Page 126 of Corrupt Game
Rossi shook his head. “Sergi Petrov has had a hard on for you for years. He needed something that would bring you to him. Killing Andrew was just an added bonus. And now he has your woman. An eye for an eye kind of thing.”
My blood ran cold at the thought of Sergi’s hands on her. “I’ll kill him.”
“You and me both, boss.” Rossi looked grim. “First, we move to a secure spot. We’re blown, so let’s go to a major hotel.”
I grudged every minute it took for us to get a room at the Hilton. Rossi worked on his laptop while I gave orders for a team to be gathered and flown to Ireland. It would take a day, and I hoped we’d find her before then.
As the last order left my mouth, Rossi gestured for me to come over. The video on his laptop showed Kathy and Colette being carried down the stairs by men dressed in the working clothes of our old hotel.
The screen flashed. At least one of them matched images I had of Kelly’s trusted soldiers.
Bile rose in my throat. My only hope was that if they wanted either woman dead, they would have just done it there in the hotel room, killed me as well and made it look like a robbery.
It wasn’t like they could torture any information from Colette, but having her meant they could control me to an extent. Even just Kathywould have given them leverage; I was loyal to my employees. But Colette was something far more.
“Let me make a few phone calls and see if there is anyone that can help us look for her.” Rossi’s fingers rattled on the keys of his laptop. “I suggest you do the same.”
Of course. I was thrown enough off balance that I wasn't thinking clearly. I picked up my phone and I stared at the screen.
From my notes, I dialed Sean McGinty’s number. I rubbed the back of my neck, taking a deep breath. This was one of the last resorts, but circumstances had forced me into this position. The stakes were too high.
I pressed the call button.
The line rang three times before it switched to voicemail.
“Ye’ve reached Sean McGinty,” came the gruff, hoarse voice on the recording. “Leave your message, and if it’s worth me botherin’ with, you’ll hear back.”
The beep followed.
“Mr. McGinty,” I began, keeping my tone measured, calm. “This is Ian Holdt. I know we aren’t acquainted, but something’s come up that I think you might take an interest in.”
I closed my eyes, letting the words come naturally.
“There’s a situation that’s become… complicated. A mutual acquaintance of ours, Edmond Kelly, is involved. He’s made a move that I don’t think is wise, and it’s become personal for me. Let’s just say he’s holding onto something that doesn’t belong to him.”
I paced as I spoke, forcing my voice to stay casual. “I’m looking for some assistance in resolving this. Quietly. I’ve got resources at my disposal, and I’d be willing to show my appreciation for your help. This matter is urgent.”
I paused for a moment, letting the weight of that word hang in the air.
“I can’t go into details here, obviously, but if you’re interested, call me back. I’d prefer to meet and talk terms and figure out how to handle this delicate matter. Thanks.”
I ended the call and set the phone down, exhaling slowly.
It was vague enough to give deniability if law enforcement was monitoring McGinty’s line. But clear enough, I hoped, for a man like McGinty to read between the lines. Now, all I could do was wait—and hope he was willing to help locate Collette.
Chapter 45 colette
My head pounded as I woke up in a room that was similar to the one in the video, complete with two dog cages and me in one of them. Kathy moaned and blinked at me blearily
I tried to pry the door open and cut my fingers on the sharp edges.
I could possibly be more afraid, but it would be really hard.
Rossi and Ian had no way of finding me or even knowing where to look. Well, that wasn’t completely true. They had a good idea of who had taken me. It was the where that was more problematic.
A sinking pit filled my stomach and only got worse as the metal reinforced door clanged open and two men and three dogs entered the room.
Edmond Kelly entered first.