Page 73 of Taken With Trouble

“Wait.” Caleb leans backon the sofa, shaking his head. He’s squeezing one of Terry’s throw pillows like he wants to strangle it. “Start over. I must have misheard you.”

I grimace. “You didn’t. Liam stuck me in a coffin.”

“I’ll kill him.” His nostrils flare, and Terry walks into the room and tugs the pillow out of his arms. Caleb blinks, still upset and confused. He’s been like this since he got here an hour ago.

“Believe me, I’vetriedto kill him. But he’s like a cat with nine lives.” It’s clear I can’t tell him I’ve alsokissedLiam. Caleb would lose his mind.

Caleb drops his face into his hands, rubbing his temples. “Okay, so his grandfather is being held hostage. But it’s not the Winthrops because they didn’t even place the bounty on Liam.” He pops his head up. “It was all a trap to get you to hand over the box.”

My fingers shake around my coffee mug. Sebastian will know by now that the evidence isn’t in the box. Which means he will come back with a vengeance. It might already be too late for Henry.

“Who set the trap at the gala? The same man who has Liam’s grandfather?”

That’s my theory. Which would also be my fault. I didn’t know who to turn to when things went south with Sebastian. I trusted only two people: Liam’s grandfather, and my friend at work. They are the only people who know where the evidence is ‌hidden.

“Sebastian Sanchez,” I whisper.

Caleb must hear something in my voice causing him to pause and look at me curiously.

“And who is Sebastian Sanchez toyou?”

I grimace. “My ex.”

He curses and shoves his hand through his hair before getting up to pace the floor. He’s got his phone out, typing rapidly on it. “He’s wanted by Interpol. And he’s twelve years older than you.”

I flinch, and he gives me a condescending look before turning back to the phone screen. “And you got mad at me for dating Amelia.”

“I stand by that. She’s too smiley and happy all the time. It’s unnatural and irritating.”

Caleb shakes his head, muttering something as he combs through whatever files he pulled up on his phone. “Cruz, do you know what kind of man Sebastian is? He’s a drug runner connected to one of the largest smuggling rings in the U.K.” Caleb practically shouts.

“I found that out the hard way.”

He stops pacing to look at me.Reallylook at me. His eyes are like the Spanish Inquisition and I’m about to be conquered. “There was talk he killed some men, but nothing ever came of it. There was no evidence…” His eyes narrow, and I shift in my seat. “Or was there?”

I gulp. I feel like I’m melting under his stare.

He squeezes his eyes closed before opening them again. “There was evidence… You knew about it. You’re in hiding.”

I nod.

“Is your name even Serena?”

I grimace again. “It is now. ItwasSeraphina Costa.”

He presses his palm to his forehead, still processing. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

I give him a look. “Because I didn’t change my name for fun, Caleb. I changed everything: my face, my lips, my hair. I bulked up to be an entirely different woman Sebastian and his men wouldn’t recognize.”

He shakes his head again. “And ran to the U.S.?”

“Yes. I worked for a time and got my new identity. After I changed my face and everything else, I entered the academy.”

“How did the FBI not catch your name change?”

“They did,” I say. “I was put on probation until I proved myself. They agreed to keep my old identity confidential.”

“You didn’t tell them about Sebastian?”