Chapter 23
EVAN
Iwiped the blood off my face before I got into the back of the SUV Frank was driving.
“Where to?” Frank asked.
“Home,” Klaus said.
Frank put the SUV into drive and pulled away from the warehouse where we’d just killed three men who claimed to be part of a ring that was taking women.
They kept babbling about a redhead, so we took that to mean Rosalie. We tried to get them to talk, but they kept giving conflicting information, which just irritated me.
So I beat them to death with my bat.
“My phone is broken,” Anson muttered, staring down at the busted screen. “Fuck.”
One of the guys had fought us a little harder, and Anson’s phone had fallen out of his pocket and broken.
“Go in the morning and get a new one,” Klaus said. “That one is an old model anyway. It’s time for an upgrade.”
Anson grumbled and stuffed his phone back into his pocket.
My phone buzzed again, and I pulled it out to see Ryder’s name on the screen.
“Hello?” I answered.
“The horsemen,” he shouted.
I put it on speakerphone. “What?”
“The fucking horsemen. That’s what her message meant.
A few years ago, when she started touring, I went into her dressing room.
She was sad as she put on her makeup. I asked her what was wrong.
I told her to make a wish on a star, and I’d be the star.
Her fucking wish was to go home to the horsemen so she could have closure!
The horsemen fucking have her! It’s why she’s OK.
It’s why you haven’t heard anything. They fucking have her! Find them, and you’ll find her!”
My breath caught in my chest.
Anson and Klaus exchanged looks.
“I’m on my way there,” Ryder said. “I just fucking landed in Chicago. I’ve been trying to reach you guys for hours.”
“My phone is broken,” Anson said, his voice shaking.
“We’ll meet you,” Klaus said as I stared, dumbfounded, at my hands.
The guys had her? They did this? What the fuck? E played it off so well.
The betrayal was fucking real.
“Evan, man,” Ryder called out. “I-I’m sorry—”
“Don’t be,” I murmured, my fury slowly building.
The guys had done a lot of fucked up shit in our lives, but this? Fucking this?
Inexcusable.
And they were going to fucking pay for all the shit they’d done.
I tightened my hand on my bat.
It looked like I’d have to re-introduce myself.
“Evan, is this plan OK?” Anson asked as we drove through the city after picking up Ryder.
“It’s fine,” I said, looking out the window.
“Got it,” Klaus said. “They’re near my place. River North.”
I ground my teeth. She’d only been blocks away from us this entire time.
The guys went over a plan. To visit. To talk. To put out feelers.
My plan was different. I was going to tear their fucking souls from their assholes.
“You can stay here,” Anson said. “In case—”
“I’m not staying behind like a fucking child,” I snapped. “She’s my wife. I’m bringing her home.”
It was early enough in the night that maybe people would still hear their screams. I didn’t give a fuck.
Enzo and the guys had been my best friends. My brothers. But this? Taking her? No. No fucking way.
We pulled up outside their high-rise a moment later, and I got out, locking the door before slamming it behind me. I tapped Frank’s window, and he drove off without letting the guys out.
They gave him a lot of shit, but he was a smart motherfucker. Or psychic.
Didn’t matter at this point. He was family, and I liked the weird prick.
I went up to the top floor after getting past the doorman with a nod. He looked like he was going to piss his pants. So much for security.
I rode the elevator to the top because I knew Enzo. Everything was fucking to the top.
The elevator dinged at the top floor, and I got out. It appeared the entire top floor was his. Good. Less likely that anyone would hear the screams.
I walked to his door and tapped my bat against it before pushing the doorbell.
“Knock, knock, motherfuckers,” I said, pounding on the door again.
The door opened a moment later, and I was met by Enzo, his dark eyes taking me in.
“Who the fuck are you?” he demanded.
He was tatted the fuck up these days. He looked good. Bigger and stronger. He worked out.
I worked out more.
I kicked him square in the chest, sending him flying across the room, before I stomped inside and began smashing everything in his pretty luxury apartment.
The idiot came to the door unarmed.
Fuck, had he learned nothing?
I smashed E’s piano before my bat met their massive widescreen TV.
“What the fuck?” Enzo shouted, getting to his feet and rushing at me.
I dropped my bat and punched him in the face, sending him stumbling back.
Then I punched him again.
Enzo had always been a good fighter, and back in the day, I’d give him a run for his money, but I’d grown up. I’d trained to take out anyone who hurt my girl.
For every move he made, I only attacked harder. Faster.
Finally, I had him on his back, his nose bleeding.
“Do it,” he choked out. “Kill me.”
“Do you know who the fuck I am?” I snarled at him. I had my sunglasses and gaiter on.
“The big fucking problem E told me about,” he answered, wheezing.
“Did Ethan tell you my name?”
“No,” he said, his voice shaking.
I leaned into him. “I’m Evan. I’m Rosalie’s husband.”
I pulled back and stared down at him. His brows crinkled.
“I-I thought… Anson…”
“Evan,” I repeated softly. “I am her husband. Not Anson. And you messed with the wrong motherfucker.”
“I don’t have her,” he choked out. “I fucking don’t. I know you think I do, but I promise you that I don’t.”
I grabbed my bat and pushed it against his throat.
“Where is my fucking wife? I was told she came home. Where. Is. SHE?” I roared out.
The front door burst open, and Klaus, Anson, and Ryder came barreling into the room.
“Jesus Christ,” Klaus shouted. “Ten fucking minutes! I told you he’d destroy the place. Fucking Frank!”
“Evan, hey, man. You don’t want to do this,” Anson said, coming to stand next to me.
“I want my wife,” I said fiercely. “I will kill you if you don’t fucking give her to me. NOW!”
“I-I don’t have her,” Enzo choked out. “Fuck! Do you think I’d really take her? I’d never do that to her! Fuck! Anson, tell this prick I’d never do that to her!”
“Search this place. Top to bottom,” I snarled. “I want Rosalie.”
The guys moved into action. I caught a movement dart around an overstuffed chair, and I narrowed my eyes at it before stomping forward. Enzo staggered to his feet and rushed ahead of me.
“Move,” I said as he blocked a chair from me.
“No,” he said, his voice shaking. I knew he was in a lot of pain. I didn’t exactly pull a lot of hits on him.
“Fucking move.”
“No. It’s-It’s my son. Please. He’s scared.”
I paused and noticed a little foot sticking out from behind the chair.
“Get him. Now,” I snapped.
Enzo hesitated for a moment before he went behind the chair and picked up a little boy who was about Ellis’s age. He had his head buried in Enzo’s neck.
“Don’t hurt him,” Enzo choked out. “Please. He’s just a kid.”
I made Enzo go back and sit on the couch. The little boy continued to cling to him.
“I want to talk to him,” I rasped out.
“No,” Enzo said fiercely. “He doesn’t speak a lot.”
“I want my wife, and I’m not above continuing all of this to get her.”
Enzo licked his lips before he whispered quickly to the little boy.
“It’s OK. It’s OK. I’m here. You’re going to be OK.”
The little boy peeked his head out. I was met with vibrant green eyes.
He looked a hell of a lot like E, but that couldn’t be…
I knelt in front of Enzo.
“What’s your name?” I asked roughly. “Are you Lazarus?”
His big green eyes took me in, and he nodded.
“Lazarus, my name is Evan. My wife is named Rosalie. Your daddy was friends with my wife.” I showed Lazarus a picture of Rosalie on my phone. “Have you seen my wife?”
He nodded.
I breathed out.
“He hasn’t—” Enzo started, but I held up my hand to silence him.
“Where did you see her, Lazarus?”
He pointed to the busted TV behind me.
“You saw her on TV?”
He nodded.
“Never in this house in person?”
He shook his head no.
I sighed. Fuck.
“Are you going to hurt my daddy?” Lazarus called out in a shaky, raspy voice that sounded just as damaged as mine did.
God, what hell had this little dude already gone through in his short life?
The guys came back into the room. Anson shook his head.
“No. Not today,” I said, getting to my feet.
Enzo hugged Lazarus tightly against him, whispering to him that everything was OK now and not to cry.
“Enzo, we’re looking for Rosalie. If you know where she is, now is the time to come clean,” Anson said, coming to stand next to me.
“I don’t fucking have her,” Enzo said, glaring up at us. “I don’t. I’d never take her. I’d never do that shit to her. I let her go years ago. I have no fucking desire to bring her back to hell.”
“OK. Well, if you hear anything, you have my number. Let’s hope you do because the next time we visit, we won’t stop Evan and his bat.” Anson backed away, and I stared down at Enzo.
“Tell Ethan his son is beautiful,” I said before backing away. Enzo tensed as Lazarus continued to cling to him.
We left and walked in silence back to the elevator. The door closed on us.
“That was fun,” Klaus said.
“It was,” I murmured. “I’ll be paying him a visit again very fucking soon if I don’t get Rosalie back.”
“You sure are your father’s son, slugger,” Klaus muttered. “Going to get us all killed barreling in like that.”
“No one lives forever,” I said softly.
“I’d at least like to live long enough to bring our girl home,” Anson said.
I glanced at Ryder to see him staring back at me.
“Words of wisdom?” I asked.
“I wish I’d have had a bat, too,” was all he said before focusing on the door.
I’d have to get him one.