The Last Boss' Daughter

"Because Pietro said so, you mean," I correct him.

I hope he feels like the little fucking lapdog he is.

"You really wanna be a bitch to me when I have your hero's life in my hands?"

I want to punch him in the face while hurting the hell out of his ego, but I guess this isn't the time.

"What's the change?" I ask.

"We're meeting in Paterson. Red brick warehouse, has a big, old banner hanging across the front that says ‘now hiring’. You'll pull in the driveway on the left and come through the open door."

"Wait, Paterson?" I question, looking to Ryder. "What warehouse? I don't know how to get there."

Ryder is scowling.

"I'll text you the address, just put it in the GPS on your phone and—"

"I don't have GPS on this phone."

"Jesus Christ, Annabelle. Google it then! It's not that hard."

"I don't like this. Is Liam there?"

"Yes," he snaps. "And if you really want to see him, you'll fucking get here."

"Why can't we just meet at the house like we planned?"

He doesn't answer, and it takes me a minute to pull back the phone and see the call has ended. Bastard hung up on me.

"What's going on?" Ryder asks.

With a sinking stomach, I tell him, "They've changed the location to a warehouse in Jersey. I don't know why."

"To show they're in control, probably." He says it casually, but that makes me uneasy. Pietro isn't an insecure guy and he's obviously in control—why would he feel the need to prove that?

"He said... he said if I try anything stupid, he'll kill Liam," I tell him, knowing that calling him for help is exactly the kind of stupid thing he was referring to.

He’s matter-of-fact. "Of course he will. If we don't get him out of there, they will kill him. They didn't kidnap him so they’d have an extra dinner guest."

It doesn't seem to bother him, but it bothers me. What if they figure out he's there? I didn't know where he was going to hide before, and that was when I knew the layout. I've never been to this warehouse. I have no clue what's around it or how Ryder will be able to keep an eye on anything.

I'm starting to realize this is hopeless.

"What if we can't save him?" I hate to voice it, but we're also running out of time. "What if I'm turning myself over to these monsters for nothing?"

He looks over at me but doesn't respond. His gaze returns to the road, and after a few seconds he says, "I'm going to do my best not to let that happen. Whether Liam makes it or not, I won't abandon you in there. It's not what Liam would've wanted."

The way he says it, like Liam's already gone, sends chills down my spine.

Annabelle

The sky is gray and devoid of light. Dark clouds have gathered. The wind whips violently as I pull into the driveway to the left of the abandoned warehouse in Paterson.

I'm terrified this is the last thing I'll ever see. I grip the steering wheel, looking up at all three levels. I don't see any of Pietro's men yet. There's a red door on each level, and the one on the bottom floor is hanging open.

Placing a hand to my stomach, willing it to calm down, I search for placidity. I've done this before. I've done this so many times. I can find it in me to fake my way through one more bout with these assholes.

My stomach just doesn't agree.