Chapter 17
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Dodge
My phone pinging woke me up like a jolt of lighting.
I’m not sure how long I’ve been knocked out for, but it couldn’t have been long with the way my eyes are matted and gritty, as if sandpaper has been rubbing them raw.
As I look at my screen, I have to rub the blur away in order to see who it is calling.
When I see Rebel’s name flashing on it, I quickly press the connect button, and answer.
“Talk to me, Rebel,” I growl, my voice raspy.
“What did you get out of that stalking son of a bitch?”
“He’s singing, Pres,” Rebel says, his voice tighter than I’ve ever heard it. “We didn't even have to work him over too hard.”
“Spit it out.” I sit up, the leather of the recliner creaking under my weight as I press the footrest down.
“He’s a contract rat, plain and simple,” Rebel explains.
“He tracked Adalynn and the kids from their last stop when they met up with you. He’s been watching their routine, waiting for a mistake to be made, waiting on them to be left alone so he could make a move.
He spotted them pulling in here, followed their tracks to the property line, and just sat in the brush waiting for a hole in our defenses. ”
My gut drops, cold and heavy. “Who hired him?”
“He’s not talking about any names yet, just the target,” Rebel grunts, and I hear the frustration in his breathing. “He’s after Adalynn and the little ones. They’re the payday, Dodge. He was sent here to snatch them and drag them back to whoever is paying the tab.”
Anger surges through me, hot and blinding. I stare at the wall, feeling the blood pounding in my temples. “Keep him there. I’m on my way.”
“Dodge?” Carter calls my name and I turn my head to see him standing there in the mouth of the hallway. “That man your guys found, he was here for us, wasn’t he?”
Fuck. I hate being caught red-handed, I don’t want to lie to him, I vowed I wouldn’t because this is his life we’re talking about, but he’s also too damn young to have these thoughts and fears in his head.
Clearing my throat, I look him dead in the eyes and admit, “Yeah, kid. He was.”
Carter’s head hangs for a minute before it snaps back up and I see anger, not fear, lingering in his eyes.
“Are you going to get answers out of him?” he queries, his voice trembling with a fierce intensity.
“Are you going to find out why they’re after us and what they think we have or know so you can tell them we aren’t aware of anything outside of the fact that our parents were murdered?
If they know that, maybe they’ll leave us the hell alone? ”
Realizing it is time to give him the brutal truth, I lay it out for him straight.
“Even if they believe you don't know a damn thing and have no evidence against them, they aren't going to stop hunting you, Carter.
Men like that cover their tracks and leave absolutely nothing to chance.
We're going to have to identify the boss behind this and take him down.”
Carter stares at me, his knuckles white where he grips his shirt. The reality of what I said hits him hard. He swallows, his throat working visibly as he tries to process the weight of the situation. “Okay,” he whispers, his voice cracking just a bit. “Just don't let anything happen to my family.”
“I won't,” I promise, my tone leaving no room for doubt. “But you need to stay inside. Don't go wandering, and keep the others close. You hear me?”
He nods, his resolve hardening as he accepts the order. I leave him standing there and stride out to the porch where Hulk is watching the perimeter. I catch his eye and give a quick, sharp signal.
“Hulk,” I call out, and he turns to face me. “I’m heading out to the warehouse to finish this. You're in charge of the grounds. Stay put, keep your eyes on the house, and don't let anyone get near those kids.”
Hulk squares his shoulders and nods once. “Understood, Pres. They're locked down tight.”
As I step off the porch, I glance toward the house.
Adalynn is standing just inside the glass, watching me.
Her face is pale, and I can see the fear etched into her features.
I don't break my stride, but I lock eyes with her for a heartbeat and give her a slow, deliberate nod. I want her to know that I’ve got this handled.
I see her posture soften just a fraction as she understands the message.
I don't waste another second. I walk to my bike and kick it to life, the roar of the engine vibrating through my boots. I shove it into gear and tear down the drive, the gravel spraying out behind me. I’m done with the waiting.
It’s time to see what that rat knows and put an end to this threat for good.
Killing the engine, I let the roaring sound die down until silence completely swallows it.
The warehouse comes into view ahead, resembling a bleak scar on the landscape inside a shell of splintered wood and rusted metal.
I dismount the bike and walk toward the main entrance.
Inside, the air feels stale and heavy, carrying the scent of old dust and oil.
As I make my way toward the center of the bay, my boots crunch loudly against shattered glass.
When I scan the inside of the dilapidated warehouse, I notice the guy strung up by his wrists from a support beam.
He’s a pathetic sight, his head hanging low and his breath coming in ragged hitches.
Creeper and Speed are waiting near a worktable, looking bored.
They straighten up when they see me, but I keep my focus on the man swinging in the dim light.
I don't bother saying a word to him yet. Instead, I turn to Rebel, who is leaning against a workbench with his arms crossed. “Talk to me,” I command, my voice echoing in the hollow space. “Give me the rundown on what this piece of trash has said so far.”
Rebel pushes off the bench and walks over, his expression unreadable. “He’s been singing since we hauled him in. He knows he’s finished, so he’s trying to buy time.”
“I don't care about his life,” I growl. “I want to know why he’s after Adalynn.”
“It’s not just her,” Rebel says, gesturing toward the hanging man. “He claims they are after something the kids have. He says they’ve been tracking them for weeks, waiting for a chance to snatch them up and get back whatever it is they supposedly stole.”
I feel the blood turning to ice in my veins. “What exactly did they steal?”
Rebel shrugs, his eyes hard. “He doesn't know. Or at least, that’s what he claims. According to him, he’s just the muscle hired to do the snatch and grab. But he did drop a name. It isn't a big one yet, but it’s a lead we can pull on.”
“What’s the name?” I ask through a clenched jaw.
Rebel leans in, his expression turning lethal. “Goes by the name Vance. He’s a fixer out of the city. He doesn't hold the leash, but he keeps the pressure on guys like this to get results.”
I lock eyes with the man swaying in the murky, gray gloom, my fists clenching until my fingers ache.
Vance. The name tastes like poison in my mouth.
I’ve heard whispers of that snake before.
He’s a rat who slithers through the cracks, always handling the dirty work for people with too much money and not enough morals.
“Is he coming for them himself?” I ask, keeping my focus locked on the captive.
Rebel shakes his head. “Doesn't seem like it. He’s just the middleman. The orders come from higher up, but this guy claims Vance is the only one who knows the final destination for the kids.”
I step closer to the hanging man, my voice dropping to a low, dangerous growl. “You hear that? You’re going to give me everything you know about this Vance, or I’m going to make sure you never see the outside of this place again.”
The man whimpers, his eyes wide and pleading. “I’ll talk. Just don't hurt me anymore.”
“Start talking,” I snap, my patience hanging by a thread. “Tell me exactly where to find him, and tell me everything else you know about this job.”
“Man, if I tell you everything, they’ll kill me,” the guy pleads.
I grab his chin and force him to look me in the eye. I don't give a damn about his future. “They aren't going to get to you,” I growl. “I'm the one holding the cards here. You give me a name and a location, or I promise you that I'll be the last thing you ever see.”
He gulps, his eyes darting toward the heavy door as if he expects a rescue.
“Fine,” he gasps out. “He's at that broken down, abandoned place near the intersection of the main roads in Warner.
He's meeting someone at midnight and I’m supposed to deliver the family to them there. That's all I know. I swear on my life.”
I loosen my grip and step back, wiping my palm on my jeans. He's shaking so hard now that his boots scrape against the concrete floor.
“Rebel,” I call out without turning around.
“Yeah, Pres?”
“Get the guys ready,” I order, my blood running cold with anticipation. “We're going to pay Mr. Vance a visit, and I want to make sure he's ready for us.”
Rebel grins, a dark, dangerous look. “You got it.”
I scan the room and lock eyes with the man I’m looking for, who is casually leaning against the steel slats of the wall, scraping underneath his fingernails with the tip of his blade.
“Cobra, I need you to recon the location and lock down the logistics so we aren’t heading into this blind,” I order him.
“Because there are multiple abandoned buildings surrounding that intersection in town, I want an exact layout of the route I’ll be taking. ”
Looks like we’ll be taking a small road trip tonight so we can pay Mr. Vance and his associate a visit.
“What do we do with him?” Rebel asks, aiming his thumb over his shoulder at the strung up piece of shit.
“Finish him,” I order, walking out toward my bike.
Tonight requires full preparation because nothing is set in stone, and a successful outcome is far from certain.
Before this night is over, I will extract the information I require, one way or another.
Once Adalynn is completely out of harm's way, I intend to make her mine. It is time for me to stop playing it safe and take a chance again. Betting my heart on her is a massive gamble, but she’s earned it.
She’s already demonstrated that she bears no resemblance to my ex, and it is unjust to force her to pay for that woman's sins.