Page 46 of Pretty Wicked Secrets

“Parents who don’t love and protect their children are lower than shit,” Logan says in a violent whisper, still not meeting my eyes. “They don’t deserve to live.”

I nod, even though he’s not looking at me. The ragged emotion in his voice speaks to a hurt that’s lived inside me, buried deep, for as long as I can remember. One he clearly understands too.

I want to…I’m not sure what.

Ask him about it? Find out more about his past? Share something with him, reach out to him? Connect, maybe?

I have no idea if Logan would attack me for trying or keep opening up to me, and I don’t get the chance to find out. Rapid footsteps sound on the stairs, then Dante bursts into the room.

“West Point knows we set up the shootout at the Capside drop,” he says without preamble.

Logan goes still, whatever vulnerability he had on display gone in a heartbeat. “Who reported it?”

Dante’s lips tighten. “Ruiz from the 17th.”

“Fuck,” Logan says sharply.

I frantically look back and forth between the two of them. “What does that mean?”

“It means the intel is good,” Logan says after exchanging a long look with Dante. “McKenna knows Chloe is alive, and it won’t be long until he finds out why.”

Dante nods grimly. “And tears the fucking city apart to get her back once he does.”

My heart stops. Logan is right.

Fuck.

14

DANTE

I’ve never believedin sugarcoating shit. Life often sucks, and pretending it’s otherwise doesn’t do anyone a damn bit of good. But I still hate being the one to deliver this news when it makes Riley go pale.

“It’s not anything to panic about yet,” I tell her, shoving my hands in my pockets to keep from reaching for her. “We knew it was just a matter of time. This just means we’ve gotta step up our efforts and move a little faster.”

She nods, but I can tell she’s not taking my don’t-panic advice. And fuck, I hate that. Whatever was happening between the two of us definitely went off the rails with the inheritance thing, but even if shit is fucked up between us right now, I’d be lying if I said seeing her scared like this, seeing her hurt at all, doesn’t affect me.

I’ve still gotta stay focused, though.

“Maddoc wants us downstairs to work on that recording,” I tell Logan.

He gives me a tight-lipped nod and starts grabbing up some of his electronic equipment, his movements methodical and precise as always, but something about the way he steals glances at Riley out of the corner of his eye as he does it gives me the oddest sense that he’s worried about her too.

That would be a first.

Not one I can find any fault in, though. She’s something else.

“Come on, princess,” I say, giving in to my instincts and wrapping an arm around her shoulders to usher her out the door. “We’ll sort this out. We’re not gonna let McKenna win this one. You gotta remember that we’ve already got our feelers out and have since she took off. Maddoc’s made sure we’ve got eyes fucking everywhere.”

She’s nodding along, but her breath is still coming short and tight.

I give her a squeeze. “We’ve already got a leg up on any search efforts McKenna starts, and we’ll stay two steps ahead of West Point until we find her.”

“Okay,” she says like she’s trying to convince herself to believe me. “Okay, yeah. We will, won’t we?”

She looks up at me, then looks at Logan.

We both nod.

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