<b>106 </b>


    <b>“</b>That can happen sometimes<b>,</b>” he murmurs, watching her through the ss <b>door</b>. <b>“</b>Back in the day, when I was working cases, <b>we </b>sometimes had a victim like that. We’d need to talk to them, but they couldn’t stay conscious long enough to talk. It’s sort of the brain’s way of escaping reality–that’s what the doctor told me once.”


    “She’s definitely seen enough to make anybody want to escape.” <b>My </b>poor girl. How will I ever make this up to her? It would take the rest of my life, every single day, and even then, I doubt it would be enough. I’ll never forgive myself, and I wouldn’t me her if she never forgives me for leaving her vulnerable to the darkest aspects of my world.


    We both step aside when Nathan leaves Roger alone again. He nod briefly to Charles and me. “I better get back to the house.”


    “Yeah, keep your phone on you and contact me immediately if anything changes<b>.</b><b>” </b>He gives me a nod and disappears out of the


    room.


    “How many people do you have on this?” Charles asks once we’re alone again.


    “Every man I have employed, plus all of Roger’s contacts–which means half the city.”


    “And nobody’s found anything?”


    Again, my thoughts go back to the video. “I have reason to believe Jack Moroni is the man behind this.”


    “Yes, the name sounds familiar. You used his name before when you were trying to narrow the list down.”


    “He wanted to arrange a marriage between Tatiana and his son, and of course I didn’t go for it. He’s been fucking with my business ever since, but I never imagined… I mean, I couldn’t have thought it would end this way.”


    “No, I’m sure you didn’t think that.” There’s that sharpness I’m used to hearing from him, appearing right on schedule.


    Only for Caterina’s sake do I bite my tongue. Much more of this, and I’ll bite it off. “To be fair, I doubt he would have done it if it hadn’t been for my ex–wife approaching him. She needed somebody with money and muscle in her corner.”


    “I’ll tell Ken,” he announces, pulling out his phone. I sort of wish Ken was here, since he’s the only calming influence in this situation. He manages to keep Charles from going over the edge and isn’t so quick to let his emotions cloud his judgment.


    “Are you familiar with the name Jack Moroni?” he barks into the phone and begins to pace like I was earlier. “Well, Gianni tells me it’s looking like he’s the one behind this. Do we have any idea where his people hang out?” He doesn’t seem to notice that he used the wordwe, as if he still has a job in the department. I guess some habits are harder to break.


    “Okay, good. Do that and get back to me.” Charles orders, and then hangs up the phone. “I’m going to meet up with Ken and try and get some more intel on Jack and his men.”


    “Alright, keep your phone on you, and let me know if you discover anything that might be beneficial.” He nods and leaves the room without another word.


    Holding the door open to Tatiana’s room, I ask Roger, “Can we get a list of any of Moroni’s properties? It only makes sense he’d be holding her at one of them.”


    Usually, Roger would’ve already thought about this. He might already have a list of properties for me to look through. Who knows. All he can do now is lift his gaze from the phones, his eyes rimmed with dark circles. <b>“</b>I’ll make a call and get a list together.”


    “Anything on the phones?”


    <b>“</b>Here.” He wears a grim expression as he holds one of them out to me before typing on his own device. “It’s hers. They set it so you only need a pin to unlock it–four zeros.”


    One day, I might have it in me to look deeper through her messages, but for now, I only need thest text she ever sent. It was part of a long thread of messages between her and a contactbeledJM. I don’t have to guess whose name those letters stand for.


    Amalia: I’ll be at the warehouse at 5:30. I can’t wait to see the look on that little slut’s face once she finds out what’sing to


    <b>106 </b>


    <b>+15 </b><b>BONUS </b>


    her<b>. </b>


    <b>Roger </b>stands, his eyes wide as <b>he </b>stares down at the phone he’s examining. “It was Booker.”


    I’m too involved in hoping Amalia burns in hell to register his mening. “What?”


    “Booker. He was one of the guys we lost at the warehouse.” He holds the phone out for me to read something on the screen.” He’d been texting Amalia for months–and she’s not the only one whose name is in here.”


    “Donovan Moroni,” I murmur, scanning the messages between them. The puzzle is slowlying together, and the image it creates turns my stomach. “He’s who we need to track down. He’s in on this.”


    “On it.” Roger turns away from the bed to type something into his phone while I move up beside my daughter. She whimpers softly and the sound is like a knife cutting through my heart. Even when she was conscious, her babbling made no sense. She’s underwater, lost in her trauma–a sinking ship.


    “It’s okay, sweetheart,” I whisper, leaning down to brush my lips against her mmy forehead. “We’ll get revenge. I promise, they’ll pay for what they did.”


    But first, I need to get my family back.


    The memory of Jack’s snide and gleeful message is like kerosene poured over my already zing fury.Laugh it up while you can, you bastard. I’ming for you.