Dare’s already shaking his head before I’ve even finished my sentence.
“There’s no way. The Shadow would never be caught like that. He’s always been…” He trails off, his hand running down his face before he shakes his head.
“Fucking Riko,” he curses.
“What?”
He clicks his tongue. “The Shadow mainly deals in favors, rather than money. My guess is that he owed Riko for something, and when Riko died, that favor will have automatically transferred to Lana. He will have gotten himself caught on purpose as a warning to Lana, letting her know how close the Richardsons are to getting to her. Though I doubt he’d have expected her to kill first and ask questions later, since that’s not usually Lana’s MO.”
That… actually makes sense.
“If they haven’t heard from him, they’ll be on guard for an attack from her, so security will be tight. This just got a whole lot more complicated. Are you sure you guys are prepared for that?” Dare asks, looking between us.
“I’m so fucking confused, but whatever. Just tell me what you want me to do, and I’ll do it,” Logan mutters, and I nod at Dare. I don’t care what I have to do, but Iwillbe bringing Lana home with me safe and sound.
Dare looks between us both, his eyes assessing us before slowly nodding.
FORTY-EIGHT
LANA
My dad paces his office as I sit in one of the armchairs, staring at him with what is no doubt a scrutinizing expression on my face. He’d texted me last night asking me to come to his office first thing, but I didn’t think anything of it until this very moment.
It’s my eighteenth birthday, and I figured he was calling me in here to wish me a happy birthday, but with the way he’s acting, I have a feeling my day is going to be anything but happy.
“What’s going on?” I ask, sitting up straighter and preparing myself for bad news. My mind races as I conjure up a hundred different scenarios in my mind.
Did a mission go wrong?
Did someone die?
What the fuck is happening?
He stops moving and slowly turns to face me, a pained expression on his face, which raises my hackles even further.
“Spit it out,” I grunt, needing to know what’s wrong.
“A…” he starts, and his throat bobs as he swallows. “There’s something you need to know. I should have told you a long time ago, and I’m sorry I kept it to myself for so long. I didn’t want to hurt you, but you have a right to know… especially now.”
I stare at the man who has been my father for as long as I can remember, the man who took me in when I had no one else, and sigh in frustration.
“What is it?” My tone is flat, and I do my best to school my features, not wanting to show the irritation, hurt, and anger that I’m feeling.
What has he been keeping from me?
“It’s about your family,” he whispers and takes a seat in the chair opposite me, clasping his hands together as his eyes meet mine.
“My family?” I croak, not sure I even want to know what he has to tell me, but I know I need to. I’ll regret not knowing whatever he has to say.
My dad scrubs a hand down his face and looks at me apologetically. “You grew up knowing that your family died and that I took you in, but what you don’t know are the circumstances surrounding it.”
He pauses for a moment, seeming to try and gauge my reaction, but I don’t give him one. I need him to continue.
He sighs. “Your family… they weren’t just anyone, A. They were a powerful family, and they ran in the kind of circles where money is everything. They didn’t just die, honey. They were killed.”
My ears ring as I take in his words, and I force myself to breathe, trying to fight back the tears that are threatening to spill.
“Keep going,” I rasp.
