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talie

“Any luck?” I asked, keeping my phone to my ear.

“Not yet,” Damian sighed, stress apparent in his voice. “Ash can’t track Jack anywhere. He went completely underground.”

“I’m sure the money he stole from our family accounts helped,” I muttered as I grabbed my purse.

“Ash locked down most of those to where he can’t touch them. But the business accounts and paperwork? That’s what’s going to hurt us—well, not you, since your name isn’t anywhere on them.”

The ball of anxiety weighing me down only grew.

It had been more than a week, and neither Damian nor our parents had gotten close to finding Jack.

Which needed to happen after we became aware of the shady business practices Christian and my dad had gotten involved in.

Money laundering and other racketeering charges that could put them in prison.

Damian was in trouble too, because he worked on some of those accounts without even knowing.

“I can’t believe what your dad did.” I paused. “I take it back—I can believe that. He and my father will do anything for money.”

“Yeah, they will. Which is why I’m going to find this asshole. I already had my lawyer draw up the papers. Our parents leave us alone or they’ll owe us a lot of money.”

“You just have to find Jack.” The doubt was apparent in my voice, even if I tried to hide it.

“I’ll find him. But I’ll be working late with Ash and Rhyett. I can send a car if you want to come to the club.”

“I would, but I already made plans with Char.”

“Too bad. I’d love to spend the night with you tied on my desk again.”

I giggled as a rush of heat swirled in my stomach. “I don’t think you’d get much work done.”

“True. I guess it’s a good thing you aren’t here.”

“I could get used to this.” I exited the apartment, locking the door behind me. “It’s been nice. My dad hasn’t called me once. I know he’s still furious with me for not going with him.”

“Let him be mad. He’ll get over it. And if he doesn’t? Oh fucking well. I don’t care how this ends with Jack. We’re not going back, Talie. Not to a life where you’re unhappy.”

My pulse quickened. If we didn’t find Jack, then Damian might end up in prison. My phone went off, and I glanced at the screen to see Char had texted me. She was in a car downstairs, waiting for me. Putting my phone back to my ear, I hit the elevator button.

“I’m going to lose you in the elevator,” I told him. “I’ll see you at home later?”

“I won’t be too late. Call me if you need anything.”

The elevator doors opened, and I told him goodbye before stepping inside.

Char had texted me again, wondering where I was.

I frowned when I glanced at the time to check if I was running late, but I was early.

Slipping my phone into my clutch, I smiled politely at the couple who entered a couple of floors down.

I shifted in my black heels, already regretting wearing them.

But Char wanted to try a new restaurant, and it had a dress code.

My dark blue cocktail dress rested above my knee and fit my body perfectly.

The back was completely open, with straps crisscrossing in the middle.

While it was more modest than I used to wear when I was overseas, it was my style, and I’d been slowly filling my closet with outfits I loved instead of worrying what my father or people in his social circle thought.

The doors opened, my heels clicking on the marble floor as I strode across the lobby. The concierge looked up from his desk and gave me a warm smile when he recognized me.

“Good evening,” he greeted me. “The driver came in to tell me that your sister is waiting in the limo outside.”

A limo? What did Char have planned tonight?

I thanked him before exiting the lobby, his greeting echoing in my ears.

Mrs. Valentin. Legally, I still had my maiden name, but ever since being back home, most called me by my husband’s last name.

To my surprise, it didn’t bother me. Because I wanted to be with him. To be his wife.

“Mrs. Valentin."

My eyes landed on the unfamiliar driver as he stood next to an open limo door. He gave me a small nod as I got closer. Tucking my clutch under my arm, I slipped into the limo.

“Hey, Char?—”

I snapped my mouth shut, ice flooding my veins when I saw who was sitting in the limo.

It wasn’t my sister. Jack sat near the window partition, a vile smirk on his lips when he met my eyes.

My heart thrashed in fear when I realized this was done on purpose.

I flew toward the still open door, only to get shoved back onto the seat.

I landed on my stomach, letting out a cry when my clutch was ripped out of my hold.

I straightened up, seeing Jack now holding my purse. My chest heaved as I slowly turned to face the person beside me.

“Hello, Natalia.” Percy shut the door, and a moment later, the limo pulled away from the curb.

Confusion slammed into me, mixing with my growing panic. Percy had business with Damian, so why was he here with Jack? I shrank away from him, eyeing the door handle next to me until Jack tsked from across the limo.

“The doors are locked. Don’t waste your energy,” he said as he set my purse beside him.

“What do you want?” I hissed, refusing to express my fear to them.

Percy ran a hand over his slicked back hair. “Your husband has something we want. You’re going to make sure he gives it to us.”

My eyes cut to Jack. “You already have more than enough. You could have taken what you stole and left.”

“I am owed much more than what I fucking took,” Jack snarled, his eyes darkening with fury.

“I worked at Valentin Enterprises for years. Did the dirty work for your father-in-law so he could keep his hands clean. After all of that, what is he doing? Choosing his son to take over. When it should be me.”

“If it’s money you want, I have it,” I blurted out, managing to keep my voice steady. “It will take me a couple days, but?—”

“Don’t insult me,” he cut me off. “I know your finances. You haven’t gotten your trust fund yet. You have nothing.”

“I have over a million dollars,” I informed him stiffly. “It’s in an overseas account.”

Jack scoffed, clearly not believing me as he turned his attention to his phone. Percy continued to stare at me as I scooted over until I was leaning against the door.

“Where are you taking me?” I gritted out.

“None of your concern,” Jack answered without looking at me. “You behave and listen, then there won’t be any trouble.”

His veiled threat had dread sliding through me.

Jack was the one who was in charge here.

I still had no idea what he was doing with Percy, but either way, I needed to get the hell away from both of them.

When the limo stopped at a light, I wrenched on the door handle, shaking it when it didn’t budge.

Neither Percy nor Jack uttered a word at my failed attempt to escape.

I peered through the tinted windows as the minutes ticked by.

We didn’t leave the city, and I watched the other cars surrounding us as we drove through the Upper East Side. Soon, the limo turned into a parking garage. I craned my neck, looking at the building. I sucked in a breath, my head whipping toward Jack.

“My father owns this. It’s Charleston Tower.”

“I’m aware. The last place he’ll look is at one of his own properties.”

My dad was renovating this building into upscale apartments, and it was what he wanted Georgia to invest in. I wasn’t sure if he’d gotten another investor, and hadn’t cared enough to ask, but it was his newest project he’d been talking about nonstop at every family dinner.

“Maybe we should take her money and leave,” Percy piped up, nerves in his voice. “What if Damian and Jude?—”

“Damian is infatuated with her,” Jack snapped. “He won’t hesitate to do what we tell him. Her father would never allow his daughter to become a news story. They’ll both do what we want.”

Percy hesitated when a small click alerted me the doors were unlocked. He looked at me, indecision in his eyes. “Let’s go.”

I didn’t move a muscle. It was already a mistake letting them take me to a second location. They weren’t hiding anything. What if they got what they wanted and got rid of me?

Percy leaned over, and I screamed in protest when he snatched my wrist, pulling me toward him roughly.

“Don’t,” I shrieked, fear paralyzing me as he dragged me out of the limo.

I landed shakily on my heels as I tugged my dress down with my free hand.

His fingers stayed painfully tight around my arm, not letting me go as Jack appeared, closing the door behind him.

The limo pulled away as I was tugged toward the elevators.

“Please,” I choked out, nearly tripping as he yanked me forward. “I have money. It’s all yours if you let me go.”

“Shut up,” Jack growled, stepping beside me.

One of the elevators had yellow caution tape crossed over the closed doors, and Jack pushed the button on the working one.

My heartbeat echoed in my ears, panic swallowing me as the floor numbers on the screen above the elevator ticked down until the door slid open.

Percy turned toward me, opening his mouth to say something, and I lashed my arm out, smashing my palm against his nose.

He let out a pained yell as I pried his fingers off my wrist. Before I could move, Jack grabbed my shoulders, shoving me into the elevator. He flung me into the wall, and I sucked in shallow breaths as my ribs flared with anguish.

“I’m bleeding,” Percy wailed, holding his face. “What if she broke my nose?—”

“It’s not broken.” Jack hit the button for the thirteenth floor. “You’re fine. Just clean it up.”

Percy glared at me as he swiped his sleeve over his nose, which only smeared the blood all over his cheek. Jack grabbed me above the elbow, spinning me around.

“No more of that,” he ordered, his voice laced with warning. “Or you’ll make this much harder than it needs to be.”