Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Four
Malachi's POV
The call came at six in the evening.
I was in my office reviewing Marcus Webb's file when my phone rang. Unknown number. I almost didn't answer.
"Malachi Blackwood?" A man's voice. Calm. Professional.
"Who is this?"
"That doesn't matter. What matters is that we have Cecilia. She's safe for now, but that can change very quickly depending on how cooperative you are."
My blood went cold. I stood up, already moving toward the door. "If you hurt her—"
"You'll what? Come find us? Good luck with that. Listen carefully because I'm only going to say this once. Cecilia's inheritance case gets dropped. She signs everything over to her uncles. She does this willingly, publicly, and permanently. If she does that, she walks away alive. If she doesn't, well, I'm sure you can imagine what happens to pretty young women who don't cooperate."
"Let me talk to her."
"No."
"Then how do I know she's even alive?"
