“We have the recording,” Mack said, out of breath. “Noah is going to hack into the audio and play Royce’s confession.”
“Mack, I—”
He cradled her face between his hands. “I know. I know. Let’s just do this thing, and then we can say all the things we need to say.”
They linked hands again and ran the same direction as Geoff.
“Where is everyone else?” Liv panted.
“Noah will stay in the van. I don’t know about Malcolm.”
The Russian held open the heavy door to the stairway. “Hurry,” he said, ushering them through.
They jogged down the stairs two at a time, their heavy footfalls and heavier breathing the only sounds in the concrete walls. The Russian ran ahead and turned a corner to the ground level.
He grunted suddenly and let out a Russian curse.
Liv and Mack locked eyes before bolting down the last few steps. “What’s wrong,” Mack barked as they rounded the corner.
The Russian was crouched over someone on the ground. Oh, shit.
“Geoff!” Liv dropped to her knees. Geoff was on his side, eyes closed.
“He is out cold,” the Russian said. “Like hockey player knocked into the glass.”
“What happened?” Mack patted Geoff’s face. “Come on, man. Wake up.”
“The folders are gone,” Liv whispered.
A sinister voice responded behind them. “These folders?”
Liv jumped and spun around.
And face-planted into a massive chest that smelled like salami.
She lifted her gaze to find ice-blue eyes glaring down.
CHAPTER THIRTY
“I knew you’d try to pull something,” Sam sneered, holding the folders aloft in his massive hand. “What are these?”
“The truth,” Liv spit out, her voice echoing inside the concrete cavern.
Mack wrapped his arm around Liv’s waist and pulled her against his chest. Geoff groaned on the cold, dirty ground and rolled onto his back.
“What did you do to him?” Liv asked.
Sam shrugged. “Just a bump on the head. He’ll wake up sooner or later.”
“It won’t matter how long you keep us in here,” Mack said. “Even if you stop us from getting those folders to the reporters, we have Royce’s confession on tape.”
Sam blinked. It was almost imperceptible, but it was there. Fear. He covered it with bluster. “You’re lying.”
“Nope,” Liv said. “And with Geoff’s help and Jessica’s, you’re going down too. You’ve been covering for him and doing his dirty work for years.”
Liv’s phone rang in her pocket. Sam glared. “Don’t answer it.”
“It’s all coming out, Sam,” Liv said. “It’s over. Just accept it and let us go.”
Now Mack’s phone rang. Everyone was looking for them.
“Now or never, Sam,” Mack said.
Sweat beaded on Sam’s brow. “I’m not going down for him.”
“That’s between you and the authorities. We just want to stop him. Either help us or don’t, but Royce is going down. Today.”
Sam spun and started to pace, panic fueling his steps. Mack met the Russian’s eyes. “Vlad?”
The Russian raised his eyebrows. “Yes?”
“Break his balls.”
Sam’s eyes registered the threat only a split second before a massive Russian fist met his face. Sam crumpled, the folders slipping from his hands. Liv squatted to gather them up, pausing just long enough to check on Sam. “Is he okay?”
The Russian hoisted Geoff over his shoulder. “He will be fine. Let’s go.”
“I don’t want you to get in trouble for hitting him,” Liv said, glancing over her shoulder as Mack grabbed her hand.
“Let me worry about that,” the Russian said. Or Vlad, as Mack called him. He actually had a name.
They ran into the alley behind the restaurant, their feet crunching broken asphalt as they ran toward the kitchen door. Riya stood just outside in her Savoy uniform and chef’s coat, biting her nails and pacing. When she spotted them, she nearly deflated in relief. But then she saw the Russian with Geoff over his shoulder. “Oh my God, what happened to him?”
“Sam hit him.”
Geoff’s voice rose above Vlad’s shoulder. “What’s happening? Why am I upside down?”
“Here,” Liv said, shoving the folders at Riya. “Go.”
Riya shook her head, and time stood still as Liv registered the look on her friend’s face. “No,” Liv breathed. “We’re too late?”
“They’ve already started letting people in. We can’t switch the folders now.”
No. Dammit, no! Liv dragged her hands through her hair. Mack punched his fist into his other hand and cursed.
“We still have the recording,” he said. “Let me call Noah.”
Liv sucked in a breath. She needed to think. Regroup. “Where are Jessica and Alexis?”
Riya swallowed hard. “They tried to call you.”
Dread filled Liv’s stomach. “Where are they?”
“Inside. They’re going to just confront him in front of everyone.”