Bile surged. Ash choked it back. He’d practically declared his love and she did this?
Rage and worry warred within him. He didn’t know what to do. He’d failed—again—at the only task that mattered—protecting his sister.
“Leave Hope alone.”
“Of course, I’ll leave her alone. She’s hardly any fun, is she?” The eerie voice was filled with laughter.
Ash swallowed hard. “What do you want?”
“Oh, Fenix. I really thought you’d get smarter as you got older. Tsk tsk. It should be obvious what I want. You’re right in the middle of a very large pond. I want in.”
“You want access to Tremaine?” Next to him Portia shook her head violently.
She could end this easily, but her ending probably wouldn’t be a good one.
Ash picked up the phone and toggled off the speaker. “My sister returned unharmed for access to Tremaine?”
Portia tried to snatch the phone from his hand. Ash pushed away from his desk and crossed to the windows. Outside, the city was lit up like the holidays, thousands of lights from hundreds of buildings. It was pretty but he barely noticed.
“Of course. I always keep my promises. You know that.”
Ash laughed bitterly. Caspar was a tricky bastard who kept to the exact terms of a deal. Any agreement had to be explicit and airtight or he’d find a way to wiggle around the terms.
“Why do you need in? I’m already here. I can get whatever you want.”
Portia stalked toward him, a thundercloud on her face. He was trapped, literally and figuratively. There had to be a way out.
“No can do,” Caspar replied. “I won’t know what I need until I’m in there. So many lovely prizes hidden in that network, I’m sure. I bet the organ farming was just the beginning. No, if I’m there myself I’ll be able to feast on all the delicious goodies.”
“When?” Resignation colored Ash’s voice. He was gonna to do it. He didn’t want to. It would end badly for him, either at Caspar’s hand or Portia’s. Most likely Portia’s, given the glare she directed his way.
“Soon. I’ll contact you.” He abruptly ended the call.
Ash stared at the phone in his hand, feeling dead inside. His life was finally almost back under his control and the universe kicked him in the balls.
“What the fuck was that?” Portia was practically yelling—and she never yelled.
“My old boss.”
She raised a brow. “From your hacker days?”
Ash nodded. Portia was no fool.
“He has your sister?” Her blue eyes pierced him.
“That’s what he says.” His stomach churned with the thought. Ash sagged against the window. Was she safe?
“You believe him?”
“Yeah. Caspar doesn’t fuck around like that.” He’d witnessed it firsthand.
“You were telling the truth that you don’t know where she is.”
Now she believed him. Yay.
“Yes.” The word came out low. Dejected.
Ash had been sure that Hope was safe with Taryn. His girls together. Now his world was imploding in ways he’d never imagined.
