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She wasn’t the type to just walk away. She’d shown that on many occasions. I tightened my hold on her dainty wedding band that my hand housed as I rewound the same footage. Maybe I had missed something. There had to be a crack, a glitch, a fucking clue.

“Renz, I think it’s time you stop.” Nicolo sighed as he entered the office. “There’s nothing on there.”

“There has to be something, Nic. Something I’ve carelessly missed.” I pinched the bridge of my nose, frustrated and borderline angry.

“Listen, how well do you know that guard at the gate? Kip, I think his name is,” Nicolo asked, tapping his index finger against his lips.

I may not have seen Nicolo much, or even spoken to him, but he had always been a good judge of character. “He’s been with us a good couple of years, why?”

“He’s been acting strange this past week. It’s clear he’s on edge whilst trying to hide something,” he muttered. “Something’s off with him.”

My head snapped up, my eyes locking with Nicolo’s. “Define off.”

He shifted his weight as his hand rubbed the back of his neck. “He’s jumpy. Keeps looking over his shoulder. His drinking has increased at all hours of the day like he’s trying to drink away guilt. I could be wrong, but he seems sloppy, and I know you don’t employ sloppy.” Nicolo had watched the team undetected for the past week at my request. There had been nothing to report until now.

I knew exactly what had to be done. I’d make him speak, I was damn sure of it.

“Bring that fucker to the warehouse,” I demanded. “I’ll meet you there.”

“Gladly.”

I strolled into the warehouse,the same one I’d last seen Anastacia in. Kip was already there. I expected him to be in the same chair Victor was, but I was welcomed by a completely different sight.

Red had chained him to the ceiling, his head hanging limp as his body swayed on his tiptoes.

“Chair not good enough for him, huh?” I chuckled, flicking my cigarette onto the floor.

“Course it’s not. He knows something about our Ana.” Red sneered. “Gino was the one who said I couldn’t hang him yet.”

“Feel free after we get the information we need.” I gave him the green light to end the bastard if he was involved in something he shouldn’t have been. I approached Kip, as he struggled to look at me.

That wouldn’t do

I fisted Kip’s hair, forcing his head back as he gasped. “Wake up.”

“Boss,” he croaked, his voice trembling already. “I didn’t?—”

I didn’t give him a chance to finish. I gripped his neck, squeezing just enough for him to still be able to talk. “Where is my wife, Kip?” I demanded with a storm brewing in my chest.

“I don’t know, Boss. I swear?—”

“Wrong fucking answer.” I tightened my hold on his neck, the chains rattling from above as he thrashed beneath my hand. “Don’t lie to me.” I pulled my knife from my waistband, holding it against his cheek. “You were the last person to see her. You’re the last link,” I growled.

He whimpered as my blade sunk slowly into his flesh. “They blackmailed me. I had no choice,” he cried.

“Who?”

“I don’t know,” he choked, but my grip remained the same. “The men who came to the house wore masks, all three of them.” He struggled against my hold, but I didn’t care. “The one who blackmailed me wasn’t there. I’ve never seen him.”

“And you just watched them take her?!” I sliced my knife from his cheekbone to the corner of his mouth in one swift move.

“I was blackmailed.” He swallowed hard.

“What did they have over you? What was so fucking bad that you failed at your job? That you let them take my fucking wife?!”

“I m-messed up!” he spat, blood spurting from his mouth and onto my shirt. “I was skimming off the top of your shipments, making extra money of my own.”

“And now my wife is paying the price for your stupidity?!” I drove my blade into his shoulder, his piercing cry filling the room.