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“We’ve got that tap on her attorney’s phone. Sooner or later, she’ll need money and call him. And if you stay glued to the stupid telex machine like you have been all week, it’ll only be a matter of time before we find out where she is. That, or one of our guys will bag her.” Again with the shrug. “Like I said, just a matter of time.”
    “We’re out of time,” Nick shouted, masking his fear with anger. He put the car in gear and headed back to town. “I want that bitch found. Now .”
     
    ***
     
    Levi stood at the window of his office and watched Nick’s Porsche drive away. Something wasn’t right. He sensed it. Even though Jonas hadn’t confided his reasons for summoning the worthless punk this morning, Levi’s “the-shit’s-hitting-the-fan” antennae were twitching, making him wonder what he’d have to do to protect his friend and employer from whatever Nick was up to this time.
    He respected Jonas. He might be the head of a crime family, but, damn it, the old man played fair, restricting the McKenzie Family’s illegal activities to gambling, prostitution, and the smuggling of alcohol and tobacco: things Jonas considered “crimes between consenting adults.”
    And while Levi didn’t agree with what the law called them—was there really any such thing as a victimless crime?—at least there wasn’t much collateral damage.
    He didn’t give a rat’s ass about thugs, criminals, or crime family hooligans. But innocent bystanders and law enforcement personnel should be strictly off limits. And not only did Jonas insist that no one in his organization could harm those people, he also forbade participation in extortion, loan sharking, and protection rackets. Levi knew this strictly enforced code of behavior was how Jonas reconciled his religious beliefs with his need to guide and protect the family organization his father and grandfather had left in his care. The code was also the only reason Levi had agreed to work for him.
    But he’d come to care about Jonas and hated watching Nick break the old man’s heart time and time again. Levi had no use for the little shit and wouldn’t mind seeing him drummed out of the family, right along with Tony. In fact, if it wasn’t for Tess—
    The intercom buzzed. He turned back to his desk. “Yes?”
    “Mr. McKenzie would like to see you ASAP, sir,” the butler told him.
    “On my way.” So his instincts had been right. With a sigh, he headed out of his office and down the hall to the study.
    His first thought on entering the room was, Bloody hell . The trouble must be bad .
    Jonas sat at his desk, his sixty-year-old face strained and ghost white, his eyes bleak. Concerned that his friend might be going into shock, Levi crossed to the hutch and poured a glass of Napoleon. “Here, old man, drink this. And talk to me.”
    When Jonas didn’t respond, Levi set the brandy on the desk. “I can’t fix it until I know what’s wrong,” he said, hearing the lilt that reflected his Northwest London roots become more pronounced—as it always did under stress. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to relax and nudged the glass closer to Jonas. “Drink it, and tell me how I can help.”
    “I’m not sure.” Jonas’s voice had a disheartened ring to it, an unusual tone for him. “My grandson’s up to something, and I don’t think I’ll like it when I find out what it is.” He rubbed his eyes then ran his hands over his face. “And Tess has vanished.”
    Pain slammed into Levi like a fist. “Vanished? When?”
    “According to Nick, she disappeared some months ago. He says it’s because he cheated on her, but I don’t buy it. She left without saying goodbye, and Tess isn’t like that.” Jonas picked up the brandy, drank it, and seemed to steady a bit. “Was she in some kind of trouble?”
    “How should I know?” Frustration, anger, and bitterness competed for dominance in Levi’s heart. And assaulted his stomach. “Bloody hell, Jonas, I