I shake my head. Kneel down next to them.
“What happened?”
“He’s alive,” Nik says, “but unconscious. Shot once in the side. Ambulance is on the way.”
I stare. “He was shot? Jesus. How bad?”
Nik shakes his head. “Too early to tell. But he was bleeding fast when I got here.”
That’s when I notice it—he’s holding his tux jacket tight against the wound, trying to stem the flow.
Glancing around, I see the room’s a mess. Shattered window. Knocked-over chair. Blood smeared across the carpet.
And Lina’s gone.
I feel it in my gut before I even ask.
“And Lina?”
Nik meets my eyes, but doesn’t answer. He doesn’t have to.
Standing, I rake a hand through my hair and turn in a slow, useless circle.
“Security?”
“Useless,” Nik snaps. “Most were paid off or scared shitless. The power was cut before the shot. Cameras wiped. It was a clean job.”
My jaw clenches.
This wasn’t random. This was a hit. A snatch.
Joe took her.
My hands curl into fists at my sides.
She walked into that wedding like a goddamn goddess. She was glowing in that dress. Scared, but willing to help for the greater good. Braver than anyone else in the room.
And now, she’s gone.
Because we let her be bait.
Because we said yes to this fucking plan.
Johnny’sfucking plan.
Nik shifts and pulls out his phone. “We need eyes everywhere. Traffic cams. Underground chatter. I don’t care if we burn through every favor we’ve got. We find Joe, and we end it.”
I nod, but it’s hollow. Nothing feels like enough. Not until I see her again. Hear her voice. Know she’s breathing, fighting,still Lina.
“Where’s Johnny?” I ask, noticing his absence.
Nik’s expression darkens. “He was in the west wing, getting ready. No one’s seen him since the shot.”
“So either he was taken too…”
“Or he’s chasing the bastard who took her,” Nik finishes, leaving no room for arguments.
I want to believe that. Ineedto.
