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I sigh, the veins in my hands popping as I clench them tight.

“I know,” I seethe.

Max and the twins were at a club when Addie was kidnapped. Which means he knew where to find her and hired grunt men to do the work. And that means whoever he hired will most likely be receiving a cut from his reward. A job like that wouldn't come without a high price, and though Max has money, he doesn't have that much. Not until today, at least.

Now, we're waiting for him to transfer whatever sum of cash to the lackeys he promised it to. Then, we’ll be able to trace the money trail and confirm their identities based on the account information.

If we're lucky, Max is as dumb as he looks and doesn’t hide his tracks well enough.

Jay will handle that part while I take care of Max.

I could send in another mercenary to torture the information out of him, but this method will be much faster, and I refuse to let anyone else touch him except me.

Only I will show Max what pain truly feels like. Even then, he will only feel a fraction of what I feel without Addie.

I roll my neck, groaning as it cracks. When I look back down, an alert comes through.

Three million dollars has just been transferred to an offshore account. It takes me two seconds to find the name attached to it.

Rick Boreman.

Through the camera feed, Max is now setting down his phone and then cheers, clinking his whiskey glass with the twins.

I look up at Jay, rolling my eyes as he blows softly on his wet fingernails. He’s going to chip the paint in two seconds with the amount of typing he does, which is why the colors change every couple of days. He’s a nail biter, and the polish helps keep that habit at bay, though it’s been virtually useless these past five days.

As much as he’s trying to play it cool, Addie being gone has him crippled with anxiety. He’s only seen her through a computer screen, but he doesn’t need to know her in order to know that she doesn’t deserve this, and if she were to die… the world would die with her.

For now, I will begin with Max.

Chapter 4

The Diamond

“I can save you.”

Something shakes me, sending fresh waves of pain spearing through my consciousness.

“Wake up, I can save you.”

The voice penetrates the deep fog swirling in my brain. Blackness surrounds me, and it feels I’m like floating in a starless galaxy, but an icy chill is snaking throughout my body. Warning me of something dangerous.

A hand is on my arm, and it roughly jostles me again. “There's not much time left. I need you to wake up. I will help you.?

?

A fissure of light cracks through the never-ending darkness. I focus on the light, and as someone continues to jolt my body, the crack widens until blinding light pierces my eyes.

I groan, clarity beginning to surface. The firm grip on my arm tightens, and the voice rousing me from sleep amplifies.

I’m shaken once more, and the harsh movement finally jerks me awake.

My eyes snap open, and for reasons I’m not sure of yet, my heart is beating out of my chest, pounding against my rib cage as violently as the person who had been shaking me.

An old, wrinkled face and dull blue eyes come into focus, only a few inches away from mine. I rear back, blinking at him with panic and confusion.

“What’s going on?” I choke out.

Within seconds, reality comes crashing down, and I’m reminded why I’m here. Who I’m with.