Page 17 of Caught in the Crossfire

I had to regain my control. The Shadows needed their leader.

We needed our queen.

“You can find her, Ciel. I know it. Tracker or satellite, keep up your search.”

“And hurry the fuck up!” Ryuji called, his hands fisted at his sides. Blood stained his clothes, just the same as mine. We were hunting for vengeance, and he was the bloodthirstiest of us all.

I shot him a glare while Caspian clasped his shoulder. “Ryu is just?—”

“I—I know,” Ciel said from the other side of the line. “I know how much he loves her. We all do. Trust me, Obi. I can do this.”

“I trust you, Ciel.”

“Come on,” Caspian said while reloading his guns. We had just pulled up at the next location on my list. Another strip club that was bustling with customers. “Before they catch wind of us coming.”

I ended the call with Ciel and followed my brothers around to the back of the building. Caspian kicked the back door open, and Ryuji followed him in immediately. It was easy to get control of the club. The employees and customers ran quickly, just like the last ones. The men running the club tried to fight, but we made quick work of them. We tied them all to chairs and lined them up in front of the dance floor.

I went through the same set of questions as the last three businesses we’d burned to the ground. The first two men didn’t respond immediately, so I shot them in the head without hesitation.

When I reached the third, I finally got some answers.

“Leona Vero. Which Clan took her?”

The man grinned. “The Vero woman. She will fetch a high price.”

Ice filtered through my veins. Caspian and Ryuji paused beside me. All three of us gathered closer. I held out my hand to stop Ryuji from immediately stabbing him.

“Tell me where she is.”

He shrugged. “Don’t know.”

“Sounds like you do know, you cocksucker,” Ryuji seethed.

“I didn’t take her.” The man sucked his teeth. “Don’t know.”

“What’s your Clan name?” I asked.

The man spit at my feet. It landed in a glob on my boot. “Vokshi. No more Clans. Just Vokshi.”

I frowned. “Explain.”

He shook his head. “Kill me and be done with it. You have what you want.”

“Fine.” I called Ciel just as I aimed my gun at the man’s head. Ciel picked up right after I pulled the trigger. “The Vokshi Clan.”

Hehmm’d. “I’ll look into it.”

He hung up, and I looked to Caspian and Ryuji. Ryuji slit the throats of the other men with a feral fury on his face, while Caspian got the rest of our gasoline from the back of our armored SUV. Death surrounded us on all sides.

It was only the beginning.

7

LEONA

The only way we knew time passed was because of Max’s watch. Another day crept by, no food, no water. We were quiet, barely even speaking to one another, but the Albanians didn’t leave us alone.

When they came back, we didn’t go down to the cargo hold. This time, they forced me to leave the cell, and they caged Max in so he could watch from the other side of the bars.