Fury burned through Jason. “You knew?”
“Only that she hadn’t checked in today. She was supposed to meet someone for lunch, but she didn’t follow safety protocol, and from what we can determine, she never showed.” The woman cleared her throat. “We don’t have a way to track her. Her phone isn’t pinging. What do you know?”
His faint hope that the woman would have some magic up her sleeve died. “A man calling himself Saber contacted me about twenty minutes ago. He threatened her life if I didn’t get to Los Angeles ASAP. He also said he wants his money back. Something about twenty million dollars that was stolen from a bank account in Panama. Does that mean anything to you?”
Clearly, “liberating” funds was part of this group’s modus operandi. He had so many questions, but they could all wait. Right now, only finding Emma mattered.
“It might.” She sighed. “I’ll start digging. Text me at this number with your flight information and I’ll have a man named Dallas pick you up from the airport.”
“I have a ride,” Jason said. Todd or one of the other guys would be available. “I’m supposed to land around five-thirty. I’ll call you when I get there.”
“There’s a lot you don’t know about,” Gretchen said. “We should work together on this.”
“I’m counting on it.”
“Good news,” Earl told Emma as he strode into her prison, his brown eyes glittering with malice. “Jason Chin is on his way. He thinks he has a chance to save you.” He pursed his lips and made a sad face. “It’s sweet, really.”
No. Her heart tried to leap out of her body. She didn’t want Jason in this asshole’s grasp too. She fought to maintain a mask of indifference, but she could feel heat rushing to her face. “He has nothing to do with this.”
“Oh, really?” Earl gave her an oily smile. “Then who does?”
She kept her lips pressed tight, as she had for the last hour of questioning. Rather than torture her physically, as she’d expected, the asshole planned to use her emotions against her. Only time would tell if she could withstand the onslaught. Jason might hate her right now, but she still loved him.
A sliver of dread dug into her spine.
Earl scoffed and strolled closer, cocking an eyebrow at her. “You have the power to save him.”
Her gut felt like she’d ingested hot tar. He was asking her to make an impossible choice. The only thing that made it marginally easier was that she didn’t trust this man to hold up his end of a deal. Even if she gave him everything he wanted to know about the Night Herons, he’d still kill herandJason.
If two very large men didn’t currently have guns trained on her, she would’ve jumped the bastard. She suspected he knew it. Earl wouldn’t be so brave without his protectors.
“Such a shame about Natalie.” He clucked in mock sympathy. “She was a beautiful girl. I would’ve liked a little taste before putting her down.” His finger stroked her cheek. “Good thing you’re still here. I’m partial to blondes, but truth be told, I’m notthatpicky.”
The attack in Lucerne had beenhim? Heat surged through Emma and her muscles tensed, but she would not give him the satisfaction of a response. She trembled with the effort to restrain herself. Jumping him now would only get her killed. Except, maybe not. He wanted answers, and he needed her alive to get them. At least for now.
But she had to be smart. If she was going to waste energy on an attack, she needed a reasonable chance of changing her circumstances, not just getting the satisfaction of putting her mark on this predator.
“Sad, really,” he continued, thankfully dropping his hand. “Those incompetents were supposed to take you both alive. Idoapologize.”
The knife in her heart twisted, but she kept her chin up, her gaze hot enough to burn holes in his head. She had her own questions now, but she couldn’t afford to indulge her curiosity.
“Then again,” he said, slipping his hands into his pockets as if he hadn’t a care, “you killed one of my men.” Leaning close, he spoke into her ear, his stale coffee breath hot on the side of her neck. “Youwillpay for that.”
Swallowing her revulsion—and the urge to punch him square in the face—Emma forced herself to relax, to slow her breath so she could think. He was trying to rile her up, trying to get her to make a mistake, and she couldn’t afford to lose focus.
Straightening, he studied her with a slight frown. “I’ll give you some time to think about it.” He glanced at his watch and nodded at one of the goons. “I expect your boyfriend will land in a few hours. We’ll talk more then.”
One of the bodyguards placed a small notepad and a ballpoint pen on the seat of the office chair.
Earl jerked his chin at the chair. “I want details on everyone you work with, and every informant who gave that reporter information about me.”
Oh, shit. “What reporter?” A sour taste filled her mouth. Had he done something to Karla Fernandez? There was no way she’d have given up Emma willingly. “What makes you think I was involved in whatever this is? I only recognize you from reading the news.”
He snorted. “Honey, you had Viktor Schulz’s SD card. You and Natalie and Jason were all at the Dying Lion to meet him. It’s not rocket science.”
Not quite, but close enough. “Youput the virus on the drive?” she asked before she could stop herself.
His smile was smug.
