Page 30 of Fall of Hellfire (Hellfire Society #3)

"A, stay here with Ali. I don't want to risk one of the other two escaping, not when we are so close to the finish line.

" Riot snorts like I just told a joke, but I ignore him. I know why he thinks it’s funny, there is no way Ethan or Henry is escaping the basement, not in their condition.

"Ri, gear up. I doubt it will have an army, not if he is trying to blend in, but let’s be ready.

A man like James can be unpredictable when cornered.

" Both men nod before heading out and leaving me to get ready as well.

This has been a long time coming, and to say I'm a bit excited for the hunt is an understatement.

Ready or not, here we come.

R iot and I left with in minutes of ending the call with James. I told James I was giving him twenty-four hours to tuck tail and run, but I know he won't. His pride won't let him. Plus, now that we have his whereabouts, we don't plan to sit around and wait for his next move.

Pulling up to the neighborhood, we do a slow drive-by.

We decided to take one of the Black's smaller vehicles so that it would blend in better and we wouldn't have to park so far away to keep out of sight.

It's dark out, with only a few street lights lighting the area.

Most people are tucked away in their homes for the night, so the street is quiet as well.

When we pass the house, I spot a light on on the upper floor, but the bottom floor is dark.

Which could mean he doesn't have any guard dogs patrolling.

We park a few houses down and wait for another thirty minutes, watching for any movements. When nothing happens that whole time, not even a shadow crossing a window, it's now or never. As quickly and quietly as we can, we exit the car and move to the shadows to creep closer to the house.

Luckily, after William was killed, all three of our mothers took off.

Some sort of resort vacation in Sweden or something.

Which worked out for us because, yeah, they were not blind to the way our fathers were, but they never spoke up.

They were just as much pawns in their games as they tried to make us.

I'm sure once the money runs out, they will come back, but that is a concern for another day.

We dart in and out of yards until we get to the house in question.

Moving up to the side of the house, I give Riot the hand signal to split up.

I'll take the back and he will enter from the front.

Readying our weapons, I nod and we move.

Riot slinks into the shadows while I move to the back of the house where a sliding glass door is set.

When I get to the door frame, I peek around the edge and into the kitchen.

Just like everything else, it's dark, a single stovetop light illuminating the small space.

Reaching for the door, I nudge it, but it doesn't move.

Bending, I pull out the locking tools and make quick work of the simple lock. James is making this all too easy.

Once in, I stay low and move my way around the lower floor until I meet Ri on the staircase.

Tapping his ear twice, he points up, letting me know he heard movement.

Giving him a nod, we move up one step at a time.

We keep our steps gentle but firm, making sure we don't make any noise and alert anyone above.

The landing on the second-floor splits in two directions, but when I spot the light under one of the doors to the left I move in that direction.

Riot taking my cue, moves to the left. He will circle back once he clears the two doors in his direction.

Creeping up to the door I've set my eyes on, I pause to listen against the wood.

I can hear the murmurs of what sounds like a television but nothing else.

I wait for Riot to return, tapping me on the back to let me know it's clear and I can proceed. For half a second, I think we might be wrong. That somehow James got the upper hand and outsmarted us, but then I remember how cocky and sure he sounded over the phone. No, he is here and this ends now.

Slowly I reach for the door; it's unlocked so I turn the knob and ease the door open as quietly as I can. I'm standing to the side in case anyone opens fire, but the sight that greets me when the door opens fully is nothing short of a Christmas miracle.

There on the bed lies James Grant. A bottle of whiskey in his hands, but completely passed out. It couldn't have worked out better than this as I make my approach, keeping my steps light. But when I shove at the man with the tip of my Glock he doesn't budge.

"Damn it, I wanted to get my hands dirty," Riot grumbles, moving to check the closet and ensuite bathroom.

Ignoring him, I tuck my gun away, raise my fist, and thrust it into James's stomach.

The man jerks, splutters, and then tumbles off the bed in a daze.

His eyes are wild as he searches the room before they land on me.

I'm already grinning as his face completely shatters at the realization. "I told you I would find you."