Page 43 of Caged By the Ruthless Thief

“Send Castor in,” Dad answers for me. “Nico will rest better after he sees your brother.”

I glance over at Dad. He’s not wrong. He’s not wrong about a lot of things.

Kai nods, and Castor comes in as she leaves. His hair is ruffled and his face creased. “Damn you.”

“I thought I already was.” It hurts to smile.

“Right. You look like shit.”

“You look like shit, and you didn’t get a bite taken out of your neck by a viperfish.” It also hurts to raise my eyebrows.

“Fuck.”

“Exactly.” I nod.

“You’re looking better.”

“Sure.” Now I’m holding my hands over the top of the blanket like Dad. “Did Kai give you my message?”

“Yes.”

“And did you call off thehagissa?”

“So, good news.” Castor turns away from me, and I know something is up.

“This isn’t good news.” Alder sits up straighter. Castor’s head snaps to him, and he clears his throat. He runs his thumb through his fingers like he always does when he’s nervous.

“We are... I have...” Castor stops. I’ve never seen him at a loss for words. He’s always the perfect politician and CEO. Able to tell anyone anything.

The answer snaps into my thoughts. “You don’t know where Annabelle is.” I clench my fists, and my stomach sours from the Arg-leth rolling around my blood.

The tendons on Castor’s neck stretch, and his eyes widen. “We believe we have a lead. She didn’t get on the plane.”

Castor isn’t one of my crewmen. I can’t order him to get to the point. “What do you know?” Slow, cleansing breaths are what I need. The doctors are not wrong. I could hurt myself. I can feel the toxin moving around my body.

“The bodyguard I hired to meet her says she didn’t get on the plane. They have a European office, and when I last talked to them, they were reviewing the human security footage. I’ve got people working on it too.”

“You said you have a lead.”

“I do. Her shark.”

“Her shark?” Alder pipes up. I’d forgotten that Dad was in the room. My world had closed in around Annabelle.

“She’s grown attached to some sharks Constantine put on the apartment as security. They’ve become fond of her. Anyway, the biggest of the lot—Mickey, I believe she calls it—has been found circling the gardens outside of Zaffiro,” Castor answers Dad.

“And this is a lead?” Dad says what I’m thinking.

“Outside of Eros Herod’s garden dome.” Castor raises his eyebrows at me.

“Fuck.”

Castor nods. “My thoughts exactly.”

“Well, go get her.” Alder is now sitting up all the way, like he’s going to spring out of bed and do the getting.

“We’ve just figured it out. Holter is trying to get in touch with Eros.” Castor’s a pro at business. I’m sure he’s left businessmen wondering what he was thinking. But they didn’t grow up with him. They don’t know his tells.

“What else are you leaving out? Because I know Holter. The second you figured out where she might be, he’d be over there.”

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