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TWENTY-ONE

MADDOX

“THAT WAS CRAZY.” Audrey widens her eyes at me as she sets her purse on the desk in our hotel room. “I totally didn’t expect it to be Butch meeting us at the restaurant.”

“That makes two of us.” Not for a single second did I think I’d recognize the man Pierce found for us to speak with.

In spite of what we’ve learned about the Memphis PD, not for a single second did I expect that man to tell us taking the lawful route to deal with Trevor probably wouldn’t be an option, but here we are.

And I’m not mad about it. I’m also not mad at the rest of what he told us. Because now there’s nothing stopping me from doing what I’ve wanted to do nearly this whole time.

“Do you think Pierce will want to keep Butch involved if he can’t help us prosecute Trevor and everyone else involved with him?

” Audrey’s been working to wrap her head around this new development since we left the restaurant.

I’m sure finding out Trevor wasn’t top dog was a bit of a mindfuck for her.

He held so much power in her life for so long, it was probably easy to assume he held that power everywhere.

“I think if there’s any chance Butch can help us find Becca’s sister, Pierce will want him involved.”

Taking these assholes down has been temporarily moved to the back burner now that we know we haven’t even come close to finding the top of the food chain.

It will take us time to follow the path upward.

But it sounds like Butch can help us with that too.

He’s managed to collect a pretty decent amount of intel on this group and is willing to share all of it.

Which means our reasons to keep Trevor alive have dwindled to nothing.

“What do you think will happen to Butch if the police department finds out he’s working with Alaskan Security?” Audrey asks, her brows pinched together in concern.

I’m not sure if it’s for Butch or Alaskan Security, or if she’s worried he’ll back out of this deal. I want to calm her fears, but I can’t make myself lie.

“Based on what he said, they probably won’t take it well.”

It sounds like Butch already has one foot out the door.

He’s jaded and frustrated and disgusted with the way the department is run.

He claims he’s only stayed as long as he has because he hoped he could turn things around.

But he’s only one man, and money and power are hugely motivating factors for most people. Factors they won’t give up easily.

Audrey frowns. “Do you think he’ll get in trouble?”

“Trouble?” Trouble is relative in my line of work, and it seems like Butch is toeing that line pretty hard. “I think getting in trouble is probably the least of his worries.”

Audrey’s eyes widen and her voice drops to a whisper even though we’re alone. “Do you think they’ll try to hurt him?”

“Anything is possible at this point.”

I move close, pulling her against me. Spending all day worrying about having her out in public has made me restless. I want to hold her close. Remind myself she’s safe with me.

And she’ll be even safer once I do a little light housekeeping.

Audrey wraps both arms around my waist, resting her head on my chest. “I’m so tired of this.

” She lifts her eyes to my face. “What are we going to do now? Our whole plan to use what I found on Trevor’s computer to get him arrested is out the window.

” Worry pinches her expression. “And how are we ever going to find Becca’s sister when she could be literally anywhere? ”

“We’ll find her.” But Trevor’s no longer the key to accomplishing that. Butch is.

And I like our odds.

But first, I’m going to take care of the top task on my list.

“Sweetheart, I’ve got to run an errand.” I cup Audrey’s face in my hands. “I’m taking either Luca or Owen with me. Who do you want to stay here with you and Becca?”

Audrey’s blue eyes move over mine. “Are you going to go kill Trevor?”

“No.” I brush my thumbs against her soft skin. “I’m going to get your dog.” I lean in to press a kiss to her lips. “ Then I’m gonna kill Trevor.”

LUCA SITS BEHIND the wheel, glowering.

Audrey suggested I take him. Good call. He probably needs to let off some steam after Butch basically swooped in and stole Becca’s attention.

Not that she’d paid much attention to Luca or Owen to start with, but I feel like it would be a bad time to point that out.

I guess that’s one of the pluses to being the way I am.

I’m not one to set my sights on a woman I don’t know.

Even Audrey. My attraction to her was unusually instant, but even then I needed a little time being close to her before I was ready to act on it.

It was literally just a little time, but still way more than Luca’s spent with Becca. He’ll realize there wasn’t anything between them eventually, but tonight he’s still pissed. Or maybe disappointed. They tend to look a lot alike.

For now, I can offer him one hell of a distraction.

“I say we start at his house. If he’s there, this will be over pretty quickly.” Part of me wants that. To bring Audrey her best friend back and rid her of the shit stinking up her life.

Another part of me wants to hunt Trevor down. For him to know I’m coming. To look over his shoulder, always expecting to find me there.

But I’ll take what I can get, because more than anything, I want Audrey to myself.

I want her smile brightening up my house.

Her scent filling my lungs. Her body warming my bed.

And that can’t happen as long as Trevor’s breathing.

Audrey’s too protective of the people she cares about.

And I love that about her. No way will I force her to go to Nashville—close to Savannah—until she feels safe doing it.

“Hopefully he’ll have friends over, because I could use a little entertainment tonight.” Luca grips the wheel tighter. “Does Pierce know we're doing this?”

“We have his full support.” He agreed that since we now have Butch helping us navigate the hierarchy, Trevor’s existence is pointless. I also got the feeling Intel was able to scrape a good amount of data from what Audrey gave them, nullifying the need for Trevor to continue breathing even more.

Luca taps one finger against the wheel, looking as restless as I feel. “When I talked to him earlier, he mentioned sending Zeke and a few more guys here tomorrow since it doesn’t seem like this is going to be as simple as we thought.”

I huff out a laugh. “This has never been as simple as we thought.” It got complicated before I even parked my fucking car and has only gone downhill since. “But to be fair, nothing’s ever as simple as we think it’s going to be.”

Luca laughs, a little of his upbeat personality coming through the gloom he brought for the ride. “Isn’t that the fucking truth.”

We turn into the subdivision where Trevor lives. The same subdivision I rescued Audrey from less than a year ago. The houses are just as nice as I remember. Big and new and expensive, with flashy cars in the driveway and meticulously manicured lawns.

“Nice neighborhood.” Luca glances my way, a smirk lifting the corner of his mouth. “I almost feel bad we’re about to lower their property value.”

“I’m sure they’ll be just fine.” I grin. “And it only lowers their property value if people know what happened.” I shake my head. “I don’t plan on leaving evidence behind.”

I’ll drive Trevor’s dead body all the way to Alaska if that’s what it takes to make it disappear. I don’t care. All that matters is erasing him from Audrey’s life.

“Sounds like a plan to me.” Luca slows as we near the address he plugged into the GPS. His brows pinch together as he scans our destination. “Looks pretty dark in there.”

My hopes for finding Trevor and eliminating him tonight sink. “Let’s go in and see what we can find. If we’re lucky, he’s just in bed.” I doubt it, but anything’s possible.

Maybe not plausible though. Even at night, most houses have some sort of light inside. Appliances glowing. Nightlights illuminating hallways and bathrooms. Televisions left on. Something.

Trevor’s house is pitch black. It makes me think we might not be the first to pay him a visit.

Luca must be thinking the same thing, because he drives past. “Let’s park somewhere else and come in on foot.”

A few minutes later, our car is stashed in an area where it won’t be conspicuous, and we’re closing in on the backside of Trevor’s home. Like the front, it’s completely dark. Not a single sign of any sort of light permeates the blinds or curtains.

Instead of going for a door or window, I make a path along the perimeter.

What I’m looking for is in a similar spot on most homes, so I find it relatively easily.

The unchanging electric meter attached to the brick at the back corner of the house confirms my suspicions. “Looks like someone cut the power.”

“For the record, I’m not cleaning up anyone else’s mess, so if we get in there and he’s already been taken care of, we’re leaving his fucking ass.” Luca wrinkles his nose. “God I hope it’s fresh.”

I wince, my stomach turning at the thought. “If I don’t get to kill him, I sure as fuck don’t want to have to smell his stink.” I want Trevor dead, but I’d prefer for it to occur under certain parameters, and none of them involve me dealing with decomposition.

“I’ll go first just in case.” This is my plan. My job. If anyone has to get a whiff of dead Trevor, it should probably be me.

Luca falls in behind me as I make my way across the backside of the large home, testing windows and doors as I go. I reach what seems to be a breakfast room, and the side sash of the bay window slides open. It’s not a huge opening, but there’s enough room for me to squeeze through.

I’m just gripping the sill, intending to heft myself up, when Luca gives me a light whistle, dragging my attention where he’s moved a few feet away. His white teeth flash in the moonlight as he grins at me. “I’m gonna use the door.” He disappears through the opening, and I roll my eyes.