Chapter 23
NICO
“Where are those two jackasses that were supposed to watch out for my brother?” Carter asks in a measured tone that anyone who’s spent time with him would recognize as him trying to keep his temper under control.
After I woke up in the hospital, I immediately called Kai and Carter and told them that Declan was missing and I needed to be picked up.
Carter assembled pretty much every man from both families to scour every street of Jersey while Kai came to pick me up and pepper me with questions.
I answered them all honestly, even though I knew Declan probably wouldn’t want me to.
But if it gets me close to finding him, he can be pissed.
“In the hall,” Gavin says. “They’re the last ones to see Declan before he left for the day.”
Through clenched teeth, Carter says, “Bring them in here. Now.”
Kai steps closer to Carter, squeezing his arm.
Their closeness, how effortlessly Kai has his husband’s back makes my heart clench. Declan and I didn’t get a chance to get that far. I think he was just coming around to admitting he might actually like me.
What happens if I miss my chance to tell him how I feel?
Nope. No. I won’t think that. I won’t kill Declan off in my head. He’s out there, somewhere, waiting for me to come get him back.
I will get him back.
As I stand in Carter’s office, suffering under his dirty looks, I rack my brain on who could have it out for Declan.
But like he told me weeks ago, there are too many instances to narrow down.
Since Carter and Kai got married, there are several times I can think of for why both Whitlocks and St. Claires would be pissed off at him.
Not enough to blackmail him, and certainly not enough to kidnap him, but enough for someone to want to knock him into next week.
What am I missing? The answer feels like it’s right in front of me, but I can’t think past the pain in my heart that I let someone take Declan from me.
It’s been fifteen hours, but it might as well be fifteen years with how hollow I feel. I haven’t been able to eat, sleep, or think straight since I saw him get tossed into the back of that fucking serial killer van.
Carter didn’t look pleased when I gave him the rundown on what Declan and I were trying to figure out and why we were out together.
Since his brother was missing and he had other shit to worry about, he didn’t ask more questions than necessary, but his eyes told me he wanted to revisit the discussion.
It’s whatever. If we get Declan back, he can tell me as much as he wants how I’m not good enough for his brother, what with me being a lowly guard, but I don’t give a fuck. Declan is mine and I’m not giving him up, no matter what his dumbass brother says.
Gavin opens the door and signals to someone standing in the hall. Since I told Carter and Kai that Declan was kidnapped, they upped their security. It’s a good call, but too little too fucking late to save my man.
The guards step inside, both looking ashamed of themselves. They’re both Whitlock men, so I’m sure they’re tearing themselves apart for losing one of their own.
The taller of the two steps toward Carter, his hands held up. “Boss, listen, I know we fucked up, but—”
“Austin, if that ‘but’ ends with ‘it’s not my fault’ I will put a bullet through your fucking brain like Declan did your pops.”
Even though his face reddens, he lowers his head. “No, I was going to say we’ll do better. When we join the search.”
The other man nods vigorously. “There are other Whitlock men that are on the Westside. I know that area like the back of my—”
“Shut the fuck up, Donny.” Donny’s mouth shuts with a snap.
“I don’t want to hear about your fucking plans,” Carter seethes.
“If I didn’t know my brother and that he hadn’t hired someone permanent to guard him yet, both of you would be floating in the fucking river right now.
” Carter pulls in a deep breath and closes his eyes; his face etched in pain.
When he opens his eyes, his face blanks. “Since I know my brother,” his eyes flick over to me, but I keep my face impassive, “I know how he is. That’s the only reason you’re still alive. Tell me what went on, every single fucking detail, while you were on guard for him.”
Austin and Donny glance at each other, then Donny starts to describe the times they were on duty. They tell us about the time he saw Jadon in the cages, when there was a note left on Declan’s car, when they thought someone was following him in the grocery store—a time they didn’t tell Declan about.
“What did the person look like?” I ask quickly, causing every head in the room to turn toward me.
When no one answers, I say, “Any fucking minute now. Use your fucking mouths and tell me what the fuck the guy looked like.” When they continue to stare, I walk over to Donny and wrap my hands around his throat and push him against the wall.
“Tell me what the fuck he looked like. Now!”
I’ve told Declan so many times to think through his anger, but I can’t manage it myself right now. If there’s information, I need to fucking know, and this guy is keeping it from me.
Kai’s hand lands on my shoulder and it’s only because I know his touch that I don’t snap. “Give him a minute, Nico. Okay?”
I blow out a deep breath and let the man go, taking a few steps back. Fury like nothing I’ve ever felt before consumes me and I have to count backward from ten to even get my heart rate to slow.
I look at the men, hoping to incinerate them with my gaze. “Why the fuck didn’t either of you tell Declan someone was tailing him?”
They glance at each other again, and it’s Austin that answers. “We scared the weirdo off. He was medium height, five ten or so. Slim, but not skinny. Uh…he had a scar on his right eyebrow? I think.”
“You think? You fucking think?” I advance on him, but Kai holds him back and walks me across the room. I try to get back over to them, to beat them to a fucking pulp for not doing more to protect Declan, but Kai has a fucking hold on me that is unbreakable.
Carter steps around his desk and gets in Austin’s face. “You let someone get close enough to my brother, someone that could have had it out for him and you didn’t say shit?”
“I thought—”
Carter’s hand connects with Austin’s face so hard a sharp crack sounds across the entire room.
“Your fucking thoughts got my brother kidnapped! I swear, if so much as one hair on his fucking head is out of place, I’ll kill you and everyone you love.
You fucking got me?” Both men nod. “Now get out of my fucking sight and go look for my goddamn brother!”
They leave the office hurriedly.
I’m surprised Carter let them live, seeing as how, other than me, they’re the last ones to see him alive.
“You think that was the best idea, letting them leave here alive?” I ask Carter.
He rounds on me, breathing like he just ran a marathon. “You…you don’t get to ask me any fucking questions. Not right now.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “You think I had something to do with Declan being taken?”
“If I did, you’d be in the fucking ground.” He pushes his hands through his hair. “Tell me what you know again. I need every fucking detail. Every fucking word you spoke about this fucking bullshit blackmail.”
I go through everything again, listening to my own words to make sure there’s nothing I missed. There’s nothing I can think of that will lead to finding out who the fuck took my heart.
When I finish talking, Carter sits heavily behind his desk and Kai stands beside him, placing a calming hand on his shoulder. “We gotta find him. We gotta…I can’t lose my brother, pretty baby. I can’t.” He places his head in his hands and lets out a short sob.
Carter is hard as fuck on his brother, but I know he loves him. I know he’d do anything in the world to get him back, and I’ll help him with that. I don’t have to like him and even get along with him, but I have to get Declan back. It will take two of us to make that happen.
Sighing, I say, “I’ll go to Declan’s condo. He showed me the first letter that was sent to him.” Carter’s head snaps up. “There was an account number at the bottom.”
Carter wipes his face to clear the tears. “I have someone that could possibly trace it.”
“D said he tried that, but it was offshore.”
“That won’t matter,” Carter says, waving me away. “The man I know just needs the numbers. It won’t be easy and it won’t be fast,” his voice catches on the last word, “but it’ll get done. If we…if we don’t find him alive…” Carter drops his head again, soft sobs leaving his throat.
After a few moments, he wipes his face again and clears his throat.
“If we don’t find him alive, we’ll find the person who threatened his life and I’ll fucking rip him apart while he’s still breathing.
” He meets my eyes, his gaze boring into me.
I can practically read his thoughts, begging me to give him something to work with.
“Send me that account number as soon as you get it.”
“I will.” My voice sounds more gruff than I want, but it can’t be helped.
I won’t break down right now, though. We can’t afford that.
I need to put all my energy into finding Declan.
Then I can cry and rage and rip the fucking world apart until I avenge him.
“I’ll contact you as soon as I have it. And Carter?
” He lifts a brow. “We’ll get him back. If he’s anything like the man I know and fell in love with, he’ll probably beat us to it and save himself. ”
Carter breathes a chuckle. “Yeah, he might. He’s too much of an asshole to let someone do the saving. Just…help me in case he doesn’t.”
“You got it.”
I leave and head straight to Declan’s condo. I smile to myself as I slide my key into the lock, but it quickly disappears. I was supposed to use this key for the first time when Declan told me to come over. After I rang his doorbell ten times in a row just to wind him up.
My heart clenches as I push inside. He hasn’t been gone long, but his condo already feels uncharacteristically empty. Like the very air knows he’s gone.
Entering his room, I check his nightstand for the letters that were sent to Declan. Ten…fucking…threats. He only told me about four. How long was this going on before I found out? Did he keep some of them away from me?
That’s something I’ll ask when I get him back. For now, Carter needs these numbers.
I flick through the ransom letters until I find the first, then hold it up to the light to read the faded numbers.
Pulling out my phone, I quickly shoot off a message to Carter with the account information. He sends a thumbs up in return.
Now that I have nothing else to do but wait, exhaustion and pain crash down on me like a ton of bricks. I flop on the bed, the weight of the world on my shoulders.
I want to stay up and find my man, to turn over every fucking stone until he’s back in my arms, but I can’t move from this spot, from his bed.
Lying down, I roll into a ball and grab one of Declan’s pillows, bringing it to my chest as I breathe in his scent, tears pricking my eyes.
“Where are you, baby?” I speak to the empty room, hoping I can figure it out.