“That’s what I’m wondering.” Sighing, I pick up my phone and dial. We’ve been trying to reach Erich Pointer for days. Hell, we tried calling him when he had my parents. He never answers; he just sends our calls straight to voicemail.
But this time, he answers. “Well, if it isn’t Seth fucking Colton.”
I mouth, “Shit,” to Damiano and point at my phone. I put it on speaker.
“Erich. So glad I could get in touch with you finally.”
“Eh, I’ve been busy.”
“Busy trying to fuck us over.”
He chuckles like an amused villain. “My men are watching your girl. Not the fake one you brought with you—the real one you sent with that giant.”
He saw through our plans. Fuck.
Damiano’s fists are clenched so tight, his knuckles have turned white.
“What do you want?” I ask.
“I want your company. You can sign it over to me and go into early retirement. The two of you starting Nove fucked my plans for the future of Point Ops. It’s time I get things back on track. Or you might not see your pretty little girlfriend in her pretty yellow dress ever again.”
He mentioned the yellow dress to prove he has eyes on Madison, because that’s what she’s wearing tonight.
Shaking with rage, I clench my phone so hard, I’m surprised it doesn’t snap in half. “You better not lay a fucking hand on her.”
“How about you meet me in person, and we can talk things out? I have some paperwork you can sign, and we can put everything behind us.”
Damiano and I exchange a look. He shrugs, shakes his head. However I want to guide this confrontation, Damiano trusts my instincts.
“Just tell us where,” I say, “and we’ll be there.”
MADISON
Landon winds me through hallways, all the way downstairs, and then outside into a giant courtyard. Our resort is huge, comprised of three large, multistory buildings forming a triangle around this courtyard with multiple swimming pools and bars. I preferred to hang out on the beach, so I never spent a lot of time in this area.
Nobody from the pool or bars seems to notice us. Maybe to the casual observer, we look like a normal couple, out for a stroll.
“Where are we going?” I whisper.
“Shh.”
I don’t like him shushing me, especially when there’s no danger that I can see. He keeps me to one side of him as we hurry along a walkway, blocking me from the pools and lounge areas, which are filled with late-night guests. With so many people around, why don’t we simply ask for help?
Unless he doesn’t want help.
What if he’s working with Point Ops? What if Seth and Damiano trusted the wrong guy?
I feel as if I’m choking. Air is trapped in my throat.
“Hurry up,” Landon barks. “You can panic later—right now, we have somewhere to be.”
I nod and try to suck in a deep breath. He could be rushing me because he needs to get me to Point Ops. I could be like Seth’s parents, tied up with a black bag over my head, used as collateral to get Seth and Damiano to comply with whatever Erich Pointer wants.
“Along here.” Landon puts his hand on my lower back, guiding me forward. “Try to stick to the edge of the building.”
Is he saying this because he’s trying to guard me with his body, or because he wants to keep me out of sight of witnesses? It’s impossible to tell.
I can’t do this. I want Seth and Damiano, not Landon. Everything is too uncertain. He could be dangerous.
