Chapter 25
NICO
Aweek.
A fucking week has passed, and Declan is nowhere to be found. Carter has offered rewards, threatened more people than I can count and has put some people in the dirt for thinking it was funny that someone touched a member of the Whitlock family.
I’ve tried to be more subtle about finding D, but it’s like no one knows a single fucking thing. I don’t like that someone is smart enough to fool two fucking families.
Carter’s contact says he’s close to unlocking who the account belongs to, even though it was probably made through less than legal means. But he said something about isolating an IP address and tracking the information down from there.
I hate feeling so fucking helpless. I hate that I know fucking nothing and Declan is out there, probably getting hurt while I’m sitting here with my thumb up my ass.
With nothing else to do, I decide to track Austin and Donny down so I can ask about the guy that was following D around the grocery store again. The description they gave was so generic, even down to the scar in the eyebrow. I need to know more.
Carter gives me the address of both Austin and Donny, not sounding like he wants to deal with me, but letting me keep busy looking for Declan.
My chest aches as I drive to Austin’s house. I’ve been staying at Declan’s condo every night he’s been gone, needing to feel close to him. Kai understands, seeing that I can’t leave his place, that I wouldn’t be in the headspace to keep him safe while I have no idea where the man I love is.
I wanted to tell Declan the night I took him out how I felt about him. When we got home, I planned to make love to him, to put all of my heart and soul into the act, then actually say the words, even though he told me not to catch feelings.
As soon as I find him, it’ll be the first thing I say to him. The first words out of my mouth. I fucking love him and he has to know.
The GPS blares that I’ve arrived at my destination, so I push my feelings for Declan away and approach Austin’s door.
I knock for several minutes, but no one answers. As far as I remember—though I remember fuck all about the Whitlock men—he’s single—no partner, no kids.
He’s probably out on patrol for Carter, checking any spots for where Declan could be.
Giving up on him, I head to Donny’s.
My senses are on high alert when I approach his door and find it ajar about an inch.
“I’m not a fucking cop,” I seethe quietly as I pull out my gun and press my back to the wall. I swear this better not be another fucking crime scene. The last time shit felt off I found the bodies of the man I thought was blackmailing Declan, along with his family. If I find another fucking body…
“God dammit,” I say after I’m greeted with Donny’s body, snug in his recliner, his brains splattered on the wall behind him.
Sighing, I put my gun away and step further into the house. Unlike with Jadon, I know this was a suicide, as the gun is still in Donny’s hand. There’s also…something in the other.
Stepping closer, I see he has a note clutched in his palm.
Unclenching his hand, I peel the piece of paper from his fingers and read it.
I see fucking red when I get to the bottom of the letter.
Fucking Austin.
Fucking.
Austin.
Crushing the letter in my palm, I pull out my phone and press Carter’s number as I storm out of the house.
That fucking snake was in our face, lying about what was going on, lying about protecting Declan when he had plans to fucking abduct him and extort him for money. I bet he got a kick out of guarding Declan, knowing he was the one making him look over his shoulder.
Carter answers, but before I can say anything, he shouts, “You need to get over here fucking now! Right goddamn now, Nico!”
“On my way.”
I don’t ask questions, just run to my car and peel out of Donny’s driveway. I don’t stop at any lights, weaving in and out of traffic and almost getting into two accidents. I don’t care; I keep gunning it to Carter’s house to figure out what the fuck is going on.
When I pull into our driveway, I barely put my car in park before I climb out and run up the stairs.
I’m panting when I push into the office, but I hurry over to the desk where Dominic, Carter, Kai, and Gavin are congregated.
And wish I hadn’t.
On the desk is an opened box, with a finger nestled in the middle like a fucking gift. A finger with a familiar tattoo on the first knuckle.
My knees almost give out when I see it, bile rising in my throat. “I know who sent it,” I force out as I keep my eyes locked on the digit that should still be attached to Declan’s hand. “I know who it is.”
All heads whip over to me. With shaky hands—and eyes blurring as they stare at the index finger—I hand over the bullshit letter Donny wrote.
Someone takes it from my hand and reads it aloud.
Carter,
I’m sorry about what I done. It wasn’t right.
He made me believe someone had to get revenge for what happened to them.
They spun a good web. But I know now we went too far.
You and your family have always been fair to me.
I should have told you what he was planning before it went down, but he promised me half the money.
With six kids and an expensive wife, I needed everything he was offering.
I sent my family out of town, but please don’t hurt them. They got nothin to do with this.
I don’t know where Declan is, but I can tell you who did it so you can find him.
It was Austin.
I’m sorry.
Donny
Honestly, I don’t give a fuck if Carter and Dominic find this fucker’s family and kills them all. He should have thought about the risks when he got in bed with a snake like Austin.
Dominic lets out a sharp roar and swipes all of the items off Carter’s desk, including Declan’s finger. I watch it hit the floor and I want to deck Dominic for being careless.
But that finger isn’t Declan.
I bury my anger and sit down, trying to think of what needs to be done. If Austin is sending pieces, he’s not fucking around. He wants the money he’s asking for—up to ten million since Declan was taken—and he wants it now.
Carter drops heavily onto the floor, his face a mask of pain. “I’ll pay. I’ll give them whatever they want.”
Dominic grunts, though I don’t know if he agrees or not.
“Tell them—”
“Not yet,” I say, surprising myself. “Just…hold off.”
Carter glares at me. He gets off his feet and strides over to me. I stand up before he can knock me out of my chair. Still, his hands go to my chest, shoving me hard. “They’re cutting off pieces of my brother! You saw the fucking box!”
“You don’t think I fucking saw?! But what do you think will happen if you give them the money?
You think Austin is going to hand Declan over?
You think he’ll say ‘Okay, here, take your brother back after I mutilated him’?
” Carter’s face crumples. “I’m not trying to be an asshole, but you gotta use your head.
” I smile briefly. “Something I always tell Declan. Think. If you send that money, what will happen?”
He blows out a hard breath and closes his eyes. After a few seconds he opens them and they look clear, focused. “They’ll kill him.”
“Exactly. Give me twenty-four hours. Let me try to find him. Please.”
Surprising me, he leans his head against my shoulder and lets out another long breath. “Okay. Twenty-four hours. Then I’m going to do what I have to so I can get my brother back.”
“I’ll do what I can to return him to you. I swear it.”