A few hours later, we entered Los Angeles just as the sun was setting. I gave her directions and prayed I had deciphered the message correctly. Esmerelda had taken and thrown my phone from the car after she warned me not to try anything, which left me completely alone.

Maybe Di wouldn’t be home, and it would buy me some time to figure out how to stop Esmerelda.

“What do you want from your daughter?”

“What makes you think I want anything from her?

“You’re after something. What is it?”

She glanced at me with a grin and shrugged. “All right, I’ll tell you. After Mario was sent to prison, he got a message to me—told me he had some money stashed for me to get away and start a new life… and wait for him.” She snorted and said, “Can you believe that?”

“So if he told you where it is, why do you need her?”

“Because it’s in a safe that only she has the combination to.”

“And if she doesn’t give it to you?”

“My daughter will obey her mother.” It was my turn to snort. I rolled my eyes and turned my head toward the passenger window. I was now looking forward to when she finally met her daughter. She was in for one rude awakening.

I directed her to Di’s apartment, and when the building came into sight, I stealthily looked around for any sign of Keiran.

“He said there was a house. Why are we here?”

“Di doesn’t live in her father’s house. If you need her, this is where you’ll find her.”

“Very well. Now the apartment number?”

I assumed she would take me with her and tried not to look defeated. “Apt 305.”

“Remember, I will kill you if you try anything.” The last thing I needed was to be reminded, but I nodded anyway. “Good. I want you to stay here, but unfortunately, I will have to tie your hands. Would you be a dear and grab the tape inside the glove compartment?” She flicked the gun back and forth when I didn’t move to obey, so I snatched open the compartment and slammed it shut again. She then took the tape and secured my hands before leaving the car without a word.

My gaze searched the car for a knife or something sharp enough to free me and came up short. Any minute now, I expected to hear the sound of gunshots or screaming, but none came. Since my hands were tied in front of me, I tried the door only to realize the child lock had been engaged. I slammed my restrained fist against the window in an attempt to shatter the glass when a knock on the driver’s window surprised me. I turned and found Di looking through the window.

“Di?”

“In the flesh,” she shouted so I could hear her, and I wondered how she found me. She tugged on the locked door, and I shook my head to tell her not to bother, but then she disappeared. A couple of minutes later, the driver window shattered as Di sent a tire iron through it. The car alarm sounded, and I started to panic knowing Esmerelda would be down any minute when she found Di missing.

But where was Keiran?

She hit the locks and yanked open the door, then produced a knife to cut open the tape binding my wrists.

“We need to get Keiran and get out of here. I just hope Keiran doesn’t kill her.”

“Why?”

“Because I called the cops.”

“Why would you call the cops? You know he will kill her.” As soon as I said it, a shot rang out, disturbing the quiet of the darkened garage.

Chapter Twenty-Six

KEIRAN

I was getting sick of all the fucking waiting. I never went back to our rental after Lake left me in the middle of the night again. I figured she’d want her space to think, so I forced myself to stay behind in Nevada, only to find out through Dash she never left and was bunking with them. I went after her, forgetting my agreement to give her space, but then Dash convinced me to let her do this in her own time and that my need to control her was what was driving us apart.

This morning, I got a call from Jesse about an impromptu meeting with one of our clients that wanted to renegotiate the price of their contract. I’d been halfway back to California when I got a call from Dash.

“Where are you?” he screamed into the phone.

“Why the fuck are you screaming?”

“Willow and Lake were attacked a few hours ago. I just got the fucking call. It was Esmerelda. She knocked Willow unconscious and took Lake.” I swore and sped up, already knowing where she would go and what she was after. The only thing keeping me from completely losing it was that I knew I was hours ahead of them. I’d intercept her at Di’s apartment.