She’s on her feet and holding my arm. “Let me help you. We can drive you there.”
Leaving with her probably isn’t a good idea. It will seem as though I’m telling them what happened. “It’s okay. I paged an Uber. I can’t cancel it.”
“You did? When?”
“Just a moment ago.”
“I didn’t even see…”
I leave her speaking at the table and go the way I came. The door is in the center of the back wall, and I’m moving towards it as swiftly as possible without seeming suspicious.
He’s done it. Blix has always known my weakness, and he struck tonight in this place to send me a message. Cameron will never be safe. Not anywhere. No matter how many people are around him, no matter how many guards. Blix can get to anyone at any time, and I was a fool to think I could protect him.
Once outside, I hail a cab. It draws close to the curb, and I dive inside, telling him my address. I’m at my apartment in less than ten minutes, jamming my key in the outer door and then dashing up the narrow staircase. My ears are roaring with panic. All I can see is Cameron bound and gagged. He’d be blindfolded to keep him from seeing anything. He’d be afraid, but he’d pretend to be brave.
“Oh, god,” I cry, pausing halfway up the stairs.
Only then do I notice the barking. Henri is barking repeatedly from behind the door of Luc’s apartment. It’s not like him. It’s not like Luc to keep him shut up when I return to our shared dwelling.
Stomach tight with fear, I run up the final steps, pausing when I reach my room and feeling around the doorframe for my key. It’s missing, and I reach for the handle. The door isn’t closed. It falls open with a creak, and I know something is wrong.
Pain streaks through my chest with every heartbeat. “Hello?” I say into the darkness.
“You made good time.” The voice sends ice through my veins. “Come inside and shut the door.”
I do as I’m told. I’m not about to cross Blix this late in the game. Not when he holds all the cards. “What do you want me to do?”
His laugh makes me wince. “Right. Don’t waste any time. Cut to the chase.”
“I want my brother back.” It’s less demanding and more explanatory. Why wait when Cameron could be anywhere being subjected to anything.
“I want what I’ve wanted from the beginning.”
“Money?”
He steps around in my apartment. “Wade Paxton died owing me millions. I ran around doing his bidding like a fucking dog, and I’m not about to give up what I was promised.”
Stay calm, focused, in control. “I don’t know how I can help you with that.”
He’s across the room in my face before I’ve said my last word. I’m too late to stop a cry from slipping out of my throat. He’s too fast for me to keep from cowering away.
“You can finish your assignment,” he snarls right at my temple.
My insides are breaking. Now that I know Ava, there’s absolutely no way I can make this choice. I’m Solomon facing the prospect of cutting a baby in half.
“Logan knows you used me to get to him,” I say. “He’ll never trust me again.”
“He seemed to be trusting you just fine at the bar tonight.”
“Chemistry and trust are not the same thing.”
He grabs my arm in an angry pinch. “Don’t make me spell it out. Fucking use the chemistry to get what we need.”
Tears are in my eyes as much from the physical pain as the thought of betraying my friends. “Then what? How will seducing Logan bring you Ava?”
That question buys me time. He steps away from me to the other side of my room. “Your position has changed.”
I go to my dresser and open the top drawer. The knife Freddie gave me should be inside, still in its holster. I drop my arms and pretend to be discarding my accessories. I’ll place my glasses in their holder and take out the dagger.