My heart is weeping, but I simply nod. “I know. I’m sorry too. They shot up your beautiful ballroom.”
“And they’ll pay for it,” he replies with a smile that makes my blood chill.
I’m whisked out of the room and to the waiting SUVs. Mateo gets me inside and slides in next to me, and when the door closes, I turn to face him. He pulls me to him and buries his lips in my hair.
“I’m so sorry, baby.”
“Me too. Where are we going now?”
“To the penthouse to meet with the others and decide what our next steps are. I have two men in my cell that I need to fucking interrogate. They have to be working for Lincoln.”
“What? Why?”
“It’s the only thing that makes sense. He didn’t show, and everyone else was there. Someone tipped him off to our plan. Trust me, when we find the mole, they’ll suffer.”
I reach for his hand, but he hesitates to grip onto me, and it makes me frown.
“Don’t pull away from me.”
“I’m feeling fuckingviolent, baby, and I don’t want that to touch you.”
“You’ll never hurt me.” I raise his hand to my lips. “I’m so sorry.”
“What the fuck do you have to be sorry for? I promised you that I’d get your sister for you tonight, and I fucking failed you, Savage.”
“No you didn’t. She wasn’t even there.”
“Exactly. Christ, I’m so fucking sorry, but we’ll get her. The men in the cell will talk. I’ll make sure of it.”
I shiver at the ice in his voice and decide to sit back and watch the Strip pass by on our short drive home.
“Well, that was a fun party until itwasn’t,” Scarlett says when she and Luke walk into the penthouse. They’re the last to arrive. “But there’s never a dull moment with the boys.”
She joins Lulu, Natasha, and I in the kitchen, where I’ve poured us all something to drink. The guys are in Mateo’s office, and I heard raised voices not long ago.
“I’ll be back,” Luke says to Scarlett before kissing her softly and then striding toward the office to join the guys.
“I’m so sorry, Violet,” Lulu says, shaking her head. “I thought for sure this was the night that you’d get Rose back.”
“I’m disappointed, but I’m also numb. Becausefuck this sucks.”
Suddenly, all the men come out of the office and head our way.
“We’re going downstairs,” Mateo informs me. “But I need to ask you something.”
“Shoot.”
“Would—” He swallows hard and shoves his hand through his hair. He shed his jacket and tie, and he’s in a white button-down with the sleeves rolled. “Fuck.”
“Hey.” I step into him and run my hands up his firm chest. “What do you need? I’ll do whatever you want.”
“IfI need you to ask the fuckers questions about Rose, things I wouldn’t know to ask, would you be willing to?”
“Of course.”
He shakes his head. “I don’t want you in my cell, baby.Never.”
“I don’t have to be. Call me and put me on speakerphone.”
