“Song, we need to go,” I said so sharply that I startled the boy into silence.
“Now?”
“Yes.”
Javier called in exactly thirty minutes, like he’d said. Song and I had arrived back at the house fifteen minutes ago, and I’d been pacing, punching, and raging ever since. Song had locked himself up inside his room, taking the cats with him. I’d gotten one solid jab in on Scott before I remembered that me trying to drown him was what got Kit tortured in the first place.
I wasn’t used to feeling so useless, waiting on Javier to decide before I could act. Had it been anyone else, I might have blown out the security gates of his home, but I wanted Kit alive more than I wanted Javier dead.
As soon as Kit was back in my arms, though, all bets were off. Javier Grimaldo and his lover needed to die.
What kind of man would I be to let them walk free after what they’d done to Kit?
I swiped the screen of the phone and answered Javier’s video call.
“You crossed the line, Javier.”
“Who drew that line, Matthews? I told you what I would do if you had touched him.”
“You fucker, I didn’t lay a finger on him after I knew who he was and we made our deal. Why the fuck did you torture him?”
“It was almost heartbreaking to watch, I admit,” he said with a sigh. “Your boy breaks too easily, Matthews. No wonder you fight so hard to protect him. Now let me talk to Talon.”
“I need to see a sign of life first. Where’s Kit?”
“You don’t want to know, Matthews.”
I glared at Talon smirking on the bed.
“Show me, or I’m ending this call.”
“Fine.” He flipped the camera and focused it on a bed—his bed, where Kit was curled up. He seemed to be sleeping. The boy was wearing a shirt that had to be Javier’s.
Jealousy ripped me open, and I snarled into the phone. “What have you done? Did you drug him?” Kit would never have jumped into bed with Javier. He knew how I felt about him sleeping with others.
“You insult me. I don’t need to resort to devious tactics to get men into my bed.”
“Javier,” Talon growled from behind me.
“Sorry, my love,” Javier said. “I didn’t mean for you to hear that.”
“Cut the bullshit, Javi, before he thinks you’re serious and slits my throat right here. You and I both know you didn’t touch that boy.”
“How can you be that confident?”
“Because if you did, you wouldn’t have to worry about Matthews. I would do his job myself.”
Javier laughed, and I growled at the screen. He hadn’t forced himself on Kit, then?
“What’s he doing in your bed?” I demanded.
Javier sighed. “Had I known you wanted to have a conversation with me too, Sullivan, I would’ve called earlier. If you must know, one of my men tried to kill him last night, so I moved him closer to where I can monitor him.”
“Javier, you fool,” Scott’s voice was full of reproach. “I told you not to negotiate for me. If your family is wondering why you’re protecting the boy responsible for Ivan’s death, they won’t stop when they face you to get to him. I’m not there to protect you, dammit! Stop taking these stupid risks.”
“If me trying to save your life is a stupid risk, then so be it.” Javier’s angry face showed up on the screen. “You sound well, Tal, but you’re infuriating me right now. I’ll call tomorrow to check up on you.”
“But what about—” Javier hung up, and I cursed under my breath.