Chapter 38
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Ripley (Ripper)
"What more do you need, Connor?" Koa asks, trying to be the voice of reason.
I have his back silently while everyone else is throwing out threats like candy at a fucking parade. We're in the middle of a goddamn police station. Control yourselves.
Connor runs his hands down his face. "A warrant for starters. I can't just get a group of officers together and bust down their door based on a hunch."
"We can," Parker snarls, turning on his heel, but Maddox grabs the back of his cut to keep him from doing something stupid.
I would love nothing more than charging right into Victor's club, but we would lose so fucking fast without backup.
The agents or officers or whatever they are behind Connor look antsy and determined.
Some have their phones out already, calling to request a meeting with a judge to grant them the warrant we need.
There have been a few times in my life where I've despised the law, preferring to cut corners. This time is no exception. Still, we need the manpower and law on our side here. I can kill people, but cleaning up a whole compound of bodies isn't my forte.
"Listen, we're going to try, but you guys can't fly off the rails," Connor warns, pointing at Parker in particular. "I can only protect you so much. If you have a body count taller than my wife's coffee order, there's no way I can help you."
That pisses me off. Why wouldn't he want to kill people who kidnap women and traffic them? "He has our girl!"
Koa raises his arm to the side to keep me from attacking Connor.
The entire room goes on alert. I fucking hate it, but I blow out a breath and step back. The absolute last thing I need right now is getting arrested for assaulting an officer. Or twelve, because they're all lining up on my shit list the longer we just fucking stand here.
"I'll do what I can," Connor offers.
Parker chuckles darkly behind me. "It's not enough."
"I agree. We can't wait for one person who has no idea what's going on to decide whether or not we save an innocent life before she's murdered or trafficked," Bash adds, setting fuel to the fire.
"Guys—" Koa whispers, but he's drowned out by our club members arguing.
Glancing around, I take in the angry looks and people ready to arrest us should we cause too big of a disturbance. This is so fucked. I knew when we decided to come here that it wouldn't be quick and nobody would care enough to bend some rules.
Why do they need solid proof that she's there? The tip from our spy wasn't enough. Pretty fucking offensive if you ask me.
Koa's choked gasp finally tunes me into his distress. He's trembling, heaving for air, and completely beside himself as he stares down at his phone. My skin tingles with awareness, and I pull him into my chest.
"Ripley," Koa whimpers, voice strangled by something I don't yet understand.
There on his screen, with a play button over her, is Cassie in a dark dungeon looking fucking petrified. Everything in me coils tight, ready to snap and shatter into ruins. "PARKER! MADS!"
I don't know what they fucking say or how long it takes them to gather around the phone. All I know is everything in me dies when someone hits play.
Cassie moves, a slight flinch that shouldn't fucking happen. Then the dead man moves into the screen. "First things first. We need to fix a few things."
I thought his voice would send me into a rage, but it's what happens next. He shatters the leg of the chair and—
"No," I gasp, hand rising to my throat. "No. No." Her screams drown out my desperation for this to be some sort of nightmare.
Please, God, let this be a dream. She's hanging by the same contraption I have in my torture chamber...
Someone says my name, but all I hear is her. "Don't watch!" she pleads with us, staring at the camera. Even in the poor lighting, I can see the agony etched into her features. "Please, don't wa—"
A slap rings out through the speakers, silencing the love of our lives. In the next horrific moment, Victor punches the vomit right out of her gut.
As if my soul can't let her do this on her own, I lose control.
Whirling around, I crash to my knees and fucking hurl.
In some sick twist of fate, now I have to listen to the impact of his fist hitting her delicate flesh.
Her screams and whimpering of our names make me gag, and my heart turns to stone.
The torturer can't stomach the sight of his woman being chained and beaten.
Wiping the vomit from my chin, I climb to my feet and pull my guns out, double-checking they're ready.
When my eyes find Connor frantically directing people around, an ill look on his face, I growl out his only option now.
"You better get that fucking warrant if you don't want a massacre on your hands. "
Maddox orders everyone to their bikes and barks out his demands. No more waiting, no more trying to be the good guys. I'm bad for Cassidy Sterling. And the Shadows have no problem dipping into the darkness for their Starlight.
Everyone is going to fucking die if I get there first.