Page 73

Jono and Tex circled wide to block the street exit while Gunner and I approached directly. Tik Tac didn't notice us until I was almost upon him, his eyes widening in shock as he fumbled for something in his cut.
I tackled him before he could reach whatever weapon he was going for, driving him to the ground with enough force to knockthe wind from his lungs. The duffel bag and a phone skidded across the asphalt.
"Where is he?" I growled, pinning him with my forearm across his throat.
"Bear, I can explain—" he choked out.
I increased the pressure. "You've got ten seconds."
Tik Tac's eyes bulged as he struggled for air. "My dad," he gasped. "I had to."
I eased up slightly, just enough to let him speak. "Keep talking."
"Coombes has been blackmailing him for years," Ti-Tac wheezed. "There was an accident at the construction site—it wasn't an accident. Dad cut corners on safety equipment to save money because the recession meant he was losing everything. When that worker died, Coombes stepped in. Paid off the family, the inspectors, everyone."
"In exchange for what?" Bolt demanded, retrieving the duffel bag and checking its contents.
"Loyalty," Tik Tac said bitterly. "Dad's company does whatever dirty work Coombes needs. Builds to less-than-code when required, demolishes 'problems,' no questions asked."
"And you?" I pressed, my voice deadly quiet. "What was your price for betraying the club?”
He shook his head. “I was deployed when everything went down, and I came out to find Dad up to his eyeballs in this mess. Mom…” he swallowed. “She’s just finished her second round of chemo. She can’t…she’s not strong enough for this. If Dad went to jail, it’d kill her.”
“Fuck,” I snapped and let Tik Tac go.
“But he won’t hurt him,” Tik Tac rushed out. "One of his old Doms has done a deal with Coombes. I said I couldn’t be involved if he was going to get hurt. Coombes told me this guyhas got a ton of fancy foreign houses, and he just wants to take Matty and spoil him.”
My blood ran cold. “And you fucking believed him?” I roared.
Tik-Tac flinched under my fury, his face ashen. "I didn't have a choice."
"There's always a choice," Jono said, his voice low and dangerous. "You chose wrong."
I grabbed Tik Tac by his cut, hauling him to his feet. "Who's this Dom? Where did they take Matty?"
"I don't know his name," Tik Tac stammered. "Coombes just said he had history with Matty."
My mind raced, connecting dots. "Degrassi," I growled. "James Degrassi."
Tik Tac's eyes widened in recognition. "Yeah, that sounds right. Rich guy, fancy suits."
"Where?" I demanded, shaking him. "Where would they take him?"
"I don't know exactly," Tik Tac said, his voice breaking.
"What about your dad's places?"
He shook his head then paused. "My dad is keeping a warehouse sitting empty, which makes no sense."
"Address," Jono snapped, already pulling out his phone. Tik Tac rattled it off, while Jono snatched his duffel and looked through it. A couple of changes of clothes, a small amount of cash.
“Mom has a sister who has a place up in the mountains. I was going to get it ready. Then Aunty Kath is bringing Mom up there tomorrow now that she's finished the treatment.”
Jono glanced at me. “We can't let him go. All it would take is them threatening his mom.”
Tik Tac met my gaze. “I’m sorry. I really liked Matty, but Mom only has me. Dad is useless. I couldn’t do anything until she’dfinished the treatment. They only contacted me when they found out about you.”
“My worry is if they have him in some warehouse, the moment they see us, he’ll be—” Jono didn’t finish the sentence. He didn’t have to.