“How long?” Declan drops to a crouch in front of him, voice deadly quiet.
Flanagan leans his head back against the wall, eyes glittering. “After the hotel. She was there taking pictures.” He flicks his gaze up to me. “He was too pissed to notice you were there too. I clocked it then.”
Kian’s hand is still clamped on my shoulder, knuckles white, ready.
“Why the fuck didn’t you tell us?” Kian growls. “She never did a thing to you. You’ve got a daughter her age.”
Flanagan shrugs, blood bubbling at the corner of his mouth. “Leverage.”
“Leverage for what?” The words rip out of me, low and shaking.
“In case I got caught, I could trade him. Never thought the sick bastard would actually take her.” He laughs again, wet and ugly. “Guess today’s not my day.”
“Where is he?” Declan snaps.
“City apartment, but he won’t be there.” Flanagan’s eyes lock on mine. “He came to me out of nowhere looking for work. I knew his old man before he died. Doyle never gave a shit about the Consortium… until her.”
My fists clench so hard my knuckles crack.
“He used us to track her,” I say, voice flat, lethal. “When he realised she was close to the Callaghans, he crawled closer to you.”
Flanagan nods, smirking. “Got real protective of my health all of a sudden.”
I slam my fist into the wall. Concrete bites skin, pain shoots up my forearm, but it’s nothing compared to the inferno inside my chest.
“It’s not your fault,” Connor tries.
Flanagan keeps talking, voice syrupy with venom. “He escalated the second he saw you with her. You mentioning her name used to make him twitch. Then you married her?” He whistles low. “That broke whatever was left of him.”
I knew I painted a target on her. I thought I was the shield.
“He’s going to fuck her, kill her, then probably himself,” Flanagan says, grinning through a mask of blood.
The roar that tears out of me isn’t human.
I lunge.
Declan throws his whole body into me first, shoulder slamming into my chest, boots skidding across the floor. He’s strong, but I’m bigger, heavier, pure fighter muscle, and I’m already moving. Kian piles in from behind, arms locking around my waist, heels digging in. Connor jumps in front, palms on my shoulders, trying to anchor me.
It takes all three of them to haul me back two steps.
“Close the fucking cell!” Connor bellows at the guard.
The iron door starts swinging.
I shove forward again, veins in my neck bulging, every muscle straining against the three men holding me. My voice comes out raw, shredded.
“I’m going to kill you, Flanagan. I’m going to burn you to the fucking ground. My face will be the last thing you ever see.”
The door slams shut between us.
I’m still roaring when they drag me out.
“Fucking hell, Flynn.” Declan finally releases me, palms up like he’s calming a wild animal. “We need to think. Where could he take her?”
“Not the docks,” Kian mutters, “not the city. Too many eyes.”
“Her phone’s dark,” Connor adds, voice tight. “He knew we’d ping it. Probably ditched the second he had her.”
