Noah didn’t look shocked by the threat, but then men like them understood vengeance. “She’s protected. I promise you. I would never let her truly be in harm’s way. She’s just drawing them out.”
Rafe could barely get his next words out. “And if things don’t go according to plan?”
Noah’s words were as grave as the expression on his face. “Then God help us all.”
Chapter Sixteen
Diana was starting to reconsider the sanity of what she was doing. There she was in the middle of Central Park like a sitting duck. She knew she was being watched.
You’ve got this. You’re armed. You’ve been trained. Maybe, but she knew just how far her brothers were willing to go. What if she miscalculated?
The plan was simple. Let them catch her. Not even try to run away. They would inevitably take her back to the penthouse where everyone was waiting. Matthias had installed a tracking chip in one of her sneakers. So if Hans and Jakob tried to take her anywhere else, the team would know.
The other good news was that Dylan was somewhere around here undercover. Whether he was the guy jogging in the baseball cap around the park or the other guy playing soccer with a bunch of kids over to her left, he was around here. If her brothers lost their damn minds and tried to kill her in public, he’d hopefully get to them first. She just prayed he was a hell of a shot.
As it turned out, she didn’t have to wait too long. Within thirty minutes of when she sat on a park bench and tried to read a book and look somehow inconspicuous, Jakob sat right next to her. “We’ve missed you, little sister.”
It was hard not to recoil at the sound of his voice. “Oh yeah? Is that why you were trying to kill me?”
Her brother sighed. “If I had it my way, we wouldn’t have tried to kill you. But you know Hans. He has a temper. He just wanted you to give him what you found. Instead, you gave him a blank flash drive. That was very naughty.”
“Well, I didn’t know it was blank at the time.” Diana turned to face her brother and studied his handsome features carefully. They were a more masculine version of her own. He had thicker brows, a stronger nose, and the same light eyes. How could they look so similar but be so different? How could he be a criminal? How could he be someone who hurt people for a living? For money?
“So, where’s Hans? I know he’s lurking around here somewhere.”
He inclined his head toward the exit. “He’s waiting for us. We’re going on a little trip.”
She shook her head. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”
“Yes. You are.”
It was then she noticed that his hand was in his jacket pocket. He had a weapon on her. What exactly, she couldn’t be sure.
“What makes you think it’s a good idea for me to go with you? Either way you’re going to kill me. So why would I go peacefully?”
“We’re not trying to kill you. We just want what’s ours. That diamond. Uncle Boris is willing to buy it from us. That way we’ll get out of debt with him and still have plenty to invest and grow the businesses Papa started.”
“You call those businesses?” she spat. “You’re trafficking young girls.”
He shrugged. “Whores. They’re a lucrative business. What else are we supposed to do?”
“If you just took those brains and applied them to something legitimate, imagine what you could do. Imagine how you could help people.”
“You always were so naïve. You were always willing to accept those princess dresses and your fancy boarding schools. How do you think those things got paid for?”
Diana stiffened her back. “You do know that mother was rich before she met Papa, right? You recognize that diamond was hers. The disdain you show for women is disdain you are showing for her.”
“Mother, like all women”—Jakob scooted a little closer to her—“wasn’t bright enough to see the big picture. That’s why Papa couldn’t trust her with what he was doing.”
Diana just shook her head. “What happened to you? I remember you being bookish and loving to learn.”
“Like you, I was naïve. Now get up. Otherwise, I will use this on one of the children.”
He knew how to get her to go, and she stood easily. “I will not get in a car with you.”
Her brother smirked. “Who said we’re going in a car? I believe your penthouse apartment is somewhere near here, isn’t it? You are staying with Rafael DeMarco, right? How does it feel to know that he’s the one who killed Papa? And you let him put his hands on you.”
Diana itched to slap him… or worse. She could probably get a good kidney shot in before Hans killed her from wherever he was hiding. But she kept her feelings under control.