Page 83 of Vicious Seduction

“What’s the address?”

“Let me go, and I’ll take you there.”

Jesus, he was delusional.

A merciless laugh rumbled deep in my chest. “Haven’tyou caught on at this point? You’re in no position to bargain—you’re completely powerless. Period.”

I cranked his other pinky to the side so that he had a matching set.

“FUCKING CHRIST!” His scream reverberated off the walls. “It-it-it’s on 170thStreet, Jamaica Hills, 89-12 170th, apartment 5B.”

“That’s Queens.”

“Yeah, cheapest option I could find on short notice.” He shook his head and started to sob. “Why don’t you just kill me. That’s what you want, isn’t it?”

I squatted back beside him and patted my hand on his forearm. “No, Lawrence,” I said softly. “I don’t want you dead. I want you to suffer.”

The man wept like a baby.

I stood. “We’re heading out now, but someone will be back for you tomorrow.”

“What? What do you mean you’re leaving? What if I have to piss? And I’ll need water at the very least.”

Keir and I walked away, closing the door behind us. “He sure is a stupid fucker. No idea how he got so damn rich.”

“Luck.”

“Has to be.”

We walked up the stairs to the ground floor, bolted the basement door, then returned to the car.

“Want me to drop you somewhere? I’m not telling Lina anything until I’ve seen her sister with my own eyes, so I’m headed to Queens.”

“I’ll ride with,” said Keir. “I’m invested at this point.” Aside from his personal vendetta with Wellington, he and our cousin Torin ran Moxy. Those two had known Darina better than I had. They’d both been shaken when we learned Caitlin had taken the girl and would love to know she’d survived.

“Works for me.”

It took us over an hour to get from Manhattan to the far side of Queens. Fucking traffic. I could have walked faster. Eventually, we pulled up at the address Wellington had given us. The place was old—built in the seventies from the looks of it, but everything looked more shabby in the dark. The winter sun had set on our trip over, leaving only a soft turquoise glow in the sky.

“What’s your plan here?” Keir asked.

“Fuck if I know.” It might scare her to death if two strange men show up at her door, but I didn’t want to end up sitting in the car for hours either. “Let’s give it an hour. If we don’t see her, we’ll go knock.”

“Got it.” He tapped his phone. “Four forty-five now.”

I sighed and dropped my head back on the headrest. Waiting was not my forte. Thank God we only had to sit for thirty minutes before we both bolted upright at the sight of a young brunette exiting the building.

“Tell me you see her, too,” I breathed.

“Fuck yeah, I do. Jesus fucking Christ.” His words sounded as shocked as I felt.

The girl we’d both known as Darina stuffed her hands in her coat pockets and started down the sidewalk, walking in our direction. We had a perfect view of her. There was no doubt.

I had said it would be a miracle if Lina’s sister was alive.

It looked like miraclesdidhappen.

CHAPTER 45

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