Page 128 of The Billionaire Who Saved My Cat From The Mafia

“Not our radar,” Finn says.

“But he’s got Frankie,” Cal adds, signaling to Declan to keep going.I see more photos of Frankie walking away down a Vegas street with this man.Her dress is skintight.His hand is on the small of her back.I can tell by her rigid shoulders and straight neck that she’s terrified of him, walking on eggshells, aware that he could squash her if he decided it might amuse him.

My heart drops to my feet.

Next are more pictures of dead mobsters.After that, I see images from every angle of smashed bistro tables, tipped chairs, broken glass, bloody floors, and blood-splattered walls, and nearly all of it decorated with little fluorescent-yellow evidence markers.

“We think this is why Frankie ended up here,” Cal says.“She must have witnessed this.See the date stamp?This wholesale slaughter happened two days before you found her on Washoe Ridge.”

It’s starting to make sense.Why she was hiding and on the run.Why she didn’t think she could tell me what she was afraid of.Why she refused to share any details that might put the family in harm’s way.

A huge lump of dread lodges in my throat.Oh, Frankie.She’s carried this burden by herself.A total nightmare scenario she didn’t think she could share with anyone, including me.And if this is why she ran from Las Vegas, then I only have one question that needs an answer, and right now.

Why the fuck did she run right back to him?

“He’s a sociopath,” Declan says.“Or a psychopath.I get those two mixed up all the time.”

“He’s a real bad guy,” Finn agrees.

“And Frankie’s with him,” I hiss.“And you didn’t do a damn thing about it.”

“Because…” Cal holds up his palm to stop me before I lunge again.“Declan wasbeing smart, as I’ve already said.”

“Leaving her with this angel of death wassmart?”

“Special K, lean back,” Cal says.“Listen to what we’re telling you.Even if Declan managed to get Frankie safely away from this guy on the Vegas Strip, it wouldn’t be over.It’s never over with men like Nikolai Koslov.We think that’s why she ran back to him after the Sweetbriar fistfight—because if she’d stayed, we’dallbe in his crosshairs.”

I’ve heard enough.

I jump up again, kicking the chair so hard that it smashes against the far wall.Then I spin around, hands in my hair.“So that’s it?You expect me to just leave her with a mass murderer because he’s toodangerous to deal with?Because you pussies areafraidof him?”

“Not at all,” Finn says, shaking his head.

“I’ll find her if it kills me!”I head for the door.

“Not alone, you won’t,” Finn says.

I drop my hand from the doorknob, listening as Finn continues.

“We’re all gonna find her and we’re all gonna take down Niko Koslov and his entire operation while we’re at it.It’s the only way Frankie will ever have a chance to live without fear, the only way she’ll ever win her freedom.”

I spin around to face them, and only then do I realize that dark spots dance in my vision.That I’m panting.That my chest heaves with every breath and that one hand still grips at my hair.My brothers stare at me, waiting for me to pull myself together.

“She didn’t abandon me because I was in jail,” I manage.

“She did not,” Cal says.

“I have to go get her,” I say.

“Wehave to go get her,” Finn repeats.

“We’ll destroy that fucker,” I say.

“That’s the plan,” Evander says.

“Mission MacLaine!”Declan smiles.“The gang’s getting back together!We’re going to do some SEAL shit on their asses.Wait—that didn’t sound as cool as I thought it would.”

“We’re going to play to our strengths,” Cal explains.“Command, control, communication, and intelligence.We’ve been working on it for the past few hours, but still need to nail down the specifics.”