Chapter 9 - THE EX-FIANCÉ WHO WASN'T THE REAL ENEMY
Jenna wanted to chase the SUV herself.
I stopped her at the door.
“Move.”
“No.”
“He has my mother.”
“And running into the street helps how?”
She looked ready to hit me.
Then her phone rang.
Ryan.
She answered.
“Where is she?”
“Safe.”
“If you hurt her—”
“I’m not the one you should threaten.”
His voice sounded different.
No charm.
No arrogance.
Fear.
“Put my mother on.”
There was movement.
Then Linda’s voice.
“Jenna?”
“Mom!”
“I’m okay.”
Ryan came back.
“Meet me at Union Station. Underground parking. One hour.”
I took the phone.
“You’re talking to me now.”
Ryan exhaled.
“Good. I was hoping you’d be there.”
“You threatened Jenna.”
“To make you pay attention.”
“You watched her for two years.”
“To keep Victor from getting to her first.”
Jenna stared at me.
Ryan continued.
“My father died because he tried to leave the operation. Daniel nearly died for the same reason. Jenna had the files, and I knew Victor would eventually figure that out.”
“You could have told her.”
“I tried two years ago. She thought I was manipulating her.”
Jenna closed her eyes.
The flash drive.
The drunken argument.
Ryan had tried.
Badly.
But he had tried.
“Why the proposal?” she demanded.
“Your mother told me you were dating Blackwood. I needed to see whether Evan was actually protecting you or using you.”
I nearly laughed.
“You proposed marriage as an investigation?”
“I admit it was not my best strategy.”
Even Jenna looked momentarily speechless.
We met at Union Station with my men positioned outside.
Ryan stood beside Linda.
He released her immediately.
Jenna hugged her mother.
Then slapped Ryan.
Hard.
“I deserved that,” he said.
“Yes.”
He handed me a folder.
“Victor is meeting buyers tomorrow night.”
“For what?”
“A weapons shipment worth eighty million.”
“Using my routes?”
“Yes.”
“And the evidence?”
“He believes Jenna has the only copy.”
“She doesn’t.”
“I know that now.”
Ryan looked at her.
“I never wanted you dragged into this.”
“You put cameras on my apartment.”
“To know whether Victor’s men approached.”
“You could have called.”
“You blocked me.”
“That should have been a clue.”
For the first time, Ryan almost smiled.
Then he looked at me.
“There’s something else.”
“What?”
“Daniel contacted me four months ago.”
My heart stopped.
“Where is he?”
“I don’t know.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“He remembered enough to know Victor was searching for him. He disappeared again.”
Ryan took out his phone.
“The last message he sent me was yesterday.”
He showed it to us.
One sentence.
EVAN CAN'T KNOW I'M ALIVE UNTIL JENNA CHOOSES HIM.
Jenna stared at me.
May you like
Ryan’s expression turned grim.
“Your brother thinks loving her puts you in more danger than hating me ever could.”
