“Thank you, Molly.” I smiled as red embarrassment crept up her neck, and she quickly left the room without another word.

Rex snidely turned to the door, watching her leave.

“Do you like the women tripping over you here?” I asked Rex, not expecting an answer.

“Doesn’t hurt.” He smirked.

My eyes widened at the sight. It was the first form of expression I had seen on him, stunning me for a moment.

I shook my head, turning back to the envelope. My name was written on the outside, but no return address. My stomach recoiled. It couldn’t be.

I opened the flap, pulling out the contents. The image in front of me made my stomach roll as bile crept up, wanting to escape. On the eight by ten sheet of paper, a blonde woman was on her knees outside of a door with Jag standing next to her. The woman’s hands were opening up Jag’s pants, and he didn’t appear to be stopping her. Moving the picture to the side, a note in bold red letters stared back at me.

You told. Now you have to die with them. You gave it all up for a man who doesn’t love you. Die, bitch.

I threw the picture and paper to the desk, not wanting to touch something so toxic. I jumped from my chair, Rex right next to me. He picked up the contents then grabbed his phone and dialed.

“She got another one and a note. Picture of your ex-wife bitch going down on you. It’s dated a few weeks ago.” He relayed the note then handed me the phone.

I took it, holding it up to my ear.

“Dolcezza, don’t believe that picture. I didn’t lie. I was with no one. That was my ex. She wanted money, and I wouldn’t give it. She thought the only way to get it was by sucking me off. I pushed her away.” His words came out rushed as he explained.

My hand trembled, shaking the phone. “I believe you. It’s not the picture I’m worried about.”

“I understand. I want you and Rex to head home. Bring the picture and note with you. I’ll call Kiera’s boys and have her come home, too. You go home and stay there, got it?”

“Yeah, we’ll leave now.”

“We are all fine. Relax.” Jag could read me so well, even over the phone. My nerves were totally shot.

“Okay. Be careful,” I pleaded.

“You, too. I’ll be there soon.”

I handed the phone back to Rex and told him what Jag wanted. I then gathered up my things quickly and asked Rex to hang onto the envelope and its contents.

Rex called Scraper to tell him where we were headed.

“He didn’t answer.”

Fear tightened in my chest. “That’s not like him. He always answers.”

“Let’s go,” Rex ordered.

He walked close to me, surveying our surroundings at all times. We entered the parking garage, heading straight for my black car. Luckily, I had an extra set of keys, which I handed over to Rex. My insides were twisting and turning, and I swore I was going to puke. I had my gun in my purse, but a lot of good it did in there. I couldn’t very well take it out in the middle of the office, though.

Rex hit the key fob and opened the door for me. I got in fast. Then, turning to Rex, I saw his whole body shaking uncontrollably as he collapsed to the ground. I screamed, opening my purse and shuffling around for my gun.

Reaching for it and pulling it out, I pointed it at the door and screamed, “Shit, Ghost! You scared the shit out of me!” I waved my gun, sucking in a breath.

“Fucker took off. Hand me your gun.” His words were so fast I didn’t realize I had just handed over my only weapon. “He’ll be out for a few minutes, and I need to get you ready.”

“Ready? For what?” Confusion sucked me in.

“To die.” He said it so casually, as if I meant nothing to him.

He reached in his pocket, pulling out zip ties. Panic flooded through me.

I reached for the door quickly. I wouldn’t go down without a fight. I moved a bit just as something heavy hit me in the back of my head. I got dizzy, spots forming in my eyes. I could still hear him, but I felt so dazed.

“You had to do this the hard way. I didn’t want to do it this way, but you left me no choice. You wouldn’t go anywhere else except home and work. Getting you at home was out of the question, so I needed to improvise. I told him this was stupid, but he didn’t listen.”

“Rex,” I groaned, only half coherent.

Hands gripped mine, and I felt the bite of a tie being wrapped around them and tied a bit too tightly. Ghost pulled me out of the car. The little fight I could muster from the blow wasn’t helping much.

A car door opened, and with a loud thump, I landed on a padded seat.

“Oh, he’ll be fine. Just a little shock. I was gonna take him out, but he’s not involved with your family, so no need to. Time for you to take a nap now.”

A cloth was put up to my face, the smell toxic. I fought to move away from it, but it was no use. Everything disappeared.

 

Chapter 18

“I’VE GOTTA GO. Catarina got another note with a picture,” I relayed to Val, Matteo, Dan, and Brett. We had been working all morning, going through tapes, while Techie had been hacking away at Zan’s computer.

“What this time?” Val clenched his fist open and shut.

“Some picture of me and my ex and a note about us all dying and her, too, since she told. Need to get over to her now,” I responded.

“Wait a minute, boss,” Techie called. “Look at this.” He held up his hand, pointing to a picture of a guy with dark hair and blue eyes with his arm around an older woman on the screen.

“Who’s that?”

Techie pointed to the words on the screen: Jag’s brother Jake.

“Bullshit!” I roared. “I don’t have a fucking brother.”

Techie pulled up another document. Certificate of Birth. I read the words, not believing my eyes. Franco Jacob. My father’s name was in the father’s category, but his signature was nowhere on the document.

“It has to be fake.”

“Why the hell is it on Zan’s computer in a file marked family?” Val chided.

“He could have set all that shit up before he died.” I couldn’t believe anything on his computer was true.

“What if this is the guy?” Matteo asked.

“Son of a bitch!” I roared, balling my fists. “I have to get to Catarina. Techie, can you pull up her office and garage to see if she’s left yet? Val, call Scraper.”

“Sure thing.” Techie typed on the keyboard and pointed to two screens on the right.

“No answer,” Val said, putting his phone in his pocket.

“Shit.” I turned to the screens. Ghost’s back was to the camera as he placed something into the trunk of the car. He looked around the car, quickly getting in, but there was no Scraper. “Is she there?”

He backed the tape up and the sight before me shattered my resolve. “Fuck! Wait.” Ghost pulled Catarina’s body from the car, her hands and feet tied together. He opened the door to an identical black car, tossing her inside like a rag doll. Then he pulled a rag and liquid out of his pocket, placing it over her face. Her body fought, but then went limp. “Follow that fucking car. I don’t care what you have to do, but do not lose that car.”

“Move!” I yelled at the guys who all piled into different vehicles. “Dan, on the phone with Techie. Do. Not. Disconnect.”

“On it.” He dialed some numbers, and I did so myself.

“Sal, I don’t know what the fuck is going on, but Ghost has Catarina.”

“All right, what’s the problem?”

Frustration grew; he didn’t get it.

“He’s batting for the other team. He just fucking kidnapped and drugged her. We’re on the chase right now.”

“Fucking shit! Don’t lose her, Jag!” Sal screamed. “We’ll call for location.” He clicked the phone, no doubt calling in reinforcements.

The car jerked this way and that as Dan listened to Techie’s directions over the speaker in the car.