Chapter Fifty-Six
Gy
My stomach pitches, filling with dread, as the world flies by. Cujo is a man possessed. What he must be feeling terrifies me.
We were so focused on disposing of our enemies that we took our eye off the real prize. Willow.
Our omega has to make it through this. She’s strong, fiery, able to handle anything. My baby girl’s already been through more than anyone should have to and come out tough and resilient—a rockstar.
White knuckling the handlebars, we race into town, and things only get worse. Flames. Bright orange and yellow lick toward the starless sky.
Turning my motorcycle, I aim for them. My engine roars, but not nearly as loud as the thunder in my ears.
The entire block is lit up with flashing lights, sirens, and firefighters running this way and that. My eyes frantically scan for an ambulance. Where’s my woman? After skidding to a halt, I leap from my bike and run toward the building as the blaze licks higher and higher.
Cujo pounds the pavement beside me. Two brothers ready to battle the flames of hell, to save our girl.
Please let us be in time.
We’re nearly at the melted glass that used to be the front door when a veritable army of firefighters appears. Hands grab at me, pulling me back before I can bust into the building. They tighten around me like pythons, squeezing me to death.
“Let me go. Our omega’s inside.” Fighting with all my might, I attempt to shake them off. I pant painfully, but no matter how hard I try, there are too many of them. And we don’t shoot firefighters.
Chief O’Neill sprints toward us and grabs my face, forcing me to look him in the eye. “Gy. It’s empty. The building. Your omega isn’t inside.” He says it over and over until the words pierce my brain.
“Well, then, where the hell is she?” Cujo roars, but we both calm down enough for the firefighters to retreat, going back to dousing the flames.
“We cleared Bert’s and the nearby shops before it went up completely.” Chief O’Neill shrugs. “Every single room was checked thoroughly. If she were in there, we would have pulled her out.”
“No one? Willow was here, meeting a private client. A woman with a dog-aggressive labrador,” I inform him.
“It was unlocked; there wasn’t a soul inside.” My eyes widen, unable to fathom his words, and my gaze meets Cujo’s, confusion swimming between us.
“Doesn’t make any fucking sense.” Cerberus appears, nodding at the fire chief. Just as I regain control of my Alpha, a shout from the crowd startles me.
“My business, my training center. You have to go in there. Willow’s inside,” the voice shrieks. My head whips around, scanning the bystanders until I spot Bert. Of the same mind, we all walk toward the upset beta. He reeks of fear, and my eyes pin him in place.
“What do you know about Willow?”
He quakes in the presence of so many Alphas, shaking until his teeth chatter.
“She’s in there; you need to go in and get her.” He brings his hand to his mouth, tugging on his lip frantically. “She was meeting with a client, Miranda, at 6 p.m. tonight. It was their first session. I made the appointment myself.”
His eyes fix on the business, engulfed in flames, watching as firefighters open a steady spray of water from the hydrant, dousing it with little effect. “Is she okay?”
“We’ve checked all the rooms, and there’s no sign of your employee, Bert,” Chief O’Neill tries to reassure him.
Bert’s brows furrow in confusion. “Willow and Miranda aren’t inside? No one you took away in an ambulance?”
“No. The building was completely empty. No women, no animals. Just a lot of accelerant.” His eyes widen, knowing he’s given us an important clue.
“Hey, do you happen to have any cameras in the building?” Fen asks, jumping in with the question we all should have asked ages ago.
Still watching his life’s work burn to the ground. Bert refocuses on my brother, blinking hard. “Shit, I do! I have them all over, in case anything ever happens during classes.”
“Bert, do you have access on your phone?” Fen’s eyes reflect the blaze behind us. The beta blinks a few times before pulling out his device.
“I should. There’s an app. I don’t… I’m not great with technology,” he admits, glancing at the object in his hands as though it’s alien. “Willow usually helps me with it. We haven’t needed the cameras much, but she made sure they were always recording.”
“Do you mind if I take a look?” Fen asks, holding out his hand.
Bert hesitates for only a second before dropping it onto Fen’s outstretched palm.
It feels like forever, but with just a few taps, my brother has the video playing.
Shoulders bump as we crowd around the small screen.
It flickers, then Willow enters the building by herself. My gut clenches. Wrong.
“Wasn’t Pup supposed to be with her?” Cujo snarls, putting my exact thoughts into words. “He didn’t even go in to make sure the place was secure.”
“Exactly why he hasn’t gotten his patch yet,” Fenrir growls. “As soon as we find him, he’s going to have hell to pay.”
The video continues silently as we wait for Miranda to show up, but she never does.
Instead, Beatdown walks through the front door, locking it behind him.
The fucking piece of garbage. My vision tinges with red, and my heart slams into my ribcage as I watch him drag her from the back room.
From here, he beats her senseless, pours gasoline on her, and lights it up.
Rage is acid in my blood. I should have known better. Been better. Done better.
It’s painful, but I keep my eyes on the screen. Beatdown waltzes out of the building, and moments later, Willow attempts to crawl for the door. She can’t get it open. Flames start whirling around her, licking at her body.
Then blackness. The feed goes dead.
“What the fuck? Where did it go? Where’s Willow? How did she get out?” Cujo pulls at his hair, ripping at it hard enough to create a bald patch as he paces a hole in the sidewalk.
Fen opens the app up, searching for more footage, but it’s missing.
“I wish I had more answers for you all. I’m gonna bring this to the police and do my best to keep you updated if I hear anything.” Chief O’Neill gives us hollow platitudes, but there’s not much he can do. Swallowing down the bitter taste of regret, I nod at him.
“Thank you, Chief.” Cerberus speaks for me before the man walks away.
Tears fill my eyes, and I blink rapidly, trying to push them back. I don’t even remember the last time I cried, but despair drives me to my knees.
My head lands in my hands, and I long to curl up on this soaking, filthy ground.
There’s no reason to exist without her…
“On your feet, VP. I know who has your girl.” Fenrir clasps my shoulder, a manic growl leaving his throat. “The hard part is going to be finding her.”
I’ll track her to the ends of the earth.