Dane

​​

Dane was still briefing the Penthouse security team when everything exploded.

The Team's Amber Alert system kicked in because Josh called in the intruder he had retrained in Lila's apartment, law enforcement on the way—and Lila missing.

Chris had a whole litter of kittens before Dane could get on the phone and quietly tell him that he had hidden Lila and she was safe.

"Where is she, Dane? And where the hell are you?"

"I'm at the Penthouse. I just got here," he said, storming in behind the security team who had their guns drawn and were sweeping the place again before he opened the systems. "Tish's phone is here somewhere and we're going to find it."

"Tish… what?"

"The intruder Josh has is Tish—did he not tell you that? She tried to get to Lila and Lila ran." It was an act of will to stifle the shudder that wanted to shake him off his feet as the picture flashed in his mind of what would have happened if Lila had fallen for the lie.

"Tish?" Chris's voice was high and strangled.

"Yes, Tish. Our Tish. I don't know how, but Dad's gotten to her."

There was stunned silence on the other end of the line. "Get over here. Now," Dane snapped. "I'm going to try and talk to her before the cops show up. But we need to find her phone—she left it in here somehow, trying to frame me. Don't believe a word out other mouth, Chris. She's not on our side."

"I… okay…" he sounded completely deflated.

"Snap out of it, Chris. I've been telling you for years, he can reach anyone."

"I know, I know. But Tish?"

"We'll discuss it later," Dane said, his voice cold as he watched the team stream through his Penthouse. He knew they wouldn't find anyone. Dad wouldn't have left a trail. He wanted Police in here and searching…which gave him an idea. "I have to call John right now. How far away are you?"

"Ten minutes. I was just—"

"Do me a favor and don't open the perimeter even if the cops already have her. Keep the place locked down until we find the phone."

"Will do." He was switching back into crisis mode. Dane nodded. "I'll see you at the Penthouse as soon as I can."

They signed off and for a second, as the men started shouting cleared rooms, Dane just recognized how grateful he was for his brother. Without Chris this whole world would have gone to hell by now.

Then he blinked and got to work. As the men returned one by one to the center of the Penthouse where he stood, all reporting their rooms and areas clear, Dane nodded. He guessed as much.

"You're looking for a phone," he said, low and quiet. The six men all nodded. "A staff phone. When you locate it, you don't touch it. You call it in to me personally, and you wait. Do you hear me?"

"Yes, sir," they chorused.

"And if one you fuckers is lying to me, your time is up. I will find out. And I'll lock you up myself if I have to."

None of their faces shifted, but Dane was desperately aware of just how impossible it was to do what he had to do without letting anyone else in.

He prayed then, desperately, that these men were for him, not against him. "Go to it," he ordered, then turned back to head down to Lila's apartment, to Tish, before the cops arrived.

*****

"Don't let him near me! He's a killer! He hurt me! Don't!—"

Dane stood in the doorway, arms crossed, as Tish—her hands cuffed behind her back, and Josh at her shoulder, screamed accusations. She'd started the second he arrived, obviously hoping the police would arrive while she was screaming so they'd look at Dane for all this.

He stared at her, jaw hard and eyes flat. Josh just shook his head.

When neither of them responded, she stopped screaming, but her eyes remained so wide they were white all the way around. And her breath heaved. She flinched when Dane moved.

"That's the way you're going to play this, Tish?" He said quietly.

Her chin quivered, but she lifted it. "You. Hurt. Me," she snarled. "I won't let you do it again."

He looked at Josh whose lips twisted. "She's got real bruises and I think maybe a cracked rib. But she had those when I caught her. She was laying on the bed."

Dane sighed. "How'd you get into the Penthouse, Tish?" he asked.

She flinched at his voice, but spoke through her teeth. "I haven't been in there and you know it."

"Then how did your phone get there? Who changed the logs?"

She blinked quickly. "I don't know."

"Liar. What's he got on you—is he blackmailing you? Or is he holding someone you love?"

Tish shivered. "I don't know what you're—"

"Do not fuck with me right now!" Dane roared.

Tish cried out and tried to run from him, but just ran into Josh, who caught her and held her as she shook and cried. "Don't hurt me, don't hurt me, I don't know! I told you, I don't know…"

Dane swore and turned away from her for a moment. He had to think. He had to get to Lila. He had to find out who was safe, and who was working against them. Both hands in his hair, he turned back. Tish jerked away from him again, but he just spoke to Josh.

"What did you call in?"

"Intruder in a secure property."

"Do they know she's cuffed?"

"Yes."

Dane sighed with relief because he knew from the Police perspective that dropped the call to a priority two. But they still might be there any minute if they weren't busy.

"When they get here, you establish history, and make it absolutely clear she lied and tricked our employee to get here. You don't know where Lila ran to, but she ran because she was under threat, you hear me?"

Josh nodded, his face serious. "Is she okay?"

"She's terrified, but she's fine. So far."

Josh took a deep breath and Dane hoped it wasn't an act. "You give a full statement, go and press charges if they ask you to, then you get your ass back here."

"Yes, sir."

"It's happening, Josh. Worst case scenario. It's happening. Pick your side, because this is going to get rough."

Josh blinked and nodded. "I just want you and Lila safe," he said, though his voice was breathless. Dane stared at him and he didn't drop the gaze.

But he could just be a really good liar.

Dane's head spun. He really had no idea who to trust—and no choice but to trust some people because he couldn't physically do this all on his own.

"You okay, Dane?" Josh asked quietly. But Dane looked at Tish. She was staring at him, still wide-eyed, but a lot less frantic than she'd been a minute ago. Dane swallowed and spoke to her.

"If he's just paying, I'll find out and I'll find you," he said, his voice a low rasp. "You will pay for putting her in danger." Tish opened her mouth, but he spoke over her. "But if he's hurt you, or someone you care about, or if he's holding something over you… I'll find that out to. And I'll help you destroy him."

She blinked and he nodded, then he looked at Josh. "Get this done as quickly as you can, then get back. We're going to need you."

"Yes, sir."

Then he left, everything in him aching to go to the apartment. He had to find a way to see her, and touch her, smell her, make certain she was safe.

He wasn't going to be able to breathe until he did.

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MARCH MADNESS IS HERE! WANT TO READ MORE CHAPTERS RIGHT NOW? READ THE AUTHOR NOTE BELOW TO FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN READ UP TO 25 ADVANCE CHAPTERS!