Chapter 8
Marcus
Something jolts me awake. My nerves tingle, every instinct screaming that something's wrong.
I sit up and scan the room.
Lila's gone.
My stomach drops. I tear the covers apart like she's hiding underneath. When I don't find her, I jump out of bed and yank on my boxers and pants.
Where the fuck is she?
I don't bother with a shirt. I rush into the hallway, looking left and right for any sign of her. She wouldn't run off without a reason.
That's when I see the light under her father's office door. The sun's barely coming up, but the glow is too bright. The light's been on for a while.
The bulbs in there take time to warm up. I learned that the first day I walked the property.
I head straight for Reginald's office. When I push the door open, I find him sitting behind his desk. His head is in his hands, and his breathing is heavy.
I don't feel a shred of sympathy for this asshole. Not after everything he's done.
"Where the fuck is Lila?"
Reginald looks up. His face is pale and drawn, the bags under his eyes dark as bruises. He shakes his head.
"Mr. Griffin, your skills will no longer be necessary. I will send payment to your office, and you're free to go."
He gestures to the door behind me.
I take two more steps into the room and cross my arms over my chest.
"That didn't answer my question. Where. The. Fuck. Is. Lila."
Each word comes out slow and sharp. This isn't a question. It's a demand.
Reginald glares at me, but I don't back down.
"You can leave, Mr. Griffin. My daughter is none of your concern." He pushes back in his chair and stands, circling the desk. "I'm sure you can find some other family to overcharge. That reputation of yours precedes you. Use it somewhere else."
I don't have time for this shit. I'm done playing nice. He thinks I've been rough before? He hasn't seen anything yet.
I stomp across the room, grab the guy by his tie, and yank him down hard. His head hits the desk with a thud. I shove him chest-down and press my weight into his spine.
"Sorry, maybe I wasn't clear. I'm looking for Lila, and you know where she is. So I suggest you spill the truth before I lose my patience and you're spilling blood."
"How dare you! Get your hands off of me! I'll—"
I slam him against the desk again. A quick, hard motion that forces a grunt out of him.
"Talk, asshole."
"Ah! Goddamn it!" Reginald struggles, but he's not going anywhere. "Ci-Cilento! He took her in exchange for staying quiet."
The words hit me like a punch to the gut. For a second, I almost lose my grip on him. But then fury floods in, burning hotter than anything I've ever felt.
"You fucking gave her to him! To cover your own ass!" I twist his arm behind his back, pushing his shoulder to the edge of dislocation. "You piece of shit. Where would he take her?"
"I don't—"
"What the fuck is going on here?!"
I recognize the voice behind me and roll my eyes.
Goddamn it. Fucking Kyle. Seriously?
I glance over my shoulder but don't let up on the pressure. Kyle stares at me, eyes wide with shock and anger as he crosses the room.
"Get your hands off him!"
I lock eyes with him. My stare is cold and unblinking. "Get fucked, pretty boy. Unless you feel like helping me get Lila back from Cilento, you'll stay out of my way."
I've left the door open for Kyle to do the right thing. If he has even a fraction of a spine, he won't stand for this.
"You gave her to Cilento?" Kyle's eyes go wide as he stares at Reginald.
"I did what I had to do to protect the company! Look, look. Ugh." Reggie groans as he tries to move under my weight. "If this animal gets Lila back, you can still have her. She's yours to marry."
What a tool. Lila's father just gets worse and worse. He doesn't deserve her in his life. He doesn't deserve anything he treasures more than his own flesh and blood.
Rich assholes are seriously the worst.
I wait for Kyle to say something. To tell Reggie to get fucked. To stand up to the man for once.
"Well, tell the man where he would have taken her." Kyle steps back gently. "I want my wife returned to me."
Of course. I'm so done with these two.
"Details!" I angle Reginald's shoulder farther, pushing it to the breaking point. "Tell me where he took her!"
"Ah! Stop, stop, stop!" I ease up just enough as Reginald shakes beneath me, sweat breaking out on his forehead. "I've only been there once, and they blindfolded me. It was a house. Real nice. From inside, I could hear the train tracks not far away. It took about...umm..."
"Yes?" I twist again, forcing him to focus.
"Ugh! Thirty...thirty minutes! To drive there...from here." Reginald's skin goes clammy and pale. The pain's making him sick.
"Useless. If I fucking find her, it won't be thanks to you." I shove off him and step back. I'm done here. I have to get to Lila.
There's no telling what Cilento's done with her already. I can't let anything happen to her.
I won't.
I head for the door. I need my shirt and shoes, but I also need to make a phone call.
"You'll bring her back?!" Kyle shouts after me.
I don't turn around. I don't slow down.
"I'll find Lila and get her out of there. I said nothing about bringing her back."
"You bastard! You won't keep her from me!" There's a pause. Kyle's voice fades into the background. "Sir, you're not going to let him do this, are you?"
I don't hear Reginald's response. I'm already out the door and down the hall, breaking into a run. When I reach Lila's room, I go straight for my phone.
There's one contact I can trust to help me out. I pull up his info and hit call.
"Marcus?" Ben answers, his tone surprised. "Been a long time. What's up?"
"I need a favor. Location of a house, thirty minutes from the address I'm sending you." I text him the address of Kendrix Manor. "Fancy place. You can hear the train from inside."
"That's not a lot to go on, man. Anything else you can give me?" Ben is competent. I hear his fingers clicking away on a keyboard.
"It's Cilento's house. Big shot mafia asshole. So think of that during the search."
He sighs. "Jesus, man. What did you get yourself into?"
"Not important." I pull my shirt on, trading the phone between my hands with it on speaker. "Just get me that address. I'm leaving in two minutes."
I search for my shoes and the bag of supplies I brought with me when I first arrived. I check the contents. My gun and gear are still inside.
"Fuck. Alright. I'll text it to you."
I give Ben the two minutes. Thanks to his hacker skills, he shoots me a text right when I'm about to call him back.
"I'm coming, Lila. I'm on my way."
I sling my bag over my shoulder, stuff my cell into my jeans, and take off running for the front door.
I have a feeling this will be the last time I ever set foot inside the Kendrix family home.