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Moments later, the pictures come through. Grainy, but clear enough. I show them to Halle.

Her face drains of its colour. “No. This can’t be right.” Her voice shakes. “That’s Kane. The one on the right.”

“Are you sure?” I ask.

She nods, moisture pooling in her eyes again. “I’m sure.”

I stare at the image, my jaw tightening. Isaac Kane took Alex.

I text Xander, my blood boiling:

Isaac Kane. The one on the right. He works with Alex. Send Ian to his house. Meet me at Summit.

***

At noon, I send Isaac Kane a video of his house. His two daughters giggle as they take turns riding a tricycle on the frontthe lawn. A pristine street stretches in front of them—quiet, clean, safe. A neighbourhood far removed from the chaos of central Senna.

You have a beautiful family.

His response is instant.

Who is this?

I don’t bother telling him. He’ll find out soon enough.

Let’s meet at Summit in 30 minutes.

Half an hour later, I’m perched on Hayden’s desk, my posture relaxed despite the coiled tension in my chest. Xander lounges on the couch, his fingers idly spinning a knife. Hayden leans against the wall, arms crossed, probably wishing to be anywhere but here. I know they both would, but they’d sooner die than let me do this alone.

We make an intimidating picture, but beneath my calm mask, fury simmers. Ian is still stationed outside Kane’s house, under strict orders to stay put. I have no desire to hurt his family, but if he forces my hand, I won’t hesitate to destroy his world, just as he seems determined to destroy mine.

The door swings open, and Detective Isaac Kane strides in, trailed by three of our guards. His face is flushed red, a vein bulging in his forehead. Anger radiates from him, but by the way his eyes shift, I can tell he’s scared. At least he’s smart enough to be.

I wave a hand, a tiny smile dancing on my lips, trying my best to look like the Rowan everyone knows—aloof and unaffected.

“Where’s my family?” he demands. “What the hell have you done to them?”

My smile spreads, slow and deliberate. “Not even an introduction?” I ask. “I was hoping to see you at the wedding.”

He lunges, but a guard grabs him, yanking him back like an owner might do a rabid dog. He shrugs him off, teeth bared. “If you’ve hurt them—”

“You’ll what?” I cut in, my voice calm, amused. “Kill me? Don’t worry, Isaac. Your family is safe for now. Ian’s making sure they’re well taken care of, and he’ll continue to do so if you help me out.”

“Just let them go,” he says, losing that edge in his voice. “Please.”

“Looks like we both have something the other wants. How about we make a trade?”

His expression hardens, but his eyes flicker. That’s his tell. “It wasn’t supposed to go down like this. I’d never hurt Alex.”

That’s a lie, but I’ll bite. “How was it supposed to go down, exactly?”

“We were going to contact you tonight,” he says. “We just wanted to talk.”

I arch an eyebrow. “We? About what?”

He shrugs, his bravado cracking slightly. “What else?”

“Haze,” I say flatly.