, confident, take-no-shit Jon—all she could see was the horrible video on her cell phone’s screen that had accompanied the anonymous text. Her baby brother’s features had been distorted in pain, blood, bruises… He’d cried out, telling her tofind Dad. To give the man holding him what he wanted, or Finn would end updead.
You know what we want,the text read. You have seventy-two hours or the kiddies.
The text was so brief, the video so brutal, it had taken Jaya a moment to put two-and-two together. Seriously, for half a second, she’d thought it was a joke—hadto be a really badone.
But on her brother’s chest, the kidnapper had carved a cross. Deep in her bones she knew this wasn’t a joke. That damn cross symbolized a real one—and that one wascursed.
My family iscursed.
Her stomach roiled, but not from an overload of hormones or any virus. Luckily, she was seated or her shaking legs would have left her flat on herass.
Her foolish father, Sean O’Sullivan, had taken Finn on yet another treasure hunting expedition for the lost O’Sullivancross.
Had he found the damn thing? It appeared so. But why send her the threatening text and video? Had they sent it to her father aswell?
Maybe they had, and he hadn’t responded and never intendedto.
Damnhim.
“Jaya?” Strong hands grabbed her wrists, then gave a squeeze. She snapped out of her mental chaos to see Jon bending down in front of her. “What’s going on? Savanna said something’s up with yourbrother?”
Jaya bit down on the inside of her cheek. Where to begin? What tosay?
Her teeth grated on each other before she opened her mouth, not sure of the words that would come out. When nothing did, she simply swallowed and held the phone out to him. “My brother’s been…kidnapped.”
Savanna and Trace crowded in. In the distance, Jaya heard Parker telling Beatrice they had a situation, and that Jaya needed help. Jon took her phone, saw the image on the screen and hitplay.
Her brother’s cries filled the air for the second time and Jaya wrapped her arms around herself and bent forward, closing her eyes. She didn’t need to see the screen to replay the video frame by frame in herhead.
“Fuck,” Jon murmured. Trace echoed it. “This is yourbrother?”
Jaya nodded without opening her eyes, swallowing hard to keep the bile pushing its way up her esophagus from reaching itsdestination.
Jon touched her arm. “What does the text refer to regarding what they want? Do youknow?”
“The O’Sullivan cross. That’s why he carved a cross on my brother’schest.”
“What isthat?”
Blinking her eyes open, Jaya took a steadying breath. “You might say it’s a family heirloom. If it actually exists, it’s an Irish nationaltreasure.”
Jon started to say something else, but Parker whistled. “Hold that thought. B wants the two of you upstairs,now.”
“We’re going too,” Savanna said, grabbing Trace’s hand and marching toward theelevator.
“You have a wedding to get ready for,” Parker said. “And you’re not part of the team. I’ll go and find out what the planis.”
Savanna raised a well-groomed brow. “Someone threatens my friend, I take it personally. We’reallgoingupstairs.”
