Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
Thane
The first place we go is Bree and Talon’s apartment.
Bree isn’t there, however, so we go looking for her at the club.
Pulling up in front of the seedy building, the music is pumping loudly and patrons are lined up, trying to get in.
The moment I step out of the car, I groan, seeing that the media are here reporting on Talon’s abduction.
I am only out of the car for a few seconds before they start snapping pictures of me with Leo.
Leo curses, and I know he’s worried about those photos getting back to Corbin.
“It won’t look good for you, having pictures of you in front of a strip joint splashed all over the front page,” he says, closing his door. I shrug, uncaring. I would never cheat on Harlow. That is not something she ever needs to worry about.
“I would never hurt my mates like that,” I tell him, moving to the front of the line. The bouncer instantly steps aside, recognizing me. “Bree?” I ask him.
“In the office. She seems quite upset,” the bouncer tells me, and I nod, walking inside. The strobing lights and heavy bass of the music give me an instant headache as people part, letting us through.
I make my way to the stairs and head straight for Talon’s office.
The door is closed, and I twist the handle, finding it unlocked.
Bree is bent in front of the safe, digging through it.
She jumps when I close the door and spins to look at me.
She looks like shit. Her mascara is running down her face, her lipstick is smeared, and she looks like she hasn’t slept in days.
She clutches a hand to her chest and drops her head before Leo steps out from behind me. A furious growl tears out of her, and she lunges at him. I catch her around the middle, tossing her onto the couch. She moves to get up, but I growl.
“Sit down!” I order.
She grits her teeth, fighting my command before giving up and leaning back.
She folds her arms across her chest and crosses her legs, glaring daggers at Leo, who moves toward Talon’s desk and sits on the edge.
Her eyes track his every move. I reach over, grabbing a chair and placing it in front of the couch before sitting down. I motion toward the safe.
“What are you doing?”
“Trying to find enough money to buy Talon from this bastard’s mate!” she spits angrily. I hear Leo sigh behind me.
“Ex-mate. The bastard abandoned me,” Leo corrects her. She tilts her head to the side before muttering under her breath.
“Do you know where Talon is?” I ask her. She runs her fingers through her hair.
“No. I’ve tried calling Corbin, but he won’t tell me where he took him. He won’t respond to any of my messages,” she says, clasping her hands in her lap.
“How do you know Corbin?” I ask her, wanting to see if she will tell me the truth. Bree looks down at her hands.
“He’s my uncle, sort of. Not by blood, anyway.” She lets out a breath. I sit back in my chair, watching her. At least now I know that Leo didn’t lie to me, not that I doubted him when his daughter’s life is at risk.
“So, Curtis Black is your father?” I ask her, and she lifts her head.
“Yes. How did you know that?” she demands, her eyes shooting past me to glare at Leo.
“I told him,” Leo tells her. She puffs out her cheeks and chews her lip.
“Of course you did.”
“Was that supposed to be a secret?” I ask her, and she shrugs.
“No, not really, but it’s not exactly something I like to tell people. No one wants to be known as a trafficker’s daughter,” she tells me, and she has a point. It is no secret that most Omegas in the facilities are there against their will.
“Did you know Harlow is from your father’s Omega facility?” I ask, and her brows furrow.
“Not until recently. I haven’t spoken to her since …” her face turns red, “since the glory hole incident.”
I growl at the memory of it. Harlow came too close to the monster hunting her without even realizing it.
“Do you know where your uncle may be hiding out?”
“Ask him,” she says, motioning to Leo. “It’s his mate. He will have a better guess than I will. I just want to get Talon back, which is why I am looking for money, hoping to find enough. The bastard is my uncle and still won’t let him go until his debt is settled.”
“Money won’t settle that debt. He wants Harlow, Bree. Money won’t get Talon back,” Leo snaps at her.
“Well, have you got a better idea? Because I won’t let him die. I fucking love him!” Bree screams before trying to get herself under control. “Why Harlow?” she asks.
I look at Leo, and he nods, getting the message to keep his mouth shut and let me explain. “A vendetta against my mother,” I tell her, and she sighs.
“Everything is so fucked up,” she mutters.
“And your father won’t help?”
Bree scoffs and shakes her head.
“Definitely not. He blames Tal for me working here, says I humiliated him. He wants Tal dead,” she says, staring up at the ceiling, her eyes turning glassy.
“I have another question,” I say. Bree tilts her head to the side, watching me. “Why did you book your uncle for—” I grit my teeth, not even wanting to say it, “the glory hole job.”
“To be fair, we did not know who she was at the time!” Leo states.
She glares at him. “They booked online; I accepted it.”
“But he’s your family,” I tell her, and she shakes her head.
“Not by blood. Don’t make it gross. Talon got himself fucked over with the vamps that burned down that firm. He needed money, and I had cameras set up in the room,” she admits, and my brows furrow.