Chapter 44 Ian
I walked down the hall, only to find Colette and Kathy gone.The door was slightly off the hinges and the faint smell of orange juice lingered in the air. A trolly sat by the desk, full of breakfast food. It looked almost mocking.
Rossi inhaled sharply next to me.
“Colette’s gone. Someone came and snatched her.”
I wanted to keep the desperation out of my voice, but I knew that it was close to the surface.
“Let me take a look.”
His words were crisp.
Fear gutted me as my mind went to all the possible scenarios of what could happen to Collette. Barely leashing my anger I fought the urge to punch something, anything. Going into a rage would serve no purpose.
After priding myself on always keeping a cool head, I worried about my strong reaction to Colette having gone missing. What would I do if she was lost to me forever?
Who might have known that we were there? I was pacing when Rossi came through the door.
“There's blood on the carpet and Kathy’s door is ajar as well?” I said.
“We need to leave.”
He moved double time down the hall, his gun out. “They’re going to want something from you. If it was to kill you, they wouldn’t have stopped with taking Colette and Kathy. ”
It was time to face reality. “Edmond Kelly has her. He’ll torture her to get at me. Or Segi Petrov will get her as a reward.”
Rossi shook his head. “Sergi Petrov has had a hard on for you for years. He needed something that would bring you to him. Killing Andrew was just an added bonus. And now he has your woman. An eye for an eye kind of thing.”
My blood ran cold at the thought of Sergi’s hands on her. “I’ll kill him.”
“You and me both, boss.”
Rossi looked grim. “First, we move to a secure spot. We’re blown, so let’s go to a major hotel.”
I grudged every minute it took for us to get a room at the Hilton. Rossi worked on his laptop while I gave orders for a team to be gathered and flown to Ireland. It would take a day, and I hoped we’d find her before then.
As the last order left my mouth, Rossi gestured for me to come over. The video on his laptop showed Kathy and Colette being carried down the stairs by men dressed in the working clothes of our old hotel.
The screen flashed. At least one of them matched images I had of Kelly’s trusted soldiers.
Bile rose in my throat. My only hope was that if they wanted either woman dead, they would have just done it there in the hotel room, killed me as well and made it look like a robbery.
It wasn’t like they could torture any information from Colette, but having her meant they could control me to an extent. Even just Kathy would have given them leverage; I was loyal to my employees. But Colette was something far more.
“Let me make a few phone calls and see if there is anyone that can help us look for her.”
Rossi’s fingers rattled on the keys of his laptop. “I suggest you do the same.”
Of course. I was thrown enough off balance that I wasn't thinking clearly. I picked up my phone and I stared at the screen.
From my notes, I dialed Sean McGinty’s number. I rubbed the back of my neck, taking a deep breath. This was one of the last resorts, but circumstances had forced me into this position. The stakes were too high.
I pressed the call button.
The line rang three times before it switched to voicemail.
“Ye’ve reached Sean McGinty,”
came the gruff, hoarse voice on the recording. “Leave your message, and if it’s worth me botherin’ with, you’ll hear back.”
The beep followed.
“Mr. McGinty,”
I began, keeping my tone measured, calm. “This is Ian Holdt. I know we aren’t acquainted, but something’s come up that I think you might take an interest in.”
I closed my eyes, letting the words come naturally.
“There’s a situation that’s become… complicated. A mutual acquaintance of ours, Edmond Kelly, is involved. He’s made a move that I don’t think is wise, and it’s become personal for me. Let’s just say he’s holding onto something that doesn’t belong to him.”
I paced as I spoke, forcing my voice to stay casual. “I’m looking for some assistance in resolving this. Quietly. I’ve got resources at my disposal, and I’d be willing to show my appreciation for your help. This matter is urgent.”
I paused for a moment, letting the weight of that word hang in the air.
“I can’t go into details here, obviously, but if you’re interested, call me back. I’d prefer to meet and talk terms and figure out how to handle this delicate matter. Thanks.”
I ended the call and set the phone down, exhaling slowly.
It was vague enough to give deniability if law enforcement was monitoring McGinty’s line. But clear enough, I hoped, for a man like McGinty to read between the lines. Now, all I could do was wait—and hope he was willing to help locate Collette.