“And what?” Isadora demanded.
“He’s back in the US right now.” I looked over at her as I said it. “He flew in last week.”
“How do you know all of that?” Ash demanded again.
“I know somebody who's really good at finding people.” I held out my hand for my laptop. He ignored me, tapping at a few keys. His scowl deepened when none of the combinations worked.
“You’ll never guess my password, so stop trying.”
He shoved the laptop into my hand, his gaze furious.
“This guy's threatening my family now too, Ash.” Moving to sit next to Isadora, I typed in my password and brought up a search, using his full name and the city Trask had listed as his current residence.
It brought up a fairly limited search and there was one image attached to a news article from four months ago. Clicking on it, I skimmed the post, only barely glancing at the image, but when I started to scroll down, Isadora stopped me.
“Wait,” she said, her voice strangled.
Her voice was harsh, her cheeks pale save for a flag of red riding high on her cheekbones.
“That’s him,” she whispered.
I looked down to see her pointing at the man standing behind the man I assumed to be Daniel Trask. He was staring grimly at something off to the side of the camera, while the man behind him stared directly into the lens, like he wanted to punch the man holding it.
Isadora's next sentence caught my attention. “That’s the man who grabbed me.”
Chapter 6
Ash
“We have to go to the cops. Call Marcum.”
Toni’s words sounded oddly loud and I instinctively glanced at Isadora. Colton was holding her, but she was still shaking. A surge of protectiveness went through me.
And then I saw Isadora look over at Toni and nod in agreement.
Hell no. “We’re not going to the cops.”
As Toni swung her head around to stare at me, I continued, “We’re not calling Marcum. Not yet. Not right now.”
Isadora didn’t say anything, but Colton’s mouth drew into a tight frown, his shoulders rigid. I didn't care about what he thought though. This didn't involve him. Toni narrowed her eyes, and I braced myself for the explosion that was coming. It didn’t matter. This was my family in danger. My only family. I was going to protect Isadora no matter what it took.
Or who it pissed off.
“And why aren’t we calling the cops?” Toni asked, her voice deceptively quiet.
“I already mentioned that Trask had somebody working with him on the inside. I don’t know if it was inside Phenecie-Lang...or if there was somebody dirty on the force or with the FBI.” Crossing my arms over my chest, I stared down at Toni, refusing to let myself be distracted by her. “Plain and simple, I don’t know who I can trust, and until I do, I’m not risking my sister.”
“She’s not the only one in danger here,” Toni said, fury vibrating in every word. “I deserve to have a say in what happens.”
“This is a family matter,” I snapped. “It doesn’t concern you.”
“Ash...”
I heard Isadora start to speak, but then Colton was murmuring something and they were walking out of the room. I didn't have a chance to process any of that though, because Toni was coming at me.
“I had a letter shoved under my door!” Her voice rose and her eyes flashed as she jabbed a finger at me. “A letter that threatened my family, Ash! That sure as hell concerns me!”
“And they kidnapped my sister! They might have been involved in the death of my parents!”
“So because you were involved first that means you get to be in control? The danger to my family is less important? Or do they just not matter?” Her voice cracked. “Fuck you, Ash. I have a right to have a say in what happens to my family!”
“My parents might be dead because of a dirty cop!” I wanted to grab her and shake her. Didn't she get it? What if something happened to Isadora? To her? I could keep security on her family until we had a better idea of what was going on. Her and Isadora, I had to keep close. “I don’t want anything else happening!”
“Yeah.” She curled her lip in a sneer. “To you. To your sister. But fuck the rest of the world. You’re a real prince, Ash.”
“That’s not what I said.” I caught her arm when she turned away, but she jerked back.
“Maybe not, but that's kind of your usual go-to attitude.” She raked me with a dismissive look. “I’m sure you’ve got it in your head that you’ll just keep security on my family while you try to work this out, but what happens when they decide they’ll go after one of my dad’s employees since they can’t get to him? Or Trask sends someone to the school where my sister-in-law teaches? I’m guessing these clowns don’t much care about collateral damage.”
She was coming up with scenarios I couldn’t even try to find answers to, and I could see her fury growing, the distance between us spreading all over again.
But I couldn’t do it.
“Toni, if we call the cops, and one of them is dirty, then everybody is in danger,” I said.
“News flash, asshole,” she snapped back at me. “Everybody already is in danger.”
Chapter 7
Toni
I was done. Done with this world where I'd never belonged. Done with this man who didn't care about the hell he was putting me and my family through.
I turned and walked out of the room. I heard footsteps behind me, but I ignored them.
“Toni.”
“Go away,” I said shortly.
He didn’t.
I made it up the first flight of stairs, but on the landing, he caught my arm. I whirled around and slapped him without a second thought.
“I told you to stop manhandling me, you bastard!” I growled at him.
I raised my hand to slap him again, but he caught my wrist. In a blur of movement, he shoved me against the wall, and pinned my captured wrist over my head.
Heat and rage merged together, then exploded as he slammed his mouth down on mine. His tongue shoved between my lips, and I bit down as I struggled against his grip. He growled and let go of my hand to shove his between my thighs. I’d worn jeans. I was both grateful and miserable of that fact just then.
As he rubbed against me, his tongue curled around mine and teased, taunted. I should've pushed him away, but my hands clung to him. He shifted against me, grabbing my hips and lifting me. My legs automatically went around his waist, pressing him in just the right spot against me. He rolled his hips and the friction bordered on pain.
Fuck.
If he stopped, I was going to kill him.
When he pulled his head away, I grabbed him and yanked his mouth back to mine.
He bit my lower lip and it made me whimper.
His hand pushed my top up and roughly yanked at my bra until he had my breast freed. As he worried my nipple into a tight little point, I arched my back, pushing my breast against his fingers. The need inside me was a burning, a sharp, painful desire that I knew was going to break me...
Fuck.
“You're not doing this to me again.” I pushed against his chest as I untangled my legs from around his waist. As Ash took a step backwards, I managed to get my feet underneath me.