Page 77 of Fortress of the King

He takes a sip of his drink and then meets my gaze. “If I think they’re going to kill her?”

I bite my lip, tears forming in my eyes. “Yes,” I whisper.

He sets his glass down and leans forward as his elbows rest on the table. “It depends on who I’m dealing with, and I don’t know that right at this moment. It could be petty criminals — though it seems odd that they’d go to these lengths — it could be mafia, underworld figures… If I knew your colleague's name, it would make things easier.”

I shake my head. “No, not until I feel I have to. I’m sorry, but it’s the only bargaining chip I have left, and I don’t mean to be rude, but we’re meeting in a shady bar in a suspicious part of town I didn’t even know existed. This could get me killed, and Mia…” I trail off, unable to finish.

He gives me a crooked smile, but I stand my ground. He can make a cute face all he wants, I’m not changing my mind. I’ll give him more when he gives me something. For now, he can concentrate on tracing Mia’s last known steps, that’s enough to go on for the moment.

“As you wish,” he says, tapping the rim of his glass with his fingers. “At least I’ve got somewhere to start, but I am going to need a few things from you in return.”

I reluctantly take a large gulp of my disgusting, cheap wine. I need something to steady the nerves. “What do you need?”

“A trace on your phone, for one, when he calls again, I can try and trace the call and get a location.”

My eyes go wide. “Are you serious? I thought you couldn’t do that with private numbers?”

He chuckles. “Why would you think that?”

My heart accelerates at this information. “Anything for a price, right?”

He taps his nose. “Now you’re getting the gist of it. I should be able to get some footage if she was snatched in a public place. That will be the crucial turning point, they obviously bundled her into a car so I’ll need her work address as well as home. The way the city has cameras everywhere, I doubt they’re smart enough to evade all of them, even a partial plate number can be instrumental.”

I grip my glass again, unafraid that it may shatter at the sheer force hold I have on it. That is meant to be good news, but I feel like hurling at imagining my sister being snatched off the street. I truly hope I never get to witness that footage.

“Okay.” I nod. “I’ll agree to the trace. If it’s going to help…I just want my sister back…I… I have to get her back, Mr. Russo.” My voice cracks, and he looks up at me with sympathy. I need to be strong, just for a little longer.

I don’t care how desperate I seem or sound, I’ll do anything to get Mia back,anything.

He nods to my phone on the table, and I hand it to him.

Whatever he does next, I don’t even want to see. I don’t care if he bugs my fucking phone, he can take any means necessary.

About five minutes later, he tells me the software has been downloaded and the bug is in place.

I can’t help the tremble in my hands when I slip the phone back into my purse.

“I have to go,” I say, wanting to be out of here. “I’ll get that information to you tonight.”

He nods. “I’ll call you on a secure line with any updates. If you think of anything, anything at all that may help, then here’s my card.” He reaches into his swish-looking jacket's inside pocket and pulls out a card. I take it without looking.

“Okay. Thank you.”

“We’ll stand now, and you’ll embrace me like we’re old friends and I’ll take the envelope.”

Holy shit, this is so cloak and dagger.

“What assurance do I have you’re not just going to scam me?” I say, as he starts to stand.

He gives me a look. “You don’t. But right now, I’m your only option, and I want the rest of my money, doll. I don’t like working for free.”

His word needs to be good enough, though he wrote nothing down and clicked around with my phone. Probably to see where I live so he can come and murder me later; so much for my fake identity. I realize it’s stupid and probably futile, but I have to try. I’ll die trying.

I follow his lead as we embrace for a split second. I don’t even feel his hand slide into my purse, he’s so quick and silent that I don’t feel a thing.

“I’ll be in touch.”

“Thank you,” I whisper, but I don’t think he hears me. I watch him disappear across the dull, lit bar and out of sight.

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