Abducted By My Father's Best Friend (Taken)

“Fuck if I know.” He opens another drawer and pulls out a gold key. “Here it is.” He’s about to hand off the key to Mia, but then retracts his hand. “What’s in it for me?”

Of course, this high motherfucker wants something for himself. He’s a miserable human being and I see now why Georgio fired him.

“What do you want?” Mia asks him.

His eyes rake over her tight body, probably imagining things he has no right imagining. “Well…”

Before he can finish his answer, I cut in, “Don’t even think about it. What about money?”

Nate laughs. “I’ve got money.”

I offer the other thing that can be more valuable than currency between the mafia. “What about information?”

His eyes light up with curiosity. “What do you have?”

“Bishop Blackstone resurfaced and is coming for all his enemies.”

It’s as if Nate sobers up instantly. “How can you be so sure?”

“Dean caught wind of his return on the airwaves.”

“What does that even mean? Where is Bishop?” Nate’s a little erratic, worried, and I know he’s not happy about hearing Bishop’s back on the hunt.

Bishop has many enemies, and anyone tied to the Four Families is high on the list.

“Last seen in Zanzibar, working on getting stateside soon.”

“The bank is in the Futian District in Shenzhen.” He hands Mia the key.

“China?” Mia asks, taking the key from his hand and rolling it around in her palm to look at it.

“Do you know where Oliver is?” I ask.

Nate shrugs. “Last I heard he was roaming around Anzio.”

Ahh, Oliver’s gone to Italy, most likely hiding away with his family.

Nate smiles. “I heard a lot of people are after you right now.”

I tense, my lips pursing, hoping Mia doesn’t ask questions. “I’m fine.” I want to get out of this shithole, and now. “Thanks for your help.”

“Wait a minute,” Nate wags his finger at me, “I heard you did the families dirty.”

What the fuck is with this guy? It’s like his memory comes back the more he sobers up. I almost wish he’d do another hit of whatever drugs he took before we arrived.

“What families?” Mia asks, stepping closer to Nate.

“Come on, Mia. Let’s go.” I reach my hand out, hoping I can hoard her toward the door.

“The Four Families?” Her eyes go wide when I don’t answer right away.

Nate laughs, putting an arm around Mia, which makes me angry. Red is the only color I see right now, and I try not to let it bother me. But it bothers me. It fucking bothers me bad. Jealousy is not my strong suit, and I don’t like the way Nate has been toward Mia since we first showed up here in this dump.

“Mia, it’s complicated.”

“I heard,” the man with apparently all the intel in the world says, wagging his finger again in my face, which I’m tempted to break off, “you’ve been taking a lot off the top.”

The fact Nate has already heard the news means I’m not as ahead of this thing as I hoped I’d be.

“Mia, let’s go.” It’s no longer a request. I grab her by the arm, wrapping my fingers around her tiny bicep. “Thanks for your help, Nate.”

I rush Mia out the door, moving her in tandem along with me. She tries to get a word out now and then, but I’m not trying to hear it. Until she says, “Let go of me. I want to go back home. If you’re a wanted man, there’s no way you’ll be able to hide from the Four Families for too long.”

We get to the bottom of the stairs and I push her up against the wall. Her breathing picks up, her chest rising and falling way too fast.

“Let’s get one thing straight here, Mia.” I’m so close to her. Our noses almost touch.

She licks her lips and for one second, and I forget all the words I want to tell her right now.

“You’re not here of your own free will. You’re mine and you’re going to help me get what I need.”

“What do you need?” she asks.

I stare into those beautiful eyes of hers, half-tempted to say, you. But I tell her, “You’re going to help me clear my name.”

Chapter 5

Mia

* * *

I can’t breathe. Literally. Sebastian pushes his body against mine and I stare into his hard eyes, trying my best not to let him know how frightened I am.

Is what Nate said true? Is Sebastian a wanted man by the Four Families? If that’s so, what does he need me for?

“Clear your name, how?”

“It’s not true what I’m being accused of doing.” His eyes appear sad, and for one small minute I believe him.

“What are they accusing you of?”

“Theft. Betrayal. Lies. It’s all lies. It wasn’t me. I’m being set up for things I didn’t do.”

I swallow.

I blink.

I don’t really know what to say.

“How can I help you?”