Page 49

TWENTY-FIVE

MADDOX

THE CLOCK ON the nightstand next to me is positive Audrey only left ten minutes ago, but I’m not convinced. I was hoping her visit with Becca would be quick, but the situation must be more involved than I thought.

I have a sister and a mother. I know periods can be a nightmare. It’s possible Becca needs more than just the items Audrey had on hand.

“So many fucking interruptions.”

I swing both legs over the side of the bed and stand, collecting my clothes and pulling them on before shoving both feet into my boots.

Audrey hasn’t been gone long, but if Becca needs pain medication or a heating pad, I’d rather get it done and out of the way so I can have Audrey to myself for the rest of the evening.

I want time to make her happy before I have to tell her Butch is pretty certain Trevor’s still alive.

He overheard a few cops he’s suspicious are part of the group responsible for protecting Trevor and his ilk talking when he went into the precinct.

They were quietly discussing someone who’d gone missing right before they were supposed to have a meeting with a guy they only referred to as ‘the man’.

They clammed up once they noticed Butch nearby, so he wasn’t able to get anything additional.

But that was enough to tell me two things. I might still have the chance to kill Trevor, and whoever’s in charge of this whole criminal enterprise is more than a piece of shit, he’s also a twat.

The man . Fucking idiot.

After tucking in my shirt, I grab our room key and head out, going down the hall to Becca’s door. I knock and wait. And wait.

And wait.

Luca must have heard me, because after my second knock, he pokes his head out of the room he shares with Owen. “What’s going on?”

“Audrey came down to check on Becca, but she hasn’t come back.” I knock again. “They’re not with you guys, are they?”

“Hang on.” Luca disappears into his room and comes back out carrying a key card. He swipes it across the scanner on Becca’s door before cracking it open. “Becca? Audrey? We’re coming in.” He pushes it wide and steps inside.

I follow him and stop short.

The room’s empty.

There aren’t many places they could be. If they’re not with me and they’re not with Luca and Owen, I can only think of one other spot they might have gone.

“Maybe they went to the front desk.” I bite down on the unease creeping over my skin.

It’s the same feeling I had the night I woke up and couldn’t fall back asleep.

The same night Darion called telling us to get the hell out.

I know what this feeling means, but I don’t want to consider it. “Get Owen.”

I head for the stairwell, knowing I can get to the main floor faster on foot than I can if I wait for the elevator. Owen and Luca catch up with me just as I reach my destination, and the three of us storm out into the lobby.

A lobby packed with fucking kids.

“What in the hell is going on?” Owen scans the area. “How are we gonna find them in this?”

“Quickly.” The bad feeling I have is only getting worse, and I start elbowing my way through the crowd, looking for the familiar head of wavy blonde hair that slides through my fingers every night.

I’m halfway across the room when a freckle-faced girl with bright red hair steps in my path. “Are you looking for those two ladies?”

I zero in on her. “One blonde and one with dark hair and glasses?”

She nods, pointing toward the back exit of the hotel. “They went out that way with the guys they were with.” Her nose wrinkles. “They didn’t look very excited about it though.”

Thank fucking God for nosy teenagers. “How long ago?”

She shrugs. “Maybe five minutes?” Her brows pinch together. “Could be more. I was watching cooking videos on my phone.”

Videos . Good call.

I thank her before turning for the front desk. I cut in line, going straight to the front. “I need to see the feed from your security cameras.”

The woman on the other side looks me over, eyes scanning my black tactical gear. I wear it because it’s a convenient way to manage all the weapons I regularly carry, but it’s also pretty fucking useful when it comes to opening doors I probably shouldn’t be let through.

“Oh my gosh. Did someone call the cops?” Her eyes widen.

“It’s been so hectic here, but I didn’t know anything bad happened.

” She turns and hustles toward a door behind the counter.

I round the curved edge of the reception desk, catching up to her quickly.

Luca and Owen are right behind me as we step into a small, dimly-lit room where a security guard sits in a chair playing on his phone instead of doing his job.

“The police need to see our security footage.” The girl from the front desk does the hard work for me and saves me from having to lie.

The security guard fumbles his phone and quickly stands up, swallowing hard at the sight of me, Owen, and Luca taking up most of the space. “Yeah. Sure.” He turns to the bank of screens. “Anything specific?”

“The one directed toward the back entrance. Starting ten minutes ago.” I step in behind him, eyes fused to the screen as he starts to play the recording.

Sure enough, at about five minutes in, Audrey and Becca appear with the two dead men beside them. They lead the women out the sliding door and into a waiting vehicle.

I point at the blurry SUV. “Do you have a feed that will give me a better view of the car they got into?”

“Uhh...” The security guard fumbles around his desk, trying to get me what I want.

I turn to Owen. “Call Butch. Get him here as fast as you can.” I swing back to face the security guard. “I want you to send any video you have of those men or the women with them to this email address.” I grab a pen and write across the closest piece of paper. I shove it at him. “ Now .”

He jumps a little at my barked order. “Yes, sir.”

I stride past both Luca and Owen, going out into the lobby, headed for the stairwell.

“Butch says he can be here in five minutes.” Owen is right on my tail with Luca on his. “What’s the plan?”

“The plan is to find Audrey and Becca.” I take the stairs two at a time, racing up to our floor. Knocking the heavy metal door at the top open, I go to my room and drag the key across the sensor, turning as Luca and Owen do the same. “And then we kill anyone who fucking touched them.”

“I KNOW THESE guys.” Butch enlarges the video playing on my phone as he rattles off three names. “They’re low-level criminals who’ll do anything for a buck.” He hands me back my phone. “How long have the girls been gone?”

“According to the security footage, they walked out of here fifteen minutes ago.” Up until this minute, I would have been thrilled to discover I was only fifteen minutes behind my target.

But up until this minute, Audrey wasn’t the one in danger.

Now fifteen minutes might as well be an eternity.

“Do you have any idea where they might have taken them?”

“A few, but only one of the locations is close by.” Butch starts walking, heading for his truck. “Since it doesn’t seem like Trevor has anywhere of his own to go, they’re probably taking them to one of the properties the two bigger guys inherited when their father died.”

I stay right with him as he walks. “Brothers?”

Butch nods. “And they’ve got about three brain cells between both of them, which could work in our favor.” He unlocks his truck, motioning for us to get inside.

“How would them being dumb work in our favor? My experience is, the dumber people are, the more dangerous they tend to be.” Luca wedges his tall body into the back seat of the extended cab. It looks uncomfortable as hell, but Butch knows where we’re going, and that’s all I care about.

“That’s why it will work in our favor.” Butch starts the truck and the engine roars to life. “Becca’s smart enough to use their stupidity against them. They’ll be reactive and easy to manipulate.”

His boot hits the gas and we fly out onto the main road. Butch doesn’t have as much finesse behind the wheel as Luca does, but he makes up for it in his willingness to stretch the laws of physics and speed.

“Becca’s not the only smart woman we have on our side.

” My eyes move over every vehicle we pass, making sure none of them match the one in the video.

“I sent everything we have to the team at Alaskan Security who handles the bulk of our cyber investigations.” Twisting in my seat, I catch Luca’s attention.

“Send Harlow the names of the three men Butch identified.”

Luca’s watching just as closely out the windows as I am. “Already did.”

This is why I would do anything for the men I work with.

Not only do they have my back, but they keep their heads on straight when I’m not capable of it.

I’m doing my best, but knowing Audrey’s in danger has me ready to lose my fucking mind, and it’s making it impossible to do my job well.

If Luca and Owen weren’t here to pick up the slack…

Owen’s hand reaches between the seats to rest on my shoulder. “We will get her back.”

“We fucking better.”

That’s the only option. The only outcome I can entertain. Because Audrey hasn’t been in my life long, but I don’t want to face any more of it without her.

“We’re coming up on the closest location I think they might be.” Butch points to an old fast-food restaurant. The place is boarded up and vacant, and there’s no sign of the vehicle Audrey and Becca were shoved into.

“I don’t think they’re here.” Owen voices my own thoughts.

“Agreed. The other best option is a little more secluded, but it’s in worse shape.” Butch pushes the truck faster. “If that’s where they are, and they stationed someone outside, it might be trickier to get in without being seen.”

“I don’t care about being seen.” I want Trevor to know I’m coming. I want the three men who abducted Audrey to shit their pants when they realize they’re about to die.

And I want Audrey to know I’m there. That I will always find her.