Lancelot (The Theriot Family 3)

I tried to slow my breathing. I knew the last thing Julian needed was for me to lose it. Dax was pulling up on his motorcycle when I reached the library.

I wanted to run in and tear the place apart, but I knew I couldn’t use my standard tactics this time. We didn’t need the other employees freaking out. We didn’t need any patrons realizing what had happened.

I longed to walk in and see Julian standing at his desk. I wanted this to be a nightmare. My stomach churned, and I had to fight the urge to vomit.

Dax placed a hand on my shoulder. “We’ll find him.”

“But what if he…” I didn’t have to say more for Dax to know what I was thinking.

“They’re going to keep him alive. They’re going to want to suggest a trade. We have time.”

“But what will they do to him? If they hurt him…”

“If they hurt him, they will pay. We will make them suffer.”

Connor, one of the men I’d placed out front signaled to me and Dax as we headed for the building. I charged toward him ready to tear him apart, but Dax restrained me.

“Not now. We need to focus on Julian and Tony. You can punish our men later.”

“Start talking,” I ordered.

“Ralph is dead. We found him with his throat slit in a closet. He’s been dead for hours, long enough for rigor to set in.”

“How the fuck did this happen?”

“My best guess is that someone killed him and switched places during Julian’s lunch break.”

Oh God. This was my fault. If I hadn’t insisted on dragging Julian somewhere private, if I hadn't been so fucking horny that I put getting off ahead of his safety…

“Breathe,” Dax ordered.

I ignored him and charged toward the door. “We have to find Julian and Tony. Now. We can’t—”

Dax wrapped his arms around me, holding me back. “Lancelot, you want to keep this quiet.”

I shook him off, but I got myself together and looked at Connor again. “Tell me what else you’ve learned.”

“There were signs of an altercation in the back room of the archives. The man who posed as a patron must have followed Julian in there, and Julian struggled with him. The surveillance cameras at the back of the building went offline around the time we estimate he was taken.”

“So we have no fucking leads?”

“We have the man on camera from when he was inside, and we have a black sedan on camera leaving at the right time. Blackjack is tracing it now.”

“Is there anything else we can do here?” Dax asked.

“I need to look inside myself. There could be something they overlooked.”

“Okay. We’ll do a walk-through, then we’re meeting at Remington’s to make a plan.”

I shook my head. “No, I’m going after Julian. I can’t sit around and—”

“Lance, we need a solid plan. You know that.”

I did, but I didn’t want to admit it.

34

Julian

I came to in the dark. It took me a few moments to remember fighting with the man who’d claimed to be a professor. He’d put something over my face, and now I was in… the trunk of a moving car? Oh fuck.

I tried to move, but my hands and feet were bound. Something pressed against my side. I flinched when a small hand caressed my face, then I realized it was Tony. How had he managed to get into the trunk with me? Had they taken him on purpose? Had he gotten in without them noticing? He whined at me, and I wished I could pet him to reassure him.

“I’m okay, little guy.” But how long would that be true? Lance had assured me his enemies wouldn’t hesitate to kill me. I doubted Tony would fare any better.

Before I could formulate any kind of plan, the car stopped abruptly. I heard voices, then the trunk popped open.

“What the fuck?” A man was looking down at me. He wasn’t the one who had pretended to be a professor. He was far larger in height and girth, but he looked vaguely familiar. “There’s a fucking monkey in here.”

Tony bounced and screeched at him, which was the worst thing he could do. I’m sure he thought he was defending me.

“If you untie me, I can—”

“Get him.” The order came from the pointy-faced man who’d attacked me.

I expected Tony to cling to me, but he jumped down and ran.

“Fuck,” Pointy Face yelled. “He’s getting away.”

“He’s a monkey. What’s he going to do? Talk?” As the second man spoke, I realized why he seemed familiar. He looked startlingly like Ralph, the guard Lance had posted in the archive. Oh shit. Had this man been there instead? Is that why Ralph hadn’t come to my rescue?

“Fine,” Pointy Face snarled. “Just get this little bitch inside.”

The bigger man grabbed me and slung me over his shoulder. I tried to turn my head to look for Tony and ended up banging it against a doorframe as we entered a building. The man just kept walking.