Page 114 of Killer Confections

To. My. Wife.

My fists clench and I nearly pull Rowan to the garage to discuss this further until Dale steps forward and nods toward the back door.

“Can I speak with you? Rowan too.”

My brother and I exchange a look, and Loxley throws her hands up. “Why am I being excluded? My fucking best friend is missing!”

I hold her tightly, hating how broken she sounds. I hate the sight of her tears even more. “Hey, we’re gonna find her, Short Stack. Rowan already sent a search party out for her. She’ll be back before you know it.”

She looks at me, her bottom lip wobbling, and I just want to kiss the hurt away. “But what if they hurt her, Atlas? She’s my best friend—”

I shush her, tucking her head into my chest as I speak low in her ear. “We’re gonna find her, okay? I’ll make sure our best guys are on it. Dale has some news about the search for Kai, so we may have a lead. They won’t hurt her if they’re wanting to use her as a bargaining chip.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Dale says carefully. “If they have her friend, Kai’s men will be more inclined to use Addison as bait rather than hurt her.”

Loxley seems to relax. It’s only a fraction, but it’s better than her sobbing. I can’t take it anymore. It physically pains me to know she’s hurting and I can’t ease it somehow.

“That’s a good thing, right?” Loxley asks hopefully.

We all exchange a look before Rowan sighs and finally looks at her. His expression softens, but there’s something else there.Regret. “We have about forty-eight hours until her chances of survival drop. We need to find her. Soon.”

Loxley takes a ragged breath, nodding. My brave girl.

“Okay,” she mumbles, looking tired. “Do what you have to. Is there anything you need from me?”

Dale clears his throat. “Have you gotten any texts or calls from unknown numbers?”

My wife frowns. “No.”

He nods. “If you do, bring them straight to Alana so she can try to get an address. Kai has a hideout somewhere around here.”

“Okay,” she mutters. “I need to lay down…”

I kiss her temple. “Go to bed, baby. I’ll be there in just a minute.”

She nods before giving the others a little wave and heading for the bedroom. She looks like a zombie and a rage I’m not used to has me shooting up from my seat the moment our bedroom door closes.

I point a finger at Rowan’s chest, getting in his face as my lips draw back. “You fuckingliedto her! What are you hiding?”

He stares at me blankly, his expression so impassive it’s robotic. “I didn’t lie. Addison is gone.”

I shake my head. “You better hope whatever the fuck you’re doing doesn’t hurt my wife anymore. Iwillburn you alive. Blood be damned.”

He remains stoic, only nodding to acknowledge my words.

Dale clears his throat, gaining our attention. “I hate to breakthisup, but I’ve got something to show you.”

He pulls out his phone before flipping to a gallery of photos. In the pictures, I can make out everything that made up Loxley’s apartment. The brightly colored couch and cushions, the pink duvet, and the kitchen full of baking pans.

Except everything is trashed. The couches have been ripped to shreds and white stuffing litters the floor. All the pots and pans in the kitchen look like they’ve had a bat taken to them. They’re all dented and bent beyond saving. Loxley’s bed looks like some sick fuck started a fire directly in the center.The sheets and covers burned to a black crisp. But the most eye-catching act of vandalism is the crimson blood smeared across the walls in a message.

An eye for an eye—K. Hayes

My jaw ticks. When I speak, my voice sounds deathly quiet. “And how did he get past us? Who was able to dismantle the security system without it alerting me?”

Dale shakes his head. “If I knew, I wouldn’t be here right now. I would be out looking to recruit the fucker for our branch.”

There were a few techs for the South branch with basic knowledge, but nothing extraordinary. Whoever this is, they were recruited from the outside…