Page 67

The second, sent a few minutes later: "Good boy. Now stay there. And remember, we're watching. Any attempt to warn them, and we push the button."
And finally, the last message: "Open the back door now or we blow the clubhouse. Your choice."
"Jesus Christ," I breathed, rage and fear colliding in my chest. "Jono, get everyone out of the clubhouse. They threatened to bomb it to lure Matty away."
"On it," Jono replied, and I could hear him already shouting orders. "Are there specifics?"
"I don't know," I admitted, scanning the texts again. "Could be a bluff to isolate him, but after the strip club..."
"Not taking chances," Jono said firmly. "I'm evacuating now."
I ended the call, my mind racing. Matty had gone willingly to protect everyone. He'd walked into danger alone rather than risk the lives of people he barely knew. The thought made my chest ache with a complicated mix of pride and terror.
I moved through the cabin again, searching for any clue about where they might have taken him. The back door opened onto a secluded path that led to a service road—perfect for a quiet extraction.
My phone rang—Digger.
"Bear, we've got something. Club security picked up a black van leaving by the service road about fifteen minutes ago. No plates visible."
"Direction?" I demanded, already heading for my bike.
"Headed east toward the highway. Jono's organizing pursuit teams now."
"I want anything you can get, traffic cams, everything," I ordered. "And call Outback. I want to know if Coombes has moved from his estate."
"Already on it. Outback says Coombes has been home all day, but he made a series of calls right before the van was spotted."
I swore under my breath. Coombes was too smart to dirty his hands directly, but this had his fingerprints all over it.
"Bear," Digger said, his voice uncharacteristically gentle, "we'll find him."
I ended the call without responding, running back to the clubhouse. “Jono,” I bellowed just as the members checking the building all came out shaking their heads.
“It’s safe.”
Not that I doubted it, because there was no way even a trusted member could get away with planting bombs. Then I registered the texts. I stopped by Jono and practically dragged him out of earshot. “I found his phone and whoever was texting him had eyes on him. It has to be someone here.”
Jono’s mouth firmed. “Likely possibilities?”
“Sophie and Rider for starters.”
He nodded and immediately had Tex, Tik Tac and Gunner secure them both and drag them to the basement. Sophie started screeching, but Rider looked like he was gonna pass out. Bolt stepped up. “Annabel is with Daisy. It’s been a while but I’m with you.”
I nodded and glanced at Jono. “I’m doing this.” If they were involved, I was going to find out.
Chapter seventeen
Matty
I woke to thesensation of something cold and metallic encircling my neck. My eyelids felt impossibly heavy, but I forced them open, blinking as the world slowly came into focus.
The first thing I registered was that I was sitting in a chair, my wrists bound to the armrests. The second was that I wasn't alone.
"Welcome back, pet," said a voice I'd hoped never to hear again.
James Degrassi sat across from me, legs crossed casually, watching me with the detached interest of someone observingan insect under glass. He looked exactly as I remembered—perfectly tailored suit, silver cufflinks, that thin smile that never reached his eyes.
I tried to move, only to discover my ankles were also secured to the chair legs. The metal around my neck, I realized with growing horror, was a collar—heavy and unyielding. A chain ran from it to Degrassi's hand.