Page 42 of Silent Vendetta (Vendetta Duet)

“I can’t make any promises,” he said. “Our chances of success are low, you know that, right?”

I cleared my throat.

Eventually, Barry spoke again, his tone laced with caution. “Tell you what. I do have to return a voice mail from a colleague who was helping me look into something. I’ll see what he has to say, and as for Luna’s case, I’ll head to the evidence locker. But even if we do find evidence,” he continued, “there is no guarantee people will drop everything, no matter how much money we throw at them.”

“Which is why I’m sending you help.”

He paused, his voice sounding offended. “You’re sending me help.”

“I know someone who I think can be…encouraging when people need a shove.”

I leaned back in my seat, steepling my fingers.

“Speak of the devil.” I paused, my attention snapping to the doorway. “He just walked in.”

CHAPTER21

Hunter

“The hell is going on?” Grayson’s silhouette darkened my office doorway. He was a stark contrast to the summer sun outside, draped head to toe in black.

I hesitated, weighing each word before speaking.

“Barry, get started,” I said, and just before hanging up, I added, “I’ll call you back in a few minutes.”

I pushed off my desk to approach my brother, but Luna’s cell phone cut through the tension with its insistent chime. I’d been monitoring Luna’s communications, ensuring no complications arose from Detective Rinaldi or others. Once I’d used Luna’s facial recognition to unlock her phone the first time, changing her password had been easy.

My eyes skimmed the message, its contents pulling at my stomach. This wasn’t about her whereabouts.

In Luna’s eyes, it would be even more devastating.

“Damn it,” I mumbled under my breath. “Wait here.”

Grayson threw his hands in the air as I stormed past him. “You told me this was urgent.”

From my first-floor office, I made my way up the mansion’s grand staircase, glancing back to ensure Grayson hadn’t followed before unlocking and opening the door.

Luna sat up in bed, eyes widening at my intrusion.

Even with everything going on, I couldn’t stop my eyes from dragging over the soft contours of her freshly showered body. Again, rage pulsed through my veins at the sight of her injuries, but I swallowed it, not wanting to upset her more than I was about to. Instead, I forced myself to notice how stunning she looked, wearing nothing but a pair of boy shorts and a fitted white T-shirt she’d kept in the drawers during her stay here.

“Hey,” I said, looking over my shoulder to ensure we were still alone before shutting the door. “What’s on your docket Friday?”

She glared at me. “It appears I’m being held hostage against my will.”

“I mean case-wise.”

“If you want to know, you can make some phone calls.” Her tone was tense.

“No time for calls. Which case on Friday is the most important?”

“Why?”

“Because I need a viable excuse for your absence for something.”

Dammit, Luna smirked and raised an eyebrow, realizing the power shift that had just happened. I needed her to cooperate.

Sure, I could email, but I needed a damn good reason she would miss the most important meeting of her life. Otherwise, it would sound the alarms.

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