Page 131 of Theirs to Desire (Club M: Boxed Set)

CALEB

W e wanted information. We certainly got it.

I puzzle over everything we learned as we head back. “Dratch didn’t know Kiera was alive,” I muse. “But Martinez does.”

Nolan’s lips thin. “How did he find out?”

I frown. “It’s got to be Miles Armstrong. He told Xavier’s people that Kiera was in witness protection. It’s not a stretch to imagine he also told Martinez.”

Bianca has been through hell for the last eight years. Raped repeatedly by Dratch. Sold by him to the highest bidder. And it all started with Armstrong. He wanted his conviction. His lies ruined Bianca’s life.

So much suffering.

Greg Dratch will pay for his sins. So far, Armstrong has gotten away scot-free. I make a silent promise to myself. Whatever happens, I will ensure that the corrupt detective pays for the harm he’s caused.

But that’s further down the line. We have a more immediate concern, one that sends fear shooting down my spine. “If Martinez knows about Kiera, he’ll come looking for her when Bianca disappears.”

Nolan looks grim. “We can protect her.”

Kiera might not realize it, but she’s surrounded by people that care for her.

Not just Nolan and me. Her friends Dixie, Fiona, and Avery have her back.

Xavier will do whatever it takes to make sure his employees stay safe.

Club M is practically a fortress, and there’s more security there than Fort Knox.

Luis Fernando Martinez is powerful, but he’s not invincible. If we go to war, Martinez will lose. He hasn’t survived and thrived in the cutthroat world of arms-dealing by being a fool. He’ll calculate the odds, realize what he’s up against, and most likely, walk away.

Even if he doesn’t, we can’t turn our back on Bianca. If she’s with Martinez against her will, we need to help her, and not only because she’s Kiera’s sister. We all stood at Lina’s grave. We all made a vow. Never again.

“We should pull in Adrian and Brody,” I tell Nolan. “My team isn’t set up for this kind of operation. This is Lockhart I’m not concerned that they will screw this up.

But my stomach clenches at the idea of Kiera in danger, and bile fills my mouth. Theo died. Joha killed herself. I like to think that the wounds have healed, but they’re still there. I will always be scarred.

Joha couldn’t bear the idea of life without Theo. She tried. God knows she tried for Nala’s sake. In the end, she just couldn’t.

I finally understand. If anything were to happen to Kiera, every wound would rip open once again, and this time, I’m not sure I will be able to heal.