Page 44 of Redeemed (Redeemed #1)

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Alexander

S omething isn’t right. My heart feels like it’s about to beat out of my chest. For the past forty minutes, I’ve been tracking the blue dot on the car Kennedy took to find Nathan and it hasn’t moved.

She rushed off the phone so quickly because someone was coming, and now, I can’t reach her. Her phone keeps going to voicemail.

Tori is pacing back and forth behind me, her feet sliding across the floor the soundtrack to this moment. I want to break something, but I know I need to keep calm and not freak her out.

“Alex, I’m sure she’s okay. Patrick should be here soon and then we can go look for her.”

No sooner are the words out of her mouth then the front door opens and footfalls are heading our way. Patrick and Cary round the corner to the kitchen, taking in the scene. Tori’s pacing freezes as she takes in both men standing in the doorway.

“What’s going on?” Patrick’s voice is full of tension, but he’s looking at Tori.

“Something’s wrong. Kennedy’s car hasn’t moved. I spoke with her about forty minutes ago.”

Cary moves further into the room. I notice that Tori is watching him with a curiosity I’ve seen on her face before.

“Where did she go?” The concern is etched all over Cary’s face.

“To Nathan’s apartment. She was pissed after the meeting tonight and then the news of Ms. Kathy didn’t make it better.” I relay the conversation I had with Kennedy.

“I still have access to her building. Let’s go,” Cary says, turning toward the door, not wasting a moment.

“I’m going too,” Tori says.

“No,” three voices ring out in a command. Curious and unsure glances are traded around the room.

“What the fuck is going on?” Tori demands.

“Too much information to explain and not enough time to do so. Kennedy could be in danger and I’m not dragging you in the middle of it. Patrick, call security and tell them to stay at the main house with Tori, then let’s go.”

Tori will have to be pissed off until we’re back. I check the tracker again and the blue dot continues to flash at me from the same spot.

I’m moving through the house, and Cary is right beside me, looking over his shoulder. Patrick is speaking with Tori, running his hand over her hair, and she’s nodding in agreement with whatever he’s saying. In this moment, I’m thankful I’m not handling this alone.

“She’ll be okay,” Cary says to me as we climb into the car.

“Is my panic that obvious?”

“Yes, but it’s understandable. Just remember who she is and who trained her to be that way.”

I nod my head as Patrick climbs into the driver’s seat, and then we take off into the night, not sure where this turn of events is going to take us.

Twenty minutes later, we are pulling into the parking garage of Kennedy’s building. We quickly locate the car she drove tonight—it’s empty and nothing looks out of place which only makes me panic more.

We file into the elevator, Cary swiping the key card and sending us soaring toward the top floor.

I take deep breaths, regulating my heart.

I need to be in control in case she needs me.

When the elevator dings, I pull my gun and walk toward the apartment Kennedy shared with Nathan.

I want to kick the fucking door in, but I hold on to the last bit of restraint I have.

In the car, on the way here, we discussed that Patrick would knock on the door because he’s the only one of us that Nathan wouldn’t recognize.

He steps up to the door, raises his hand to knock, but the door swings open to Nathan pointing a gun in his direction.

Cary and I both draw our guns toward him.

“What the fuck are y’all doing here?” he spits out in anger.

If he’s shocked by our presence, he’s hiding it well. There’s a fresh bruise blooming under his eye, and I want to add to the damage.

“Where is she?”

“She’s not here.” A smirk creeps onto his lips. “Already losing track of her? She’s a slippery one.”

“He might not shoot you, but I will.” Cary speaks up, releasing the safety from his gun and I’m glad to know I’m not the only one that has a problem with this fucker. I move in closer, already tired of this game he’s trying to play.

“Cut the shit. Where is she? The car she drove here hasn’t moved.”

Nathan looks as if he might throw up.

“Fuck.” He turns and moves deeper into the apartment. We follow him because he clearly knows something we don’t.

He’s looking down at his phone and I inch closer, catching the video feed from the hall in time to watch Kennedy leave the apartment.

She’s waiting by the elevator when a man dressed in a maintenance uniform comes out of the stairwell.

She acknowledges him as he walks by, and when she turns her head, he attacks.

They scuffle silently for a moment before he has her in a lock and a needle is pushed into her neck.

The man speaks into an earpiece and another person emerges from the stairwell, taking Kennedy’s body.

My blood runs cold. She was taken and it’s this asshole’s fault.

If he wouldn’t have set up that meeting, she would’ve never had a reason to come here.

My fist connects with Nathan’s jaw, and he drops.

I’m on him in an instant, raining down hit after hit until I feel arms around me, pulling me away.

He didn’t even fight back, just put up his arm to keep from being knocked out.

“I swear, I didn’t know this would happen. She left and was gone for thirty minutes before some of Ashton’s people showed up here. He’s pissed I couldn’t get her to leave with me tonight. He wants her back in Texas.”

“Let’s go. We need to leave tonight.” I spit at Nathan’s feet before turning to leave.

“I’m coming with you. She’s going to believe I set her up.” There’s remorse in his eyes, and I want to hit him again. “I can’t have her believe that all of this was part of some orchestrated plan on my part. I really thought I could protect her from him.”

“Like hell you are. I hope she thinks the worst of you for the rest of her days.”

“I can help you get on the compound. I know the property like the back of my head. Let me help.”

Cary and Patrick both look at me, ready to follow my cue. I’m trying to think clearly, but all I see is Kennedy’s limp body being pulled into a stairwell. I turn back to Nathan, getting right in his face.

“If you screw me over, I will murder you. I will carve you to pieces, limb by limb, and enjoy every fucking second of it.”

I’ve descended into a place in my mind that I haven’t visited in years, and I don’t hide that from my face. Nathan nods his head.

We take the stairwell down, where we find Kennedy’s phone is carelessly thrown in the corner.

We’ve barely left the apartment building, and I have Xavier Ross on the line, calling in Kennedy’s favor with The Reapers.

As a unit, we can sweep through Ashton Rose’s property.

If I know Xavier, he already has a layout of the compound—not one to take on clients without assurances.

“Where to, boss?” Patrick asks from beside me when I hang up with Xavier.

“Home. Xavier is meeting us there as soon as possible.

“Shit.”

“Who the fuck is Xavier?” Nathan pipes up.

I ignore them both, making one more phone call. He answers on the first ring.

“Ellis, is your private jet in use?”