Page 81 of Virtue & Vengeance

23

ZANDER

I WAITED AS LONG as I could stand it before I climbed out of my bed and made my way into the living room. It had been hell lying in bed and listening as she tore through my place. If she was trying to be quiet, she hadn’t done a very good job.

The entire time all I wanted to do was get up and stop her. At the very least, I wanted to watch her and figure out what the fuck she was doing.

Still, I stayed put. Staring up at the ceiling until I heard the front door open and close.

She had been gone ten minutes, but this time when she left Empire Sevens I would know precisely where she was going.

Grabbing my cell from the kitchen counter, I dialed Jerome’s number.

“Do you have her?” I asked as soon as he answered.

“Yes. I have my eye on her. She got in a black car with two guys. We’re following the car now. She was also carrying a duffle bag.”

I frowned and looked toward my safe. “Okay, stay with them. I won’t be far behind.”

“We will.”

I hung up with Jerome and set my cell down.

As I walked toward my safe, I spotted the note on the table. I picked it up and read over Eden’s words twice. After reading her note, I knew I was right to trust my gut.

She hadn’t been telling me the truth, and whatever was going on, I knew she was still in trouble.

Sliding the painting that hid my safe to the side, I pressed the code in. There was a click before the door popped open.

My eyes scanned the inside of the safe, knowing right away that money was missing. I had no clue how much, and I didn’t have time to count it right then, but whatever Eden had taken, I knew she hadn’t taken it for herself.

Someone was blackmailing her.

I was dressed and in my car within ten minutes. I had Jerome move my car to the back entrance when I’d snuck off the night before to call him. It was then that I’d made sure he was outside Empire waiting in case Eden tried to sneak away.

I had a feeling she would.

Why else would she have lied about Allen skipping town?

As I drove toward the address Jerome texted me; I knew my suspicions were correct. When I found whoever was doing this to her, they were going to pay dearly. Only when they were begging for death would I erase them from this world.

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