By knowing his number, I felt like I’d never be too far from him—even while I slept beside Brax at night and went to university by day.

I also knew he allowed the office line to link to his home after hours. I just hoped either Frederick picked up or Suzette. Either would do. Both had Q’s power behind them. They would get Franco and me free.

Picking up the receiver, I curled over the handset, punching in the number. It connected.

And rang.

And rang.

And rang.

Please pick up. Terror squashed my hope like a bug. This was my only chance—who knew when I’d get another one. Who knew how much more time would pass.

Sergio looked at his watch.

Finally the ringing stopped, clicking into connection.

“Bonjour?”

Masculine.

For a flicker of a second, I suffered a stab of grief. I’d wanted to talk to Suzette. To lean on the girl who was so strong and my friend.

“Frederick,” I whispered.

“Tess?”

My heart bounced, whizzing into action. Frederick would get things done. He’d get us out.

“Yes, it’s me. Look, something happened.” The tears I’d been fighting all rushed in a quake, obstructing my throat. I forced through, cursing the wobble in my tone. “They took him.”

“It’s okay. I know. It’s all under control.”

His soothing voice robbed me of strength, knowing Q’s network of people were on the hunt. It wasn’t just me. I wasn’t alone in fighting for his life. “Thank God.”

At that point, I didn’t care about myself. All I cared about was Frederick using the resources to find Q. I completely forgot about my predicament or why I’d called.

My mind shut down as I went into shock.

“Tess? You still there?”

I clutched the receiver, wishing I could stuff myself down the phone line and be with him. I wanted to be beside the man who Q called his best friend.

What about his other best friend?

Shit, Franco.

“Frederick. I need your help.” I pulled myself together, running a hand through my hair. “Franco and I—we’re in jail. We need you to get us out.”

I tensed, waiting for a barrage of questions. But he just chuckled. “You’re about ten minutes too late. Already done. You’ll be out within the hour.”

My mouth hung open. “Ho—how?”

“Money buys a lot of things, and contacts in high places is one of them.” His voice dropped. I pressed the phone harder to my ear. “He’s okay, Tess. The tracker stays active as long as there’s a heartbeat. It’s programed to emit a new signal if that changes.”

My heart seized. “What do you mean?”

“Well, we’ll know if they cut it out. The frequency would be interrupted. We’ll also know if they…”

If they what…

My heart lurched. He didn’t have to say anymore. I knew.

“If he dies….” My eyes turned blind, filling with liquid.

Frederick murmured, “It’s okay. That won’t happen. But yes. As long as his heart is beating, the tracker will guide us to him.”

I wanted to scream! I wanted to hunt every cocksucking motherfucking trafficker and drain them until they turned from human to withered corpse.

The sweetness inside rapidly faded in favour of ruthlessness. I grew harder—colder.

He’s still alive. Focus on that.

“Do you know where? Where is he?”

“He’s been moved. They’ve taken him to Spain.”

“Spain?”

The voices of the men who’d barged into our suite echoed in my ears. I’d been too afraid of Q being hit and then shot to pay any attention to nationality.

Sergio waved a hand in front of my face, tapping his watch. I wanted to bite his finger for being so cocky and horrible and ruining everything.

“Why? Why did they take him at all?”

Frederick sighed. “Because he pissed off a man called Lynx. And now the bastard wants payback.”

Half an hour later Franco and I zoomed in a taxi to the airport. Sergio had escorted us out of the building himself. Glaring as if we’d single-handedly robbed him of any accolades or good-doing by arresting us.

Franco looked as if he would hit him, so I was glad when a taxi coasted past the second the handcuffs were undone.

My fingers were wrapped around Franco’s phone, glued to the app that’d turned Q—my amazing tattooed sadistic lover—into a red blip on the screen.

Frederick was right.

Q was in Spain.

And alive. He was still alive.

I jumped a foot as Franco placed a hand on my knee. “You okay?”

He asked that a lot. I hated that I acted as if I needed reassurance. The meek girl I’d been slowly changed, embracing vengeance.

I nodded. I was numb with shock, high on hope, and shaking with terror—but yes, I was okay. “I’m alright.”

Franco nodded, leaning into the seat, adjusting his sling with a small groan.

Tearing my eyes from the red blip, I asked, “How about you. How are you holding up?”

His piercing green eyes were tight with pain; his forehead furrowed as whatever painkillers the doctors had given wore off.

He gave me a cold smile, his teeth glinting in the streetlights whizzing past the window. “I’ll be a lot happier the minute I’ve shot some motherfucking ra**sts.” He sighed. “Seriously, I just want to find Mercer and then crash—for a thousand years.”

He winced as the taxi bounced over a pothole. Squeezing his eyes, he muttered, “You’ve always had strong instincts, Tess. Right from the beginning. What are they telling you now?” He kept his eyes closed but his body hummed with tension. “Would you say they’re keeping him for ransom or torture?”

Torture.

I didn’t need to think. Or guess.

The most morbid conclusion doused my system in horror. No matter how I tried to deny it. I couldn’t stop the images.

Fingernails being pulled.

His beautiful strong body being mutilated.

His gorgeous tattoo being sliced from his chest.

My tummy rolled; I slapped a hand over my mouth. Swallowing hard, I forced away the toe-curling images and worked on blanking my mind.

Franco sucked in a breath. “That bad, huh. Shit.”

I wouldn’t speak my nightmares—I didn’t want to give them power. But I did know as long as I was alive, I wouldn’t let that happen. Curling my hands, I hissed, “I’m sick of evil intervening with my life. I’m sick of paying a toll for doing nothing more than falling in love. Whoever this bastard is who took Q—he’s going to scream before I let him die.”