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“No one,” I say, truthfully. Reaper, Nitro, and the prospects are watching Nina’s place. “Why do you think we have your kid? What did you tell the judge to get the warrant?”

“The last place his phone pinged was this house,” Curtis says.

“Bullshit,” Matrix says before spitting on the ground. “GPS isn’t that accurate. You might be able to narrow it down to maybe twenty meters, but anyone passing by on the highway could have pinged the local cell tower.”

“It pinged here, and then it went out. I know you have him. You boys like to think you’re above the law. You’ve gotten away with shit in the past, but if I find out you have my son, I’ll make sure you all get a lethal injection.”

“For kidnapping? That’s overkill, don’t ya think?” Talon asks sarcastically.

“It’s not even legal,” Matrix says.

“We don’t have your kid,” I say.

“You three stay out here,” Curtis says while pulling on a pair of gloves. “I don’t want to have to arrest you for obstruction.”

“Are you threatening me?” I get right in his face, toe to toe. I’m so close that I know he ate a cheeseburger for lunch.

An image pops into my mind. Curtis is dragging Max by his arm into a truck marked “Sheriff’s Department.” Max screams and cries, begging for someone to save him, but his father simply smiles. It’s a cold, evil look. It reminds me so much of Blackstone that I’m instantly nauseous. There’s no fucking way I’m letting Curtis’ plan come true. I’ll put a bullet in his head before I let him touch his kid again.

“Get the fuck out of my face.” Curtis slams his shoulder into mine as he passes me.

I’m about to lunge for him when Matrix shakes his head slightly. He’s right. I shouldn’t do anything more to inflame the situation, but I want to kick this motherfucker’s ass. When he gets his hands on his kid, he’s planning on beating the shit out of him. I feel it in my soul. There’s no fucking way I’m going to let that happen. I’m more determined than ever to do whatever it takes to keep Max safe.

The rest of the deputies filter inside, leaving Talon, Matrix, and me alone on the porch.

“This is bullshit. I don’t know how they got the judge to sign a warrant,” Matrix says.

“They all stick together,” I say bitterly.

“They won’t find anything,” Talon mutters. “I took care of everything.”

He’s talking about the guns. We’re always armed, but we also hide an armory in the basement. It’s behind a false wall, so unless someone knows where to look, they won’t see it. These cops are too stupid to find them. At least we have that going for us.

“How’d everything go last night?” Matrix whispers.

I hesitate because I don’t know how to answer. Everything went great with Max. He seemed more relaxed and happier, especially at breakfast this morning. But as far as Julia? That’s a much bigger question, one I’m not ready to answer.

“Fine,” I finally say.

“Sounds like it.” Talon smirks.

Nothing gets past him, but he’s also not nosey enough to pry. He knows I’ll talk about things when I’m ready. That’s the great thing about the guys. We don’t dig into each other’s business unless we think the other is in some kind of trouble. They don’t realize it yet, but I might be in a world of trouble. Not because of the cops or the kid, but because of the woman. As soon as the guys figure that out, they’ll be on me asking fifty million questions. I’m not ready to deal with that shit yet.

The cops take their time tossing stuff out of drawers and moving furniture. I watch them as best as I can through the open door. I don’t know why they think throwing silverware all over the floor will help. They’re probably doing it to spite us. Fuckers.

Anger simmers in my belly, but I’m smart enough to know we need to lay low. Let the sheriff look all he wants. He won’t find anything. And he won’t have any reason to look at us again. If we can get through this search, we’ll be free and clear. Then we can figure out what to do about Max.

Hours pass before the sheriff finally wanders out. He’s scowling, which brings a smile to my face.Fuck this guy.

“Find anything?” I ask sweetly.

“Nothing.”

“Because we don’t have your kid. Good luck finding him.” I put my hands on my hips and glare until he and his deputies leave, and I don’t relax until they’re all on the highway, heading back toward town.

“Get the prospects down here to clean this place up,” I say.

“Are you going back to Nina’s?” Talon asks.