Lincoln
The entire flight ride home to New York, Sienna had hardly moved. Not that I could blame her. I whisked her away for an early Christmas present without thinking about placing my security to watch over friends, and what kind of boyfriend does that make me? Caring about Sienna means caring about her friends, too, which apparently Jett had felt was necessary to do with his security. What the hell does he need protection for?
"I need to tell you something," Sienna blurts, dragging me from my thoughts. "Before we get to New York."
I twist in my seat to face her, hating how utterly pale she looks. I had planned on sleeping for the duration of the flight, but when we sat down, and Sienna couldn't stop shaking, I pushed my tiredness to the side. She'd never admit it, but she needs me, and I'm going to be here for her.
"I'm listening."
"Okay, well..." She wrings her hands in her lap, gnawing on her bottom lip. "There are certain things about this story that I can't tell you. I swore to Carmen I wouldn't, and I know we're dating, but I always keep my promises, and—"
"Sienna." I push a strand of hair behind her ear, caressing her cheek with my thumb. "Take a breath. It's alright. Tell me what you want to tell me. I'll understand."
My words give her the reassurance she needs because she sits up straighter, gaining more confidence. "Carmen has a second job at a place where dangerous people tend to lurk, and... Well, I think Jett is one of those dangerous people."
My mind strays to when my brother told me he could help me by asking around about Travis. I know he more than likely attends a club that attracts the sort of crowd who might know a thing or two, but at the time, I didn't want to get him involved with all of this. Even though he's my brother, the trust between us isn't fully restored.
"And you can't tell me where this place is?"
She shakes her head. "I promised her I wouldn't."
"Alright, well, I've always suspected that my brother could be hanging with the wrong crowd, but I never read too much into it. He offered to help me find Travis last week. Said he knew some people who might be able to track him down."
Sienna shudders. "I don't even want to know who those people are, but...do you think he actually could? You know, help us find him? If whoever took Carmen isn't related to the Travis incident, then maybe we should take him up on his offer."
"And you trust my brother enough to do this?"
"What choice do we have? If Travis was the one who took Carmen, and if he did something to her?" She blinks away tears, a thick knot forming in the back of my throat. "I'll never forgive myself, Linc. I refuse to let anyone else close to me get hurt because of him. Jett is your brother. If he knows how to locate him, I don't have a choice but to trust him."
She has a point. I know she's being logical about this. I've exerted all my resources, and aside from the adoption thing, I've come up with nothing. As much as I don't want to let my brother in on this... If he genuinely has connections with these people, why not? We're running out of options.
"Alright," I relent, tugging her close to my side. "We'll ask for his help."
***
Nine hours later, we're standing in a back alley of a shop in a bad section of town. My brother texted us to meet him here, and although I didn't want Sienna anywhere near Travis if he was the one behind all of this, we've been training together for a reason. As much as I want revenge on this fucker, it's not my revenge to take. It's hers.
"We're going to get mugged," Sienna seethes, shivering from the cold. "If I had known he would make us wait this long, I would have fucking changed."
My lips twitch at her pink velvet jumpsuit and slippers, which probably cost more than this building. I pull her back against my chest, wrapping my arms around her neck. "You're on edge," I whisper, kissing gently below her ear. "I completely understand, baby, but he found her. He wouldn't have texted us to meet him here if he hadn't."
"Okay, but we're in the dark in the middle of an alley. Where the fuck is he?"
A loud bang against the door beside us echoes into the alley, causing Sienna to jump ten stories high. We take a giant step back when the door bursts open, and I quickly dart my eyes down to ensure she has the pocket knife in hand. It was all I had on me as a weapon before we came here. I've taught her how to wield it, and after the initial shock fades from the sound, my heart swells with pride when she straightens her back, gripping the handle just as we've practiced during her training sessions.
But it's not Travis who exits through the door. It's my brother, and he's got a man sagging in his arms who is bleeding...everywhere. I'm trying to decipher all his wounds as Jett tosses the man like a sack of potatoes. He's still dressed to perfection with somehow not a drop of blood on him, and when he pulls out the handkerchief from his suit to wipe the blood off the dagger he's holding, I don't think I'm breathing. Jett doesn't seem phased at all by the man, who is more than likely dead, currently lying in the alley.
"Sorry," he admits, running a hand over his slicked-back bun to ensure all the strands are in place. "Didn't realize one would be guarding the door. It took longer than expected to bring him down. Ready to get our girl? I'm feeling rather bloodthirsty today."
Our girl.
Our girl?
"You killed him," I manage to say, my eyes wide as saucers. Sienna hasn't moved an inch from beside me, her eyes glued to Jett. Fear seeps into my veins, but my brother doesn't seem phased by it one bit. Instead, he shrugs and sticks a thumb over his shoulder.
"Technically, yes, but he tried to kill me first. Self-defense isn't a crime, is it? Now, we can't waste time, so follow me." He turns to enter the building again, twisting over his shoulder to say, "One rule. Do not, under any circumstances, call me by my first name. Got it?"
I'm not sure how Sienna and I nod, let alone follow him, but we somehow get our legs to work as we enter the dusty hallway. It smells of mildew and garbage. It's so foul-smelling that I have to use my sleeve to cover my nose, Sienna doing the same. Fluorescent lights flicker, hardly giving us light to determine where we're going.
"Where the hell are we?" I ask lowly, my voice muffled by my sweater.
"A supply shop," he replies. "After my men discovered the location, I don't believe the person you're looking for is behind this. I believe they're targeting me, not you, but I also know you will be relentless until you see her alive and breathing, thus the reason I let you tag along."
Tag along. He's acting like we're going on a walk in the park rather than rescuing someone from captivity.
"And why would they target you?" I ask bitterly. The more information that's revealed to me, the more I realize that maybe I don't know my brother at all.
Sienna clears her throat. "More importantly, why would they take Carmen as ransom to target you?"
"All good questions," Jett hums. We pass by random crates filled with lord only knows what until he suddenly stops walking, twisting towards a box at the end of a hallway. "You can always change your mind and go back," he says. "Nobody would blame you."
"As if," Sienna grumbles. "I'm not leaving without Carmen by my side. I can help you get her. I've been training with Lincoln."
Jett cracks a smile. "It's sweet for you to think I need your help. However, it also pleases me to know you're learning to defend yourself."
"And why do I think you're being sarcastic?" She snaps.
They continue to bicker as we stand in the dimly lit entry, but my mind still can't catch up to process what's happening or what I've witnessed. I just watched Jett toss a dead man into the street without remorse. And now he's having banter with Sienna as if nothing has happened. He's comfortable with killing.
My brother's eyes glisten with humor as they flicker over whatever expression is on my face before darting back to Sienna. "Move," he drawls. "I'm about to save your best friend."