18
ANTHONY
“Jay isn’t answering,” Ethan said and stepped into Anthony’s apartment. “I went to the garage earlier, but he told me to leave. I’ve got a bad feeling about this, Ant.”
“Maybe he’s talking with Dima right now.”
Ethan slumped on the couch. “Dima should have been there hours ago. They wouldn’t be talking for so long. I also spoke with Melissa earlier.”
“How’s she holding up?”
“Bad. She called the police.”
“What?” Anthony sat next to him. “Are they looking for Chris?”
Ethan shook his head, dark bags under his eyes. “The cops saw the messages Chris so-called wrote and said that he clearly left by choice.” He rubbed his face. “I’m so tired, and angry, and scared.”
Anthony couldn’t think of what to say. He had also been going crazy with worry, but with Ethan so upset, he needed to be stronger than he felt like being.
“We’re cursed, Ant. I really believe that. Well, at least Chris is.”
He pulled Ethan closer and placed his arm around his shoulders. “Then good thing he has us.”
“Much help we are.”
“We’ll be more helpful once we hear from Jay. He knows what he’s doing. Can I get you anything to eat?”
“I ate five muffins.”
“Gross.”
“I needed the sugar, but yeah, I felt sick afterward. Let’s just stay like this until Jay calls.”
“Okay. It went well with your parents before we had to leave. It was refreshing going through that without being told I’d go to hell.”
Ethan shivered. “Was it really that bad for you?”
He tried not to dwell on those days, on how betrayed and alone he’d felt. For months, he’d expected his family to come around, or at least pick up his calls, but he was still waiting. “It could have been better, but I’m over it.”
“I don’t think you are, and you shouldn’t be. When your parents finally get their shit together, I’d be happy to see them again.” He pressed closer against Anthony. “And we’ll go back to my parents once we get Chris back. No fishing, though.”
Anthony’s phone rang. He picked it up and frowned at the name on the screen.
“Who is it?” Ethan asked.
“It’s... Oscar.”
“You have Oscar’s number?”
He faintly remembered Tobias giving him the number when they were dating. He gingerly answered the call on speaker. “Hello?”
“Anthony, this is Oscar. Have you heard from Jay?”
“No. He’s meeting with Dima at the garage.”
“Yes, three hours ago! I can’t get Dima to answer me, and I’m unable to locate his car. Did Jay attack him? I told him to play it smart!”
“Jay didn’t attack anyone,” Ethan snapped and leaned closer to the phone.
“Who’s that?”
“Ethan.”
“Oh, how lovely! Your invitation to join me at the club still stands, you know. Are you free on Tuesday?”
“I... what? No, we need to find Chris.”
“Well, of course we do. Finding Mr. Roberts is high on my to-do list, I assure you. Anyway, you two haven’t heard anything from Jay recently?”
“No,” they both said.
“Is there anyone else who might know anything? Was he working alone in that garage?”
“Stu,” Ethan said. “His brother was just leaving when I arrived, but he may have gotten back by now.”
“Will you please call him and put my worry to rest?” Oscar sighed. “I am as fond of Dima as I am of bunions, but I still need to know where he is. Please take care of this, you two.”
Oscar hung up, and Ethan said, “I knew it. I fucking knew it!”
“Call Stu,” Anthony said with his heart thumping. “We don’t know anything for sure.” But it felt like a lie.
Stu answered immediately. “Ethan, is Jay with you?”
“No, what happened?”
“My idiot brother took off and left the garage open! It’s a goddamn miracle nothing got stolen. Do you know where he is?”
Anthony and Ethan exchanged looks.
“Ethan?”
“I don’t know. I couldn’t reach him and thought he might’ve left his phone at work.”
“He left it on the floor like an idiot. Why would he...? Wait, you think that something might’ve happened to him? Is he doing something fishy again behind my back?”
“Stu—”
“Does it have anything to do with Chris?”
“Stu, I’m sure he’s fine. Try to check around the area.”
“Yeah, I’ll do that. Fuck, if something happened to that knucklehead...”
Stu hung up, and Ethan slammed his phone on the couch. “Dima has him.”
“I’m calling Oscar back.”
It infuriated Anthony how unsurprised he was. He had been expecting chaos from the second he learned of Dima’s involvement. Some things should never be considered, even as a last resort.
“That was quick!” Oscar answered. “Good news?”
“No,” Ethan said. “Jay’s brother said that the garage was empty when he got back. The door was open, and Jay’s phone was on the floor.”
“Oh my. Then my fears were correct.”
“Your fears were that Jay attacked Dima, which isn’t what happened.” Ethan took a breath. “I don’t even know where to start looking for them.”
“Mickey knows the address of the brothers’ house. You should go there first.”
“You think that Dima could’ve taken him there?” Anthony asked skeptically. “Jay said that the brothers were pretending to be in Florida.”
“It’s still worth a shot. If Dima was involved in this—a possibility that seems highly likely now—then he might have taken Jay to where the brothers are holding Chris. It’s not like we have any other leads at the moment. I already sent people to look for Dima at his apartment, and he wasn’t there. I have someone keeping watch on the place in case he returns, but I’m doubtful.”
Anthony tried to gather his thoughts. It seemed unlikely that the brothers were holding Chris in their own house, where people would look first. On the other hand, he had no idea how sophisticated those two brothers were. Chris never talked about them.
“Do you have Mickey’s number?” Anthony asked Oscar.
“I’ll send it to you. Get the address and try to drive over to the brothers’ house today. We’ll talk later.”
“I’ve never met that Mickey,” Ethan said while they waited for Oscar to send them the number.
“You’re not missing anything.” Anthony vividly remembered his encounters with the man who had almost destroyed his business to get him to that damn club.
Oscar sent them Mickey’s number, and Anthony called immediately. The ringing went on and on until Anthony thought it would go to voicemail, but Mickey finally picked up. “Hello?”
“It’s Anthony. I’m here with Ethan.”
“Anthony? It’s been a minute. Any news of Chris?”
“You know that he’s been kidnapped?”
“Of course. Oscar told me yesterday. Has Jay spoken with Dima yet?”
“He was supposed to, but now both Jay and Dima are missing.”
“Goddamnit,” Mickey grumbled. “I’m listening.”
Anthony told him everything they knew, then asked, “Do you know where the brothers live?”
“The Mitchell’s residence is in Connecticut, in an area called Watford, about a two-hour drive from Manhattan. I’ll send you the exact address, although I doubt they’ll be there. Still, it’s worth a shot, if only to search for clues to their true whereabouts. Will you drive there today?”
“Yes,” Ethan said. “We’ll leave right now.”
“Good. You’ll be wise to go armed.”
“I have a gun,” Anthony said, getting a sharp look from Ethan.
“Don’t hesitate to use it. Oscar and I will help clean up any mess you might leave behind.”
Anthony shifted on the couch as Mickey’s meaning registered. “Okay.”
“Keep me updated. Chris is... just bring him back quickly. There’s a lot of work to do in the office.”
Once the line died, Ethan asked, “You have a gun?”
“I went with Jay to buy one a couple of years ago after I got mugged. I haven’t touched it since then.”
Ethan nodded and stood up, determination in his eyes. “I guess we’re driving to Connecticut. With a gun.”