Uncaged Obsessions (Uncaged Duet #2)

9. Caine

CHAPTER 9

CAINE

D anner has information for us. It better be good because I’m losing my patience. Some would say I haven’t had any for awhile—or ever—which might be true, but it’s really gone now. I pull up to Adam's house and know that Drew is already here, based on the fact that there are already two bikes outside.

I go in and it looks like they’re talking in the kitchen. Truly, I don’t care what it’s about, unless it has to do with Max.

“Either of you heard from her?” I ask, even though I already know the answer.

It’s confirmed when they both shake their heads. I want to be even more pissed, but at this point I don’t even think that’s possible.

“When’s Danner supposed to be here?”

“Any minute,” Adam answers easily, just as there’s a sound of a car pulling up outside.

He lets Danner in and she’s carrying a folder that doesn’t look as full as I would like it to be. She sets it down on the counter, and I want to snatch it from her to look through it but I clench my fist instead.

“What did you find?” I demand.

“Hi Caine, I’m doing great, thank you. I’m really wanting to find my friend, but would enjoy small talk with you even more.”

“He doesn’t know how to socialize, sorry,” Drew teases and I glare at him.

“I’m used to it.” She shrugs, opening up the folder. “Okay, where do you want me to start?”

“Start with where she is and the quickest way to get there.”

“Caine,” Adam scolds and I roll my eyes feeling like a child, and I hate it.

“It’s fine,” Danner waves him off, pulling out some of the papers and they look like face sheets or something. “So, we can start with her ex fiancé, Carson, since he was the one in the video.”

Every muscle in my body tightens at the mention of that asshole.

“He works for his dad, and they run several businesses and own a few houses, but I’m pretty sure the one Carson lives in this one in Piney Point Village, which is just outside of Houston.”

“Great, let’s go,” I announce.

“Hold on.” Adam holds up his hand, and gestures for Danner to continue.

“I’m also pretty sure this isn’t just some house you can walk up to. From what I could find out, it’s gated and guarded. He’s serious that no one should come in or out of there.”

“What about her parents?” Drew asks.

Danner sighs. “They’re harder to track down. They have several houses in several different states, with multiple properties in Texas. So I don’t know which is their primary residence, but I also don’t think she’s there.”

“Why not?” I question.

“Because I’m good at what I do. The other thing that’s interesting, is how their businesses don’t make a whole lot of sense. They consistently run in the red, which isn’t totally unusual for all these super rich assholes because they write off everything. But this is not that…it’s not just write offs. They actually make no money.”

I really want to say I don’t care because none of this really concerns me, but I hold back if only for the fact that the information could actually prove to be useful later.

“This is just my guess, because this isn’t in writing anywhere I’ve found yet, but I think there’s some sort of deal between Max’s family and Carson’s. The marriage seems to be more of a contracted agreement than anything else... An arrangement, but I don’t know what each family would get out of it exactly.”

“Great, so you have nothing other than Carson’s shady, which we knew. His house is impossible to get into, and they all suck?” I snap.

“I didn’t say that.”

“Caine can leave if you need him to,” Adam tells her, and I want to drive my fist right through his face for it.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“It’s fine,” Danner tells him. “I found the details of what would have been their wedding day easily, from when Max left before. I think they’re going to try and rush the marriage this time so she doesn’t have the opportunity to get away again. I have a connection with the wedding planner they used the first time, and they more than likely will choose to work with her again.”

I perk up at the one piece of good news she’s shared since she walked in here. “So you know when that asshole is going to try and have another wedding?”

“Not yet, but I will. The last one was supposed to be big but I don’t think this one is going to be, but they’re going to want people to know it’s happening. There’s a reason it’s happening in the first place, so these people will want everyone to know about it.”

“We just sit around and wait for news then? Because I’m sick of waiting.”

“If you want, I’ll give you all the addresses of her parent’s houses and Carson’s. You can go off and show up there, half-cocked, and see how far you get.” Danner puts her hands on her hips.

“I never go anywhere half-cocked. I’ll take the addresses and come back with my girl.”

“That’s a terrible idea.” Drew shakes his head.

“Well, then what the fuck are we even doing here?” I throw my arms up.

“Look, she’s strong, okay? She got out all on her own the first time, and I think she’ll do it again. But now, she has help and believe it or not I’m going to help you. It’s just going to take a little more time, got it?” Danner maintains solid eye contact with me, which is impressive since a lot of grown ass men won’t even do that, because supposedly I intimidate them. It actually makes me respect the fuck out of the woman standing in front of me.

Even if I don’t like what she’s telling me.

“Thank you for helping,” Adam tells her, and I recognize the dismissal. So does she, which I think she’s thankful for anyway.

“Like I said before, she’s my friend, and I want her back too. Plus, everything I’ve been able to find about this Carson guy isn’t good. The last thing I want is her to be stuck with him any longer than she already has.”

Yet another thing I don’t like her telling me, but I hold back my explosion.

After she leaves, we’re all quiet, clearly unsure of what to say. Unsure of what to do without Max here. We aren’t best friends, but we aren’t enemies. We just are. I know we need to work together on this, and that once we get her back she doesn’t want to choose. But we first have to get her back.

“Well, at least we have some answers,” Drew breaks the silence.

“Not enough.” I shake my head.

“You need a distraction? How about we figure out why the cops knew about the break in at her house when none of us told anyone,” Adam says.

“I don’t think that’s going to distract me as much as you think it will,” I tell him, deadpan.

“I think this Carson guy has someone here that’s helping him,” Drew announces suddenly.

Adam and I both look at him, both clearly wondering where the fuck that came from.

“It all just seemed too easy for him, right? Maybe he’s the one that broke into her place, reported back and then Carson strolled into town and just waited until she was alone again to take advantage,” he continues.

“And how would the cops know? You think they’re working with him or some shit?” I scoff.

Adam’s brow furrows. “Wait, you may be onto something with that.”

“The fuckwad working with the cops?” I wonder.

“Yeah, it’s Officer Doogie. We all know that he’s a sketchy fucker at best. What if Carson paid him off or something?” Adam reasons.

I think about that, and I have to admit that it does sound plausible. Which only adds another person to my list that I’m going to need to murder.

“I guess we’ll have to talk to him.” I nod. Even though we all know I don’t mean just talking to him. Because if we’re right about this, I think we all might be on board with killing him.