Chapter 33 Plotting For
Years
A powerful hand clamped around Ray’s throat, fingers digging in so tightly that the veins on the hand stood out like thick ropes, strangling the air from his lungs.
William’s jaw tightened, his teeth grinding together as he spat out each word through clenched teeth, “Tell me. Where is my wife?”
Denton, standing nearby, felt his heart pound. He could see the wild fury in William’s eyes and feared he might actually go too far. “Easy, bro…” he warned, voice taut with
unease.
But William didn’t loosen his grip. Ray’s face was turning a sickly shade of purple, his pupils beginning to dilate. “William!” Denton shouted, his voice sharp enough to cut through the tension.
Finally, William let go.
Ray collapsed, coughing violently, sucking in ragged breaths. But even as he wheezed
for air, a twisted grin spread across his face. Stark naked, bruises already forming on his throat, he still had the audacity to taunt William. “Come on! Kill me,” he rasped between coughs. “If you don’t do it today, I swear, you’ll regret it later.”
William’s foot shot out in response, catching Ray square in the ribs. His head lolled to
the side as unconsciousness claimed him.
Denton let out a slow breath, eyeing Ray’s limp body. “Now what? Do you think he’s
telling the truth? That he has Renee? Otherwise, why the hell can’t we find her?”
William pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose, trying to soothe the throbbing headache forming there. He had been through countless dangerous missions, situations
where a single wrong move meant death. But nothing-nothing-had ever made him
feel this anxious before.
“Dig into his life. Start with everyone he has been in contact with over the past six months. If that gets us nowhere, go further back. A year, five years-hell, comb through his whole damn history if you have to. Leave no stone unturned.”
The commotion they’d made didn’t go unnoticed. Ryland was still reeling from the revelation. Michael was actually Ray? His mind struggled to reconcile the two identities -how could the charming, seemingly gentle Michael be the same pathetic, sniveling Ray from their childhood?
But that wasn’t even the strangest part. Even if Ray had a grudge against Renee, it didn’t make sense. The so-called conflict between them had been nothing more than silly childhood spats.
As kids, Renee had ruled the neighborhood like a queen, always surrounded by her little band of followers. She had zero patience for crybabies-like Sylvia and Ray.
With William always looking out for Sylvia, Renee had turned her attention to Ray, pushing him to toughen up. She would make him stand in a corner, forbidding him to move or cry. In her defense, she was doing him a favor, turning a wimp into a warrior.
Was that really enough reason for Ray to pull something like this? Ryland doubted it.
And then, a disturbing thought struck Ryland. Ray didn’t used to look like this. Not at all. In fact… he didn’t resemble William one bit. Had Ray undergone plastic surgery? And-Ryland’s stomach twisted at the realization-had he specifically altered his face to look like William? But why?
Meanwhile, Denton placed a thick file on the table in front of William. “You’re not
going to like this,” Denton said grimly. “Ray’s been planning this for years. He has had three plastic surgeries-all to make himself look like you. The first one? Three years ago.”
That meant this wasn’t some impulsive act. Ray had been scheming to get close to Renee for a long, long time.
Denton exhaled, glancing at William. “What the hell kind of grudge does Ray have against Renee?”
William’s expression was unreadable, but the worry in his eyes was unmistakable. If
Renee had been taken by an ordinary kidnapper, they could assume it was for ransom
or power. But Ray?
“Find out everything,” William ordered. “His childhood, his past, every single thing that’s ever happened to him. I want to know why he’s doing this.”
Just then, his phone rang. William barely had to glance at the screen to know who it was. With a sigh, he ran a hand through his hair before answering.
The moment he picked up, a furious voice roared through the speaker. “You brat! What
the hell do you think you’re doing?! You suddenly applied for a transfer back to Tofral?! And now you’re dragging the intelligence agency into your mess, looking for someone?! You’ve lost your damn mind! This is completely out of line! Get your ass back here.
NOW!”
