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FBI had to be in this area, searching for him. Had they scoured the area and given up, thinking he was gone for good?
    “Where’d you put it?” Dorvan led the hike through Marietta Square where little stirred in the park area of the square just after midnight.
    “Told you. In the goddamn statue.” Sam squinted into the dark, peeking everywhere Dorvan’s light stroked the terrain. But no hint of the FBI’s presence registered with him. Come on guys, be here . He’d run out of options and finally agreed to show Starface exactly where he left the memory card before Dorvan got to try a new way to make him talk. Perspiration pebbled across his lip. Sam’s new black shirt stuck to his skin where blood had soaked through and dried.
    “Which statue?” Starface ground out the question, thick with threat.
    Sam drew a painful breath. “Girl with a baby. Had a bunch of leaves around the base. Right over—” What the hell? “It’s gone,” he whispered, not believing. A knife poked his ribs. He flinched at the new cut.
    “Look, I swear it was here,” Sam babbled. “Dorvan, tell him. You stopped me right after I dropped it. Tell him.”
    The thug shined his beam over the area. “You know, I think he’s right. There was a little statue right here.” He shined the light over the ground. Grass was still depressed from the base. “Yeah, there was another one here.”
    Starface stepped in front of Sam. “Better not be fucking with me. You stuck it in a statue that isn’t here?”
    “I swear. I wouldn’t bring you out here just to piss you off.” Sweat rolled down Sam’s face and dripped off his chin. A stream pooled along his bound hands. He swallowed, panting.
    Starface appraised Sam for a moment, then nodded. “I believe you. Move out.”
    Sam’s breath wheezed out in relief. He stumbled behind Starface who walked away from the square and down a side street then turned between two buildings.
    “I’ll get it back, make everything right, okay?” Sam offered. “Whatever it takes to make you happy, you got it.”
    “Really? Anything?” Starface stopped next to a Dumpster that smelled nasty where bums had pissed beside it. The star-shaped birthmark on his cheek puffed when he smiled.
    Sam took that as encouraging. “You got it. Just say the word.” He grinned, seeing a light at the end of the tunnel.
    “Dorvan. Make me happy.”
    Sam’s mouth opened, but Dorvan’s gloved paw clamped over his lips. A sharp pain seared his chest where Dorvan shoved the blade deep. Double pain when the blade jerked out. Sam crumpled, his head bouncing against the gravel and dirt, throat gurgling. He tried to breathe, scream. Nothing.
    Starface snapped his fingers at Dorvan. “Find that statue. Get my memory card. We got forty-eight hours to deliver it.”
    Sam stared at the empty alley.
    The memory card with damning photos and a video… now someone else’s problem.
    Tears ran from his eyes. His heartbeat slowed. Each harsh breath rattled in his chest. Starface watched him, clearly waiting to make sure dead men didn’t talk.
    Screw all these bastards. Sam clenched against a racking pain and forced a smile at the asshole just to worry him.
    It worked.
    Starface’s confident smile lost shape.
    Blood poured from Sam’s mouth. He was drowning and couldn’t say another word if it would save his life. He closed his eyes, prepared to wait for Starface at the gates of hell.
    Good fucking luck to whoever had that memory card now.
    J EREMY TAPPED HIS fingers on his chest. Sleeping would be nice, maybe even possible if he could get that kiss with CeCe off his mind.
    Was she sleeping? What was she wearing? Anything?
    He covered his eyes with his hand, listening to the ceiling fan swoosh around in a steady rhythm. She’d changed her mind the minute her brother showed up. That said a lot, almost as much as the fact she’d been clearly unhappy when he introduced himself to her brother.
    Then the excuse for bailing out of