“The assistant I fucked?”
It’s too bad that Ty is just an easy person to lie to. The fucker believes every damn thing out of my mouth.
“I knew it was that old hag,” he says with a grimace. “Anyway, he told her his girls are missing. That he won’t be in the office until he figures out where they went.”
“Did he sound pissed?”
“No.” He groans, pinning his stare on me. “He sounded calm. So self-assured. Like he knew he was going to find them and very soon.”
“And you think because he sounded calm, he’s already figured out you were involved in her disappearance somehow?” I arch a brow in disbelief. “He’s cunning, but I mean, that’s a bit of a stretch, don’t you think?”
“You don’t know this guy,” Ty grumbles. “He’s just so…intense. Knows things before they even happen. His ironclad control on every aspect of his life is intimidating. Like on our date…”
He’s blathering on about Landry and the movies, but I’m overwhelmed with jealousy. Imagining him alone with her in the theater, especially now that she’s officially ours, has my blood heating to inhuman degrees.
“Did you hear me?” he asks, cocking his head to the side.
“Hmm?” My jaw clenches with barely checked anger.
“She had no money,” Ty explains. “She’s out there with nothing. No money, no shelter. And, worst of all, she has one of the most rich and powerful men hunting her down. When he finds her…”
He won’t.
He can’t.
She’s ours.
We have her and no one will be taking her away from us.
I don’t care if I have to throw Ty Constantine under the bus because I will. If he’s a casualty in our war against her father, so be it. And, if I need to do more shit for Bryant, like burn the entire goddamn city to the ground just to make all this go away, I will.
“I’m just fucking worried,” he grunts. “I wonder how long it’ll take for them to realize the timing of our date and her disappearance are suspect.”
“But they won’t find anything,” I assure him, “because I gave you the money in cash and she’s not at your place. You never had a chance to send her a note. Stop freaking out, Ty.”
He nods vigorously as though he needed to hear those words. “I’m trying not to. My cousin will lose his shit if I make a mockery of our family. This kind of scandal will tarnish the Constantine name. Accessory to child kidnapping or whatever.”
“Which you didn’t do,” I remind him.
I’m the kidnapper around here and I’m certainly not bothered.
“Right.” He sighs heavily. “I just feel so guilty. Like it’s obvious I tried to help her.”
“They won’t tie you to it.”
“Maybe not,” he agrees. “It doesn’t change the fact she’s out there alone and penniless. Fuck. All I wanted to do was help her.”
I almost feel bad for the guy.
He really does care about her.
Lucky for him, she’s safe.
“Landry seems like a smart girl. She’ll make good choices.”
“I don’t know, man. This city is huge and you can’t do much without a dime to your name. She could be dead in an alleyway right now for all I know.” He cringes at that thought, looking as though he might vomit up the few sips of coffee he’s had. “I’d never forgive myself.”
“But you didn’t do anything.”
“Exactly!” He throws his hands up in the air. “I should have gotten her out of there the night she told me. Leaving her until I sorted shit out was the wrong thing to do. Clearly, she didn’t feel safe and needed an escape.” He curses, pinching the bridge of his nose. “She was terrified, Ford. Fucking terrified. I could have helped her right then, but I didn’t.”
As fun as it is watching a Constantine wallow in his own misery, I’d much rather be curled up in bed with the woman he’s obsessing over.
“He’s going to find them,” Ty mutters. “He’ll find them and there will be hell to pay. I feel it in my bones.”
Alexander won’t find his daughters easily. Our apartment is paid for by our uncle, who has a different last name than us. Even if Alexander figures out Ford Mann is the Mannford triplets, it doesn’t get him any closer to us—to Landry and Della.
“Sitting here, worrying about what might happen, isn’t doing Landry any good.” I give him a pointed look. “You need to get back to the office and learn what you can. Find out what he knows. Stay two steps ahead of him. If you really care about her getting free, like you say she wants, then you need to do what you can to help her. Hiding from Alexander will only raise suspicions.”
“You’re right,” he croaks out. “Maybe if he figures out where she’s at, I can warn her somehow.”