Chapter 26

TWENTY-SIX

CALEB

It’s just after one, and Seven isn’t at the restaurant. My phone hasn’t buzzed with new messages, and the last text he’d sent was “ Okay ” when I’d texted to ask if he wanted to meet for lunch.

I send him another text. “ Where are you? ” If he’s still at the blackjack tables, I’m going to have to ban him from the games after all. I don’t care if he gambles away my money, but I do care if he’s blowing me off in favor of betting.

“Oh, Mr. Spade!” somebody says.

I turn away from the host table to see Madeline jogging up to me. She looks worried, and my hackles go up.

“What’s wrong?” I demand.

She grimaces and looks around. “Seven isn’t with you, then?”

“No.” I scowl at her. “Why?”

She fiddles with the ring on her finger and after a few seconds, she says, “I’m worried. He dashed away from my table really fast. Even left some of his winnings behind, which… well, he’d won! I expected him to either keep playing or at least cash out to celebrate.”

Dread pools in my stomach and I pull out my phone. “When was this?”

“Fifteen minutes ago? I saw him heading toward the hotel, but nobody in reception saw him go in…” Madeline laughs awkwardly. “I’m probably overreacting. Maybe I spooked him again somehow. I just wanted to make sure he was okay, but I couldn’t leave the table until I found somebody to cover for me…”

Shit. I dial one of the guards currently on duty by my suites. “Is Seven in the suites?”

“Nope,” Rosie answers. “Haven’t seen him since you both left this morning.”

I curse and hang up, then immediately call Vortex. “Where are you? Is Seven with you?”

“No,” he says, instantly apprehensive. “The last I saw him, he was with Madeline at the blackjack table. Have you called Havoc yet?”

“Not yet. Madeline says Seven rushed off without a word. Go through the security feed, see what you can find.” I end that call and dial Havoc. Madeline looks more and more worried. “Why don’t you ask the other staff if they’ve seen anything,” I tell her.

She nods gratefully. “Yeah. That’s a good idea. Maybe he’s just hiding somewhere. He needed a place to catch a breath, or…”

“Go,” I chide. She gasps and nods again, then rushes off.

“Caleb?” Havoc sounds wary.

“Seven isn’t with you, is he?” I ask, although I already know what the answer will be.

“Uh, I’m waiting on your dry cleaning,” Havoc says. “I was going to swing by to meet with him later.”

My phone buzzes with another call from Vortex.

“Forget the dry cleaning,” I bark. “Get back here.” I switch over to Vortex’s call. “Tell me you found him.”

“Find Grant,” Vortex says without preamble. “He grabbed Seven and pulled him off the floor. I can’t track them past the employee area, but I’m about to go ask some questions.” He hangs up before I do.

Grant.

Fuck.

I start toward the employee section as I call Grant.

“Hey, boss,” he answers, not a single hint of worry in his voice. “What’s up?”

“The fucking Achak account,” I answer. “Grandfather is up my ass about it again. Can you meet me in the second office so we can put together something halfway presentable?”

Grant agrees easily, and I wonder if he really suspects nothing at all. Does he think I won’t find out he did something to Seven? If Seven is crying in a corner somewhere because of him…

Seven’s tears belong to me .

I take the stairs to the basement level, where the safes and the unused offices are. This is also where we keep the second set of books, well hidden from prying eyes.

Grant is already waiting for me in the dusty office. It looks like nothing more than an unused staff room. The floor is easily cleaned tile, and there’s a hose and a drain in the corner.

“Why is Leon suddenly interested in that account?” Grant asks as I enter. He places his laptop down on the coffee table and sits down on the couch, looking all the world ready to get to work on this.

I go toward the desk and unlock the second drawer. “Don’t ask me. You know how he is. He suddenly gets an idea in his head and decides the entire world needs to bend to his will.” I pull out the books—in paper, so nobody can possibly hack it—and toss it onto the desk.

Behind all the files in the drawer is a loaded gun.

I pick it up discreetly and walk over to the door, locking it.

“So, we got twenty k last week from the Morenos,” Grant says, his attention still on the laptop.

“Where’s Seven, Grant?” I ask, biting back the anger.

Grant stiffens and looks up at me. “What?”

“Where is Seven, Grant?” I repeat. “You were the last person to talk to him, apparently.”

Grant scoffs and shakes his head, but his eyes dart around the room. He seems to have finally caught on that he’s in a precarious situation. “I dunno. Maybe he’s in another man’s room. That’s his M.O., right?”

I remember how terrified—and how relieved—Seven had been when I’d made him promise not to go with other men.

“No,” I state. “He didn’t. Try again.” I raise the gun at him. “Tell me where Seven is, Grant.”

Grant’s jaw drops. “You’re threatening me? Because of him? But you were the one who?—”

He cuts himself off, and I know he did that on purpose, but I ask anyway, “I was the one who what , Grant?”

Grant folds his arms and leans back on the couch. He’s trying not to look scared, but I can see the tension in his body. “You were trying to find out who he was, right? Somebody BCC’d me on the emails to you. One Lockwood family? They were offering a lot of money for his return.”

The blood goes cold in my veins. “You contacted them?”

Grant shrugs. “Didn’t have anything else to do while I was recovering.”

Shit.

All my efforts to lead them down the wrong path, to be coy with the information I have, to use anonymous accounts—all gone.

I bark out a dark laugh. “So you stole my easy paycheck?”

The mention of money makes Grant relax. He understands money. That makes more sense to him than me actually caring about Seven.

“I’ll split the funds with you,” Grant says quickly. “It’s all in cash. A hundred thousand.”

“A hundred thousand?” I repeat, tightening my grip on the gun. “I was negotiating for more than that.”

“Yeah, well, it didn’t seem like they were going for it.” Grant is putting on a good face, but his eyes are still locked with the gun. “Sometimes you have to compromise.”

“They whisked him away, then?” My mind is racing, and I know I don’t have a lot of time. The longer Seven is missing, the harder it will be for us to get him back. “You should have introduced us. I’ve been dying to meet Mr. Lockwood.”

Grant shakes his head. “Nah, they only sent a goon. I was hoping to meet one of the Lockwoods too, but it is what it is.”

He was hoping for a new job, I’m sure.

This isn’t a lot of information to go on, but at least it wasn’t the Lockwoods themselves who came to retrieve Seven. Havoc, Vortex, and I still have a chance.

“Oh, Grant?” I say casually.

Grant tenses. “Yes, boss?”

“You’re fired.” I pull the trigger, and watch as the bullet lodges itself in Grant’s chest.

He cries out and stumbles off the couch. After two steps, he falls forward, and his blood spreads out around him.

I listen to him wheeze for a few seconds before I pull out my phone. “Vortex,” I bark as soon as he answers. “Seven got pulled in by an enforcer. Grant… Grant sold him out to the Lockwoods.”

I don’t tell him about my part in this.

I don’t tell him about this mistake that had Seven ripped out of our grasp.

“What?” Vortex asks, but his bewilderment turns into obvious fury as he goes on in a snarl, “I will fucking slaughter him. Where the fuck is he? No, where the fuck is Seven? I’ll deal with Grant later.”

“Grant isn’t a problem anymore,” I say, stepping back to avoid getting blood on my shoes. “Seven… shit. They must have gone out one of the side exits. They’d have to go for the bus stop or the airport or…” If they came with their own car, we’re fucked. My hand clenches around my phone. “Find him, Vortex.”

“I’m on it,” Vortex says. “We’ll find him, boss.” He hangs up, leaving me alone with Grant’s body and my thoughts.

For several long minutes, my mind is blank.

I have no real plan, no leverage, nothing .

I overshot, was overconfident. Caleb Spade is smarter than everyone around him—but I’d dismissed Grant entirely, because I’d looked down on him.

Grant lets out a low, pained moan.

I dial the family’s cleaners. “I have a large stain I need removed,” I say, staring at Grant’s body. “In the basement. You’ll need heavy duty cleaning supplies.”

After they confirm, I hover over my contacts.

Finally, with trepidation, I call my grandfather.

He lets the phone ring a few times before he picks up. “Caleb! Why are you calling?”

I could try to butter him up first. I could find something he wants so I can get a leg up on this negotiation.

But I say, “I need a favor, Grandfather. Price isn’t an issue.”

“Depends on what it is,” he answers gruffly, but I can tell he’s intrigued.

Despite all my instincts warning me against it, I continue, “The Lockwoods took something of mine. I need help retrieving it.”

My grandfather’s silence speaks volumes. “I see. We’re family, so of course I’ll help.”

It’s a mistake. I’m going to regret the payment, and all the strings he’s going to tie around me.

Seven is worth it, though.