With a nod, he tossed his keys in the air and headed out the door. Then she was completely alone in the office.

  Less than a minute later, her phone rang.

  Tessa dove into her purse and scrambled to retrieve it. She glanced at the display. Private caller? Normally, she’d think that was spam and send the call to voicemail. Today, she answered. “Hello.”

  “You’ve done a good job so far, Ms. Lawrence. Nice and quiet.”

  Instantly, she recognized that voice. It was the man in the parking lot yesterday. “What have you done with my daughter? Bring her back—now. She’s just a baby and—”

  “You weren’t listening yesterday. Now you are.”

  He was tearing her world apart and putting Hallie at risk, and he thought he was clever? “You son of a bitch. I—”

  “Name calling? Since I have your baby, I think it would behoove you to be nice.”

  And if she didn’t, he could hurt Hallie. Tessa squeezed her eyes shut and gripped the phone, trying to keep her head and trying not to sob. “You’re right.”

  “Very good. I’m assuming you’d like to get down to business so you can have your daughter back? Am I wrong?”

  “No,” she gasped out. “You’re not. But how do I know she’s okay?”

  “She’s being well cared for.”

  “I want proof.”

  “Let’s make this work for both of us. You tell us what we want to know, and I’ll send you proof that your daughter is fine.”

  Everything inside Tessa rebelled. “You said that if I told you what you wanted to know you’d return her to me.”

  “Our timeline is…fluid. We have a few things happening at once, so it will take a bit to work out all the details. And we’ll need your help for that. But once it’s resolved, absolutely.”

  “How long will that be? She needs her mother and—”

  “How long depends a lot on you, on the promptness and quality of the information you give us.”

  Tessa closed her eyes and stopped fighting. No matter what she had to do to get Hallie back, she’d do it. “You said you wanted information about someone?”

  She wasn’t sure who they would want to know about and how she was supposed to find out whatever they wanted to know, but she was resourceful and desperate. She’d make it happen.

  “Our situation has changed, and we’re in need of something even more vital now. Some event occurred in your office. Your bosses are gone and frantically looking for something or someone. Explain.”

  Tessa hesitated. Of all the things she’d imagined the caller asking, that hadn’t even been on the list. It also told her that the person on the other end of the call didn’t have anything to do with the people who had taken Kimber. If it had, they would already know what was going on at EM Security Management.

  She was guessing, but it seemed logical that whoever had abducted her bosses’ sister, demanding Valeria Montilla’s location as ransom, blamed Emilo Montilla’s wife for his death. Who would do that? His family? The criminals who had previously made a living from his cartel? Maybe either. Or both.

  But if that was true, then who had kidnapped Hallie?

  “Well, I—”

  “Not on the phone. You’ll send all your answers to our questions to this email. Write it down carefully.” He recited the address and had her read it back. “Don’t use your company email.”

  Did he think she was stupid? “Of course not. And once I’ve answered this question, you’ll give me information about my daughter?”

  “Absolutely.”

  Then the line went dead.

  Guiltily, Tessa looked around the office, but she was still alone. No one would see her betray her employer.

  Is it really that much of a betrayal? They’re only asking questions that might end up being public knowledge at some point anyway.

  True, but rationalizing didn’t help. She still felt guilty, but she swallowed it down for Hallie. She launched her email app on her phone and tapped out the address she’d been given. She drafted an answer, deleted it, and started over several times. Finally, she settled on a reply that provided the most thorough yet neutral information she could think of.

  * * *

  Kimber Edgington was abducted on Monday morning. The ransom demand is a current client’s location. EM Security Management has refused to betray this client and is now attempting to locate Kimber to rescue her. That’s all I know.

  * * *

  With a trembling finger, she sent the email off. Within minutes she had a reply, demanding clarification. So she did her best to answer. No, they weren’t entirely sure who had abducted Kimber. The client in question was late drug dealer Emilo Montilla’s wife. No, she didn’t know where Valeria was right now. No, she didn’t know what attempts her bosses had made to rescue Kimber yet because they’d been out of the office and out of pocket, dealing with the situation.

  After nearly thirty minutes of back-and-forth with the emails, she received another. When she opened it, her heart caught, then lifted.

  The asshole who had taken her baby had provided a video of Hallie. It was date- and time-stamped a few minutes ago. She was wearing a sweatshirt that looked like it belonged on a little boy, but it was clean and warm. Hallie had a bib covering her chest and was picking up bites of what looked like chicken nuggets and banana from the tray of a clean high chair.

  Tessa replayed it three times, tears welling in her eyes and falling down her cheeks before she paused to breathe and pray. Thank God her daughter was okay. At least for now.

  But when she wrote back to ask the kidnappers when she would get her daughter back, she got a two-line reply.

  * * *

  We need more information. Stay tuned for further details…

  * * *

  Tessa broke down and sobbed again.

  After the high of finding the perfect, dazzling engagement ring for Tessa and dropping a shit ton of money on it, Zy took a call from Kane just as he was leaving the jeweler.

  Funny, he’d always thought being the boss would be cushy. Having his pick of assignments sounded great. But the past forty-eight hours had shown him that being in charge wasn’t easy. Coordinating the sisters’ move across state lines and to a new safe house was proving to be a bitch—and this was just one mission. Often, EM Security had several going at once.

  As much as he hated to say it, Zy had a new respect for Muñoz and the Edgington brothers. They had backed him into a shitty-as-fuck corner when they’d demanded he prove either Tessa or Trees was their mole, but he understood. They had so many irons in the fire, and they weren’t interested in his feelings, just in getting the job done—and done right. It sucked, but now that he was walking a mile in their boots, he got it. Still hated it, though.

  He hadn’t had a chance in the past two days to prove anyone innocent or guilty. Twelve days left before the ax fell. Zy knew he needed to suck it up and get a move on. But he had to get Valeria and her son settled first.

  He pulled his phone from his pocket. “What’s up, Kane? Talk to me.”

  The guy on the other end sighed. “Don’t worry. We’re okay. But Jorge has been fussy. He’s running a low-grade fever. She thinks he’s coming down with something, and neither of us feels safe enough in the new location for me to leave so I can hit a drugstore.”

  Fuck. Zy wanted to get back to the office and check on Tessa. Something was wrong, and everything in his gut told him he shouldn’t let that shit fester. She hadn’t said much when he’d pressed her, but her eyes had begged him for something. Comfort? Solace? Help?

  He wished he knew what was going on.

  Soon. He’d definitely get to the bottom of it. Right now, duty called. “I’m already out, so I can grab whatever you need. Anything else?”

  “A sippy cup and some baby spoons. Maybe a bib or two.” He heard a woman’s voice in the background, then Kane seconded whatever she’d said. “Yep. And some more diapers, size three.”

  Zy had never shopped for diapers, but he’d figure it out. “You got it.”

  And once he dropped everything off, he could use it as an excuse to swing by his place, just two buildings over, and finally grab some lunch. His stomach was beginning to think his throat had been cut.

  Twenty minutes later, he’d talked to the pharmacist and had a bottle of liquid ibuprofen. He also bought a decongestant with a dropper and some flavored drinks with electrolytes, along with the other things Kane had requested.

  At the apartment complex, he parked near his unit so anyone watching wouldn’t see anything out of the ordinary. Not that he had any reason to suspect the dregs of Emilo’s organization were on to them, but after this much arranging, he wasn’t about to get careless and risk fucking everything up.

  The community was made up of working people, and most were still punching their clock at this time of day, so it was no surprise Zy didn’t see a single soul, much less one who might be following him.

  Quickly, he made his way to Cutter’s former unit. Kane answered the door, looking as if he hadn’t slept in two days—probably because he hadn’t.

  Anunfamiliar woman who must be Valeria turned to him with a tight smile, then focused her attention on the crying baby in her arms.

  Zy handed all the stuff over to Kane. “You good here?”

  But clearly he wasn’t. Zy would bet the guy had about as much experience with babies as he did.

  “For now. But I need some sleep.”

  Which he couldn’t get with a fussing toddler around.

  Fuck. So much for his plans to get back to the office and talk to Tessa. “Why don’t you go to my place for some shut-eye?” Zy handed over his keys and rattled off his building and unit number. “I’ll stay with her.”

  Kane set the bag on the nearby hall table, looking relieved as hell. “Thanks. Been a few years since my survival training, and I sucked at sleep deprivation even then.”

  “I can’t spare a long time.” Zy glanced at his watch. Already two thirty? “I’ll spell you for a couple of hours. Hopefully, you can all catch up on your sleep tonight.”

  Kane said something to Valeria in Spanish. She nodded and sent him a thankful smile, then he was gone.

  Zy turned to the woman who had been married to a ruthless criminal. He wasn’t sure what he’d expected, but Valeria wasn’t it.

  She looked painfully young and she was barely over five feet tall. She had ridiculously long lashes, big brown eyes, a slight cleft to her delicate chin, and a wary expression that seemed permanently etched on her face.

  “Hola.” He nodded her way.

  “Hola.” She bounced her fussing son in her arms to quiet him and sent Zy a suspicious glance.

  Of course she didn’t trust him. Not only was he a complete stranger, she’d had a rough existence. After all, if Laila was messed up because Emilo’s men had used her for sex against her will, they might have done the same to Valeria.

  He approached slowly with a smile. “Sorry. Hola, gracias, and un cerveza, por favor is the extent of my Spanish.”

  She laughed, despite the little dark-haired baby boy in her arms still listless and crying. “It is a good thing my English is better than your Spanish, then.”

  “Very much. My name is Zy. I work with Kane.”

  “Do you mean Preston? He is nice. Very professional.”

  “Yeah, Preston.” It was good to know the new guy was making the right impression.

  “He is much better than the very big man who arrived with him.”

  “You didn’t like Trees?” Zy frowned.

  “I did not like the way he looks at my sister.”

  So even Valeria had noticed his buddy’s fascination with Laila. Shit. “I’ll talk to him.”

  “Please do. My sister is fragile, and if she thinks he will give her safety, she will cling to him. I would not want him to mistake her desire for security as a desire for anything else.”

  Normally, Zy would have no cause to worry about his pal. But any assurances he gave the woman now would be a lie. “Understood. Here are the things you asked for.”

  He picked up the bag from the entry table, then deposited it on the counter between them. She took it, sat with her son in her lap, then tore into the ibuprofen, dosing him like a pro. He’d barely swallowed the medicine when she had him back in her arms, against her chest, and she was patting his back. “Thank you. How long before the other man brings my sister here?”

  “A few more days. They’re taking a longer road and making sure no one followed. I’m checking in with Trees a few times a day. We’re doing everything we can to make sure no one from your late husband’s organization gets their hands on either of you.”

  “Laila is only valuable to them if she leads to me.” Valeria frowned. “You understand that, no? And she has been hurt too many times by the people in my life. Convincing her and my mother to come stay with me for the summer shortly after I married was the worst mistake of all. My husband took them prisoner to keep me in line. The cartel…they hurt her. Very much. Her life would have been better if I had not begged her to come. So as much as I love my sister, maybe she should not come here.”

  He’d have to see how the bosses felt about that. “We’ll take that under advisement. But our immediate goal is to keep you and your loved ones safe, especially after the difficulties you’ve had for the past few months.”

  “I appreciate that you are trying, but I am disappointed. I enjoyed my house in St. Louis. I had never seen snow or known winter until I lived there. I loved it. I felt safe, unlike in Florida. I had a feeling almost immediately that we were being watched. Mr. Edgington assured me that was not possible.” She snorted, and he heard bitterness in the sound. “But I was never safe there. Neither was my son. Do you have any children?”

  “No.” Though he hoped Hallie would see him as a father figure someday.

  “Then you do not know what it does to a mother to fear for her child’s safety or the lengths she will go to in order to protect her little one.”

  Valeria was right, and he could hardly blame her for worrying about her son after the difficult life she and her sister had endured at the hands of the Tierra Caliente cartel. “I don’t.”

  “Someday you might. I am sure the same is true of all fathers.” Her face softened with empathy. “And siblings. My heart goes out to the Edgingtons. I hate to imagine what they are going through.”

  Zy whipped his stare to Valeria. She could only know that if Kane was blabbing. Goddamn it, Valeria didn’t need to know about this. It would only make her wonder if the protectors she’d hired would sell her out for Kimber’s return. But Hunter, Logan, and Joaquin were busy, so he intended to have a chat with the new guy.

  For now, he pasted on a smile. “Don’t worry. They’ve got everything under control, and I’m sure the recent chaos and your displacement is temporary. We’ll find you a new location and a new identity so you can start over soon.”

  “I would like that as well.” She sent him an acidic smile. “But clearly my old life is not yet ready to let me begin a new one. Excuse me.”

  With that, she disappeared into the back bedroom and shut the door, leaving Zy alone with a couple of hours to stew.

  He checked all the locks and wasn’t surprised that Cutter’s place was shipshape. One-Mile often called the guy a Boy Scout, as if that was an insult, but Bryant had always seemed prepared.

  While he waited, he texted Tessa but got no reply. She should still be at the office. Maybe she was busy? Doing what, he couldn’t imagine, but it was possible one of the bosses had called and given her something urgent. He’d figure it out when he got back.

  At four thirty, he gave Kane a wake-up call. The guy returned a few minutes later still looking bleary-eyed, but at least he now had some gas in his tank. Unfortunately, Zy couldn’t take the time to get on him about opening his big mouth to clients. He wanted to catch Tessa before she went home, and he had to lock up the office.

  Zy headed out, stopping by his place to drop off the engagement ring and finally grab some damn food. Then he raced back to the office, arriving a little after five.

  Tessa was already gone, damn it. But One-Mile was still around.

  “Hey,” Zy called to the sniper as he walked through the door. “Anything new?”

  “Not that I know of. But I took a long lunch.” He flashed a cocky grin. “I got back about three. Tessa headed out shortly after that. Said she had a headache. But, um…”

  “What?” There was something One-Mile wasn’t saying.

  “I don’t know how many headaches make a woman cry and look at her phone every thirty seconds.”

  He’d never heard of that kind of headache, either. Something had upset Tessa. Was her stepmother giving her shit again? Had Cash come back and threatened her? Whatever it was, she hadn’t wanted to talk about it, and Zy didn’t like that. “Fuck.”

  “Do you know what’s up with her? She says you two didn’t fight.”

  “We didn’t.”

  Walker shrugged. “Then I don’t know, man, but I would address that head-on ASAP.”

  Zy intended to. “Yeah. I’m out. You leaving?”

  He nodded. “I can make my last phone call from the road.”

  “Go. I’ll lock up behind you.”

  The sniper nodded, gathered his keys, and strolled out with the confidence of a man who had everything he wanted in life and his whole future ahead of him.

  As Zy followed him out and secured the door behind him, Joaquin rang, demanding he come over to deliver a status update. But when he ended the call and reached his bike, he realized someone had fucking slashed his tires. His money was on the guy who had accosted Tessa yesterday. He’d look at the security footage again, but Zy would bet he’d find next to nothing.

  By the time he’d called a tow truck and had his bike hauled to a local shop for new tires, hours had passed, dark had fallen, his stomach was rumbling again, and he was worried as hell about Tessa. She’d started responding to his texts, but only in monosyllables. It wasn’t like her.