“Give me a chance, Zayne, I’m trying to explain everything and make sure I don’t leave out anything because the end is going to smack you right in the face,” he gritted, surprising me with his determination.
“Fine,” I muttered.
“After I shot her,” he faltered on the words then swallowed and continued, “I’m assuming she went into hiding to recover because there was no trace of her for about three years, then she appeared on one of the facial recognition software I designed. She’d changed her name back to Ria Singh and she has a son.”
The tingle expanded to my chest exploded on a ragged breath and I held up a hand to stop him. Several deep breaths and a roughened shove of my hand through my hair. “She has a son with Salvatore,” I muttered, my heart pricked by blades of a thousand knives, the tips dipped in poison, and I felt my heart crumbling in my chest.
“But she’s had no contact with Salvatore or his people. It’s just like when Ria disappeared, now there’s no trace of Gianna Salvatore. I think she just wanted a new start for her and her son. I’ve been following her ever since. Recording every single detail because I wanted to be sure it was her. You refused all my calls and messages. Sam suggested I get everything I can on her and when the time is right, I presented it to you.”
“And where is she now?”
“She’s been living in Italy,” he replied, his expression hinted there was more.
“What are you not telling me, because you look like a fucking jack in a box, waiting to be sprung.”
“A few months ago, I was doing some tests on a DNA software program I’d been messing around with. The basic idea behind it is to link DNA profiling.” I held out my hands, showing my confusion and he sighed. “In other words, if a criminal visited a hospital, years ago and then goes to another state or country and gets an op done there, the software plays connect the dots and pings it into a database and follows his moves. Given all the sharing of personal information act and shit like that, it’s still in its infancy stage.” He sounded like a proud mama bear who’d just weaned the cub of her fucking teats.
“So why tell me about it.”
He sat back, his eyes glued to me as though not wanting to miss something and I had the insane urge to smack him over the head. “I was playing connect the dots to all my live cases, Ria and her son being one of them. I picked up familial DNA matches, Zayne. Yours and Ria’s. I’m ninety-nine percent certain that baby is yours.”
The whiskey glass fell from my grip, overturning and spilling its contents. My body froze to the spot. Barely registering Declan’s call to the waitress for napkins, or her rushing to my side to soak up the spill. My head went into pound mode, tension drumming a haphazard line down my spine, pain a vice-grip on my heart. The soft shake of my shoulder brought me out of my cataclysmic spin into shock.
“Zayne?” I refocused my gaze, blinking hard until Declan’s worried look filled my vision. “You okay? I know that was a bit of a mindfuck—”
“You think,” I ground. “Fuck, Declan, I’m a father, and all this time I thought the woman I love died. How the fuck would you feel,” I hissed and he shrank back in his seat. I took a moment to breathe, massaging my eyes with my thumb and forefinger before blowing out on a long exhale. “I’m sorry, Dec, you’ve been trying to help and I keep fucking this shit up.”
He offered me an understanding smile. “That’s why I had to force you out here because about three days ago, Ria disappeared, I can’t find her anywhere.”
“What the fuck?” I barked, then catching sight of the other patron's shocked stares, I lowered my voice. “What do you mean.”
“Lights out, like when she disappeared the first time. Whoever hid her the first time, did it again or it's someone with a similar capability. Whatever it is, I think that this time, she might be in danger. I just get this feeling.” I heard the genuine concern in his voice.
“Where do I start looking, any ideas?” My ass already buzzing to get on a plane as quickly as possible.
“Vincenzo Salvatore, her husband.”
“Good. Thanks, Declan I owe you for coming out here.” I stood.
“What about Easton, I found out he was the one that hired you to—”
“I cleaned the floor with the fucker’s blood, so he’s history.” I grinned as he stood and embraced me in another quick hug.
