Page 99 of No Longer Mine

“I hired someone— the best of the best- to break into our father’s apartment while he was out.”

It was like the floor was ripped out beneath my feet. “What?” I croaked.

“Yeah, they aren’t cheap, but they do the best work. Someone in one of my circles hired them for information a few months ago. The person got in and out within a few weeks, maybe.”

The hallway was spinning. “Have they gotten you the stuff yet?”

“No, I’m supposed to meet to get the stuff in the next few days. Do you want to do it?”

I ran my hand down my face. She wasn’t making my father her personal mark. He was her mark for someone else. For me and I hadn’t even known it. I felt sick.

Alexei kept talking, but I barely heard him. My grip on the phone tightened as my mind scrambled to catch up. This was all my fault. She could be dead.

“I don’t know, I’ve got to go,” I hung up on Alexei, no longer hearing what he had to say.

I punched Ace’s name into my phone. He answered after a few rings. “What do I owe the pleasure?”

“Well?”

“Give me a second.” There was some rustling and what sounded like a complaint from Carina, but other than that, I couldn’t hear anything else. Then finally, “Nothing. There was no blood, but Father has his men combing everything. He’s furious. I’ve never seen him like this before. He would hardly speak to me. He was suspicious and throwing around accusations, even to our mother. He didn’t believe that she was innocent. I found a wig in the dumpster in the main stairwell at the building your girl escaped through. I got rid of it, but I want you to know he’s suspicious of me now too.”

“Don’t make any drastic money moves, and maybe we shouldn’t call each other for a while,” I muttered. This was getting more complicated by the second. I needed to get ready for work. “Let me know if you need anything. Send Carina or something. I’m calling in sick for the day.”

Ace let out a laugh. “Are you fucking kidding me? You don’t think that’ll look suspicious?”

I pulled my hand down my face. “She needs to be taken care of. She was shot.”

“Leave your fucking driver with her for all I care. Take the subway. You cannot miss work today.”

“Fine,” I bit out and hung up the phone.

I was getting really sick and tired of being on the phone and being away from Scarlett. I punched Don’s name and opened Scarlett’s door. She was staring out of the window, the sun was shining on her face. Besides her pale pallor and the circles under her eyes, she looked gorgeous.

Her gaze flicked to me as I stepped inside, phone still pressed to my ear. I could see the questions forming in her eyes, but she didn’t voice them. Not yet.

“Don,” I said, my tone clipped, “I need you at the apartment. You’re staying with Scarlett today.”

She tensed, her fingers tightening in the blanket. “Excuse me?”

I held up a finger, silently telling her to wait. “No one in or out unless I say so. Understood?”

“Yes, sir.”

I ended the call and slid my phone into my pocket. The weight of her stare burned into me.

“I thought you would have left sooner,” she said flatly.

I crossed my arms, watching her closely. “I was planning to call in a sick day but…” I considered my words. “There are important things happening and I can’t miss.

She scoffed. “And you think I need a babysitter?”

“No, I think you still can’t get out of bed, and I know you aren’t planning on calling your friends.”

Her lips pressed into a thin line. “I need to go to the bathroom, and I’m scared to go by myself.”

“My point exactly!”

“I won’t let him bring me to the bathroom!”