3
Fuck knows why, but I let her continue thinking she’s nice and safe here, whilst I question everything from my perch on the balcony.
“She’s playing dumb,” Ryker shrugs, “perhaps she’s here to do the exact same thing you are.”
She sways mesmerizingly to the music, her hips moving in that tight little dress. Surely her father wouldn’t have sent his precious little girl here. No that man is a lot, and he makes stupid choices, but I know his weakness.
Her.Wren Valentine.
And he wouldn’t send her to me if she were of value to him.
She told me her surname was Lawson but that isn’t true. Not even a little and even if I didn’t know exactly who she was, I’d spot the Valentine looks in her from a mile away.
My molars grind, what the fuck is going on?
Her friend wobbles unsteadily, almost toppling over but Wren grabs her quickly, her reflexes sharp. With a shake of a head and a few words I’ll never even hope of catching, she guides her towards the exit.
Shit.
“Move,” I order, abruptly standing and heading back to the elevator. We’re on the street in less than a few minutes but when I round the corner the girl is nowhere to be seen.
“Fuck.”
“Why did you stall?”
I turn my anger to my second hand, my eyes narrowing. “Excuse me?”
Ryker’s eyes flick to the men behind me and he realizes quickly how he just fucked up. I don’t get questioned. Not here, not at home and especially not in front of my men.
Getting her to the club was the easiest way to lure her into my trap but now she’s gone which means it’s going to be considerably harder. And bloodier.
I’ve scouted her apartment, armed guards are on call twenty-four seven, there were probably even a few in the club tonight but with the amount of people in there they never would have seen it. Not that it mattered. I wanted Valentine to know who had the little princess and the few to the many wouldn’t have stood a chance.
Cooling the anger, I turn to the two that followed us out, “Get back inside, Ryker with me.”
I head in the opposite direction of the club and cut through a back alley across the street, turning at the end through a door that will lead me down to the underground parking garage. The beep of my Maserati is loud in the silence of the night, echoing off the concrete walls. My shoes tap furiously across the ground.
Ryker is silent behind me and when I get to the car, I throw open the door and slide inside. The entire ride across the city is quiet, the tension making the air in the car tight and coiled, ready to snap.
I don’t address the question he asked before because I didn’t have the answer. And right now I don’t have time to fuck up. I just didn’t expect her to up and leave so suddenly. I do not make mistakes but there’s always a first for everything. Her apartment building is dark, all but one. The lights inside are on, lighting up the windows like a damn Christmas tree in the darkness.
“How many?”
“Five,” Ryker answers, “Probably two inside.”
I nod, reaching into my jacket to check my ammo. Ryker does the same.
“You sure you want to do this?” Ryker asks, “We can send a couple of the guys. It’ll be just as effective.”
“We leave one alive, I want him to send a message.”
Ryker nods.
There was a limited window in which we could take this opportunity so whilst the guard, trying to pretend to be a normal citizen wandering the streets at night, is turned, I climb silently from the car, heading in that direction.
I hear two distinctive pops immediately, not as loud as they should be thanks to the silencer on the gun as Ryker takes out the two guards posted on the other side of the street.
I level my Glock, take aim, and pull the trigger.