Page 89 of Torched

“That has to wait, brother.” Kane walks back into the room on the other end of the line.

“What do you mean?” Callie questions.

“That was Dax. He doesn’t just want the diamond. He wants Cristina as well.”

I grunt, rolling my eyes. “Let me guess, she fucked him over as well?”

“He didn’t say. But he’s sending a location. Wants to meet us there in two hours. Cristina has to stay alive for now.”

I’m not happy about this. I’m sick of looking over her shoulder every time she’s near, and I want to get my girl without her breathing down my neck for that damn diamond. But there is no other option.

“Fine. We’ll meet you back at the house.” I glance at Jeremy, who hangs up the phone as well.

“We found Babushka. She’s safe. A little dehydrated, but still sassy as always.”

I sigh in relief. At least that’s one thing that’s going in our favor.

“They are bringing her to a safe location until we get there.”

“Let her get checked by a doctor and send Callie a text.” I don’t want to get back to New York and find out the woman is not okay. “Dax called.”

“What did he want?” Jeremy and I saunter back to the more dead than alive girl in the shallow grave, because the outcome will still be the same. She’s a goner. If not right now, then definitely by tonight.

“The diamond. And her.” I nudge my chin at Cristina, who rears her head toward me at the same time. “Good news, sweetheart. You get to live a few more hours.”

When we get back to the house, I round the car while Jeremy yanks Cristina from the passenger seat.

“Can someone please untie me?” she bellows.

“Nope.” Jeremy shoves her toward the house.

Now that we have Babushka back, and we know Dax has some unfinished business with her, I’m not leaving anything to chance. Cristina’s days of freedom are done.

We plant her deceiving ass in an empty room with some guards before Jeremy and I find Callie and Kane in the back of the house.

Callie’s talking on the phone, and by the look on her face, I’m assuming it’s her grandmother.

“Everything okay with her?” I ask Kane.

“She is now. But this has got to end. We need to get Gen back; this amount of stress is not good for Callie.” The worry that crosses his face is hilarious, considering she’s not even showing yet, and I’m pretty certain she can still kick ass if she needs to. I try to keep my amusement under wraps, but I can’t help some of it slipping through. “What are you looking at, asshole?”

“Nothing.” I shake my head with a grin.

“Where is Cristina?”

Jeremy points over his shoulder. “Guarded and tied up.”

“Good. We found the location he wants us to be at. It’s an abandoned chapel on top of the hill on the east side of the Island. Reign has tried to scan the place with satellites, but he didn’t see anything out of the ordinary.”

“Reign Wolfe is hacking satellites now?” Jeremy doesn’t hide his awe, and I’m right there with him. That’s impressive.

“Reign Wolfe will hack about everything for the right amount of cash and the people he loves. Lucky for us, my wife seems to be on the list. Besides, we met his girlfriend, Sienna, and Callie won her over. So it’s not just Callie who he’s trying to please.”

“What happened to the times where we worked with them because they respected us?” I joke, though there is some truth in it.

“Gone when the two of you lost your petty little hearts.” Jeremy claps me on the shoulder and we all stifle out a small laugh.

Callie finishes her call and comes to join us. “Okay, boys. What’s the plan?”

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