For fuck sake, where was the security team? It had been at least ten minutes since Esmerelda showed up, executed two people, and kidnapped an unconscious Keiran and they have yet to surface.

I hopped in Dash’s car and managed to catch the familiar van just as it turned the corner. With no cell phone to call for help, I was Keiran’s only hope for survival.

Killing Keiran had never been a part of the plan. Esmerelda taking Keiran had definitely not been a part of the plan.

When Keiran showed up I had the chance to come clean, but I couldn’t risk telling Keiran the truth because I didn’t know if he would ever go through with it. I couldn’t trust him to agree with me, and I couldn’t trust anyone with Buddy’s life so I drugged him.

Esmerelda said she only needed a piece of him as proof.

My plan was to take only a small part of him. Something he could survive without and something he wouldn’t miss.

Like a finger…

I didn’t want to butcher him any more than I wanted to kill him, but it seemed like a small price to pay for my family. For everyone.

I was prepared to live with the consequences of knowing no one would ever forgive me for it no matter my reasons, least of all him. I hadn’t planned on sticking around long enough to face the music.

But Esmerelda showing up had thrown my plan up in flames and now it looked as if he really would die.

I had only a small window of time. I knew what she meant by making him scream. She would torture him before killing him—so I was the only thing standing between him and death.

I stayed a safe distance behind until the van and lead had eventually pulled up to what looked like an abandoned warehouse.

So I had been right.

I fell back and lurked in the shadows, watching them cart him inside and wishing I had a phone to call someone. My only comfort was knowing that as soon as Esmerelda entered the penthouse, a silent alarm had been sounded. I had no clue how and if his security team would find us in time, but I had to hope.

Keiran would be coming out of his drug inducement any moment now. I exited the car and moved closer to the warehouse, ensuring I kept a low profile. If I was caught, we were both fucked.

There were no guards posted outside so I was able to approach the building. The door hadn’t shut all the way, carrying the voices from the warehouse to my position. I found a low window and peeked through the dirty glass. They were all gathered in the large open space, smoking and laughing as if they weren’t ready to commit something heinous.

Keiran had been tied down to a table and I noticed his head move slightly, signaling he was coming out of it.

“Boss, he’s waking up,” the largest man I’d ever seen spoke.

“Oh, goody. Be a dear and fetch my knives, please.”

The men snapped to attention and Esmerelda approached the table. Her hand drew back and she slapped him with sickening force. It was enough to fully awaken him.

I expected him to scream or thrash around, but he remained perfectly still as he stared up at Esmerelda.

“Hello, slave.”

When he didn’t respond, she made a clucking sound and moved slowly around the table. “Don’t tell me you forgot your mother,” she purred. “It certainly seems you’ve forgotten your training.”

“You’re not my mother,” he finally spoke. “I killed my mother.” The snarl as he bragged about killing his mother sent chills up my spine, and I shook my head in amazement at how he could still invoke fear when he was the one in danger.

However, I was prepared for the crushing blow to his ribs from the large man. I heard the air leave Keiran’s lung with a whoosh.

“This is The Handler,” Esmerelda boasted. “If you talk out of turn, disrespect me in anyway, or fail to answer a question, you will be sorry. I’m sure you remember all this well, Keiran.”

“What do you want,” he groaned.

“Revenge.”

“For?”

“My husband, of course .Your testimony put him away for a very long time but he never got to serve his sentence, you see, because he was killed shortly after he was incarcerated. I’m sure you had something to do with that.”

“You don’t give a shit about your husband, lady.”

“Oh, on the contrary, I did. He provided me a very rich lifestyle and now, because of you, I’m a fugitive on the run and making money by supplying petty college dealers in this godforsaken country.”

“Is that why you took my niece and had my father and uncle killed?”

She smiled and looked impressed. “Sorry, slave. Wasn’t me. But I wish I had because then you would be suffering much more than physical pain before you died.” She started pacing again. “Of course… there is something else.”