Not willing to mess around with voice messages, I called Temper and greeted, “Star is usually good at getting herself out of trouble.”
“This is different.”
“Why?”
“Muñoz’s sniffing around.”
“That jackass.” I snorted. “He couldn’t shoot himself in the foot, never mind get the run on Star.”Wherever Star was.
I still hadn’t managed to work out if she’d gone deep undercover and that was why she was radio silentorif shehadbeen taken as Lyanov claimed.
‘Taken’ had many connotations for people in our line of work.
A mobster had a more one-track mind—taken, to him, meant being held under duress.
To us, it could mean absorption into the ranks of a faction you were trying to infiltrate.
“I’m telling you this time it’s different,” Temperance repeated, breaking into my thoughts.
“You keep saying that and it’s tedious if you can’t tell me why.”
“Why are you whispering?” She hesitated. “In fact, don’t answer that.”
I smirked at nothing as I watched Senator McClure eat his final meal.
“Where is she?” I grumbled.
“Croatia.”
“Croatia? What the fuck is she doing there?”
“How am I supposed to know?”
“Don’t you know everything, Temperance?” I asked sweetly, knowing it would grind her gears.
“Are you going to help her or not?”
“I need more to go on than a country. It’s a pretty big place.”
“Dubrovnik. I can send you a trace on Muñoz’s phone if that’ll help?”
“Of course, it will.” I rolled my eyes. “I should be done here tonight. I’ll be able to head out in a few days.” Once I’d collected payment from the O’Donnellys, I was free and clear to do whatever I wanted for a short time. “Since when are you worried about Star, anyway?”
“Since she got me involved in this Sparrows’ shit show then—” She cleared her throat. “—went quiet.”
I narrowed my eyes at that odd pause. “Do you know where she is? Is Muñoz holding her hostage? Is that what’s going on?”
“I-I don’t know.”
That soft hesitation had me asking, “That bad?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll head out ASAP.”
“Let me know when you’ve dealt with the situation?”
“As if I wouldn’t keep you in the loop, cousin dear,” I drawled before I cut the call.