Page 133 of Unhinged

“We’ve noticed," Gears grumbles under his breath.

"Brydge ending our meeting wasn't wise," Franko continues, "but I also didn’t think Earl would be so ballsy as to snatch her at a party loaded with MC brothers.”

"How do you know who took her?" I snap, stepping closer. The alpha in me doesn't trust him.

“And what, you were just gonnawaitfor the right moment while we were flipping this place upside down?” I add, teeth gritted.

Franko shakes his head. “Itried.Right after the music stopped—I was trying to get your attention, but it was chaos. Everyone was shouting, moving, panicking. Then Judge dropped Earl’s name, and you all scattered.” He shrugs one shoulder, tight. “I figured you'd want to hear it without twenty people breathing down our necks.”

Gears doesn’t back off. “So you let us waste time while you stood there holding secrets?”

“I didn’t realize how bad it really was until your sister said it—until it hit me that she was actuallygone,” Franko snaps, thenreins it back in. “I thought maybe she stormed off. But once I knew for sure, I tried. Idid.And I got something. Something important.”

“Spit it out then,” Gears barks.

"In private," Franko says, glancing around. "I don’t trust anyone here but you three."

Fine. I jerk my chin toward Gears’ office. We head inside, slamming the door shut behind us.

“Talk,” Gears growls, arms folded across his chest.

Franko nods. “It’s Earl. No question.”

"How the fuck do you know that?" I demand.

Franko hesitates. Then he says, real quiet like he’s about to confess to murder, "Because Earl and The Father are the same person."

The room goes still. So still I swear I can hear the blood screaming in my ears.

"No fucking way," I say, shaking my head. "He was her foster parent. Not a goddamn drug kingpin."

Franko shrugs, way too casual for what he just dropped on us. "He was a middle-class working man. Tina too. But they got mixed up with a guy named Phil Lango. Built a business together. Then Phil mysteriously dies, and Earl takes over. Wasn’t long after Brydge left."

He pauses, looking between us.

"He’s been poking around the underworld for years. Putting out feelers. Asking about his ‘missing daughter,’" Franko sneers. "Never asked me directly, but I got friends. Word travels. A buddy of mine down in Mexico, he’s got cartel ties—he told me Earl sent around a photo once. Brydgett's photo. Asking if anyone had seen her."

I close my eyes for a second, breathing through the rage. She’s been hiding all this time. Surviving.

"This is good news," Gears says, a wicked smile curling his mouth. "One bullet. Two birds. The Father and Earl are the same prick. He’s been flooding our streets with tar, and he’s the son of a bitch who hurt our omega. We take him out, and we clean house."

"It can’t be that easy," I whisper, staring at the floor. My head's spinning. Gidge’s foster dad... her rapist... and a major drug lord. The world’s too small.

We keep talking, the plan forming fast. The women and kids—we're sending them out. Bettie’s taking Judge with her. No arguments. We’re locking down the clubhouse until this is finished. Franko agrees to stay and help. Arrow suggests calling Nikola.

I nod. Gears nods.

Franko raises an eyebrow. "The head of the Morozov Mafia?"

"One and the same," I tell him, my voice flat.

Franko whistles low. "How the fuck did you get mixed up with him? He’s new blood to these parts."

I smirk, but there’s no humor in it. "Went looking for who was pushing tar in our turf. Ended up in Nikola’s underground fight club. Gidge volunteered to fight. Won her match." I snort. "Then Nikola tried to double-cross us."

Franko’s eyes go wide.

"Gidge pulled a knife on Nikola," Gears explains with a groan, already digging his phone out of his pocket. "Now they’re damn near friends. Got us an alliance out of it."