Chapter 52
Chapter Fifty-Two
JETT
Heads were about to roll.
“I see that look in your eyes,” Lyric noted from beside me, where we were crouched in the cover of the trees. We were surveilling the small cabin we believed held my son, but I still hadn’t gotten eyes on him. “Keep your cool, man, get the job done.”
Seething inside, tension had me strung tighter than a snake coiled around its prey, ready for its next meal. In my case, the prey appeared to be one insane woman, and a burly man who was about to find out what happened when you touched my family.
“Oh, I’ll get the job done,” I growled.
“Let’s try to do this clean so we don’t piss off the local PD. Especially when we may need to work with them in the future—as well as at least one of them today,” Gyth said through the comms.
It was a bit crazy that we had landed in the small mountain town of Teardrop Falls, the same place as the new job we’d just talked about in our meeting. However, it wasn’t much of a surprise that Braxton knew the sheriff—he seemed to know everyone—who was on his way to meet us.
“There you go, taking away all the fun,” Kace answered back, his tone serious as hell but playful too, which he often was—even when shit was about to hit the fan.
Like now.
I’d been about to respond to Gyth, but Kace’s smart mouth beat me to it—which was probably for the best. I was in a foul mood and seemed to be taking it out on the men around me. I was just glad they all understood and wouldn’t hold it against me.
“Dude, shut your pie hole and focus,” Gyth shot back at the one guy on the team who seemed to get his goat more often than not.
“Pfft, I am focused, dipshit. It’s not my fault you’re not as skilled as I am and can’t multitask.”
They might have gone on forever, but suddenly the banter stopped, and Gyth said, “We’ve got movement.”
Everyone fell silent as we waited and watched. Lyric and I were positioned toward the back of the house, just hidden in the line of the woods, while Gyth and Kace remained at the front.
“The muscle is out on the porch,” Gyth announced.
“Copy that,” Lyric replied. “We're going to get a closer look back here while you keep your eyes on him.”
We needed to ensure there weren't more than two adults inside. On the way up, Braxton had called with some information, but it still didn’t tell us who all might be involved.
Landon had made a call to Chaz and his father, raising hell.
He reminded them of the agreement that they had signed regarding no contact with Griffin, without divulging any details about what was happening.
He stated that included Sloane, who’d signed the paperwork too since she was married to Chaz.
The crazy ass thing was, they hadn’t seen Sloane in weeks—not after Chaz decided he was divorcing her.
Had that thrown her over the edge?
Putting things together, it looked like she’d also orchestrated the attack previously and played a big part in the events leading to Patience being hospitalized again, along with our son being kidnapped.
Is he hurt? Scared to death? Or is he even inside?
At least one question rolling around in my head was answered when I peeked through one of the back bedroom windows. The sight before me was stifling. I shoved my fist into my sternum, trying to slow the burning rage and heartache bubbling in my chest.
Use your head.
My jaw clenched as my body and mind battled between relief that my son was alive and being mad as fuck that I could see how scared he was. With urgency racing through me, I somehow managed to quietly check to see if the window would slide open, only to find it locked.
Griffin didn’t move a muscle, and I struggled not to grab his attention right that second so that he knew I was there, but I needed to talk to the guys first to collaborate.
After taking a deep breath, I stepped away from the window toward Lyric, who was pressed against the house close by. It pained me and took everything inside me to tear my eyes off my son—even for a second—who lay curled in a ball on the bed, trembling.
Lyric cocked his head in question and nodded before I spoke softly into the comms to let the other guys know what I’d seen.
“I spotted Griffin in the farthest bedroom on the southeast corner of the cabin, with cream-colored curtains. Curtains that were left fully open, I will add.”
One of the men scoffed in our ears. It seemed to be amateur hour, but we were not taking any chances or cutting corners. Yeah, like idiots, they’d forgotten to shut them, but that had worked in our favor. I had eyes on my boy but fuck if it didn’t feel like a rhino had stomped on my damn chest.
“They weren’t completely stupid though, the window is locked,” I added with frustration. It would have been so much easier to have taken him out that way.
“Any chance Griffin can unlock it from the inside?” Gyth asked.
I let out a sharp exhale. “He won’t be able to reach it and attempting to move stuff to stand on is too big of a risk.”
“Copy that,” Gyth said.
Running my hand through my hair, I clenched the strands in my fist. “Guys, what’s the plan? My son is scared, and I can’t tell if he’s hurt. We need to get him out!” I used to be a patient person, but that changed after being captured, and even more so with a threat to my family.
I meant it when I said I’d get the job done, but I never claimed I would do it with the grace of a ballerina. I was fucking scared out of my mind for my son.
Before anyone answered, the sound of Sloane’s raised voice sent my pulse racing. I moved quickly, ducking to one side of the window to get another glance inside. Behind me, Kace quietly told the others to maintain their positions.
Griffin had sat up on the mattress, his knees pulled into his chest, and his arms wrapped around his legs.
He was shaking his head, tears still streaming down his face, and Sloane was pissed.
A tray she’d been holding suddenly crashed to the ground as she yelled again before storming out the door and slamming it shut.
“Fine, starve, you stupid brat!”
“Easy,” Lyric’s calm voice said, having heard Sloane.
The urge to slam my hand through the window was like a magnetic pull that I barely resisted. Tension tightened every muscle in my body. I was getting a crash course in restraint—one I was struggling to maintain.
“Report,” Gyth barked.
“Sounds like Sloane is coming unglued,” Lyric told everyone. “Let's get in there.”
“The asshole is back in the house, but Kace just got a peek inside and doesn’t see anyone beyond the two we know of. We also have incoming—the Sheriff is here. Sit tight for a minute.”
Was Gyth fucking kidding me right now? Sit tight? I wasn’t going to sit around twiddling my thumbs forever.
Sloane was bad enough, but I didn’t want the fucker anywhere near him, and I wasn’t sure I wanted anyone else involved in this mission, even if Braxton did know them.
Not when it was the single most important mission of my life.
And that was saying something after my last one.
Memories of that time tried to surface, but I shoved them away. That was a tortured mission, but this time if things went bad, it could render my heart to stop beating.
Minutes passed before Gyth returned; my eyes never left my son. I couldn’t hear his sniffles, but I saw the trickle of tears bee-lining down his precious cheeks. I swear I felt every drop like a knife through my heart.
“Our plan has changed a bit. The Sheriff is on his way to you so he can keep eyes on Griffin while we go in.”
Anticipation surged through my veins. This was it; soon I’d have my son in my arms. But I was still uneasy about involving someone I didn’t know in rescuing my son. I also wanted to tweak the plan myself. The first I could do nothing about, but maybe I could convince the guys about the second.
“I need to warn Griffin,” I announced.
“Not too sure that’s a good idea,” Kace interjected. “Someone might catch you.”
“I have to agree,” Gyth added.
Blowing out a breath, I tried again. “I know Champ. He will listen to me, and if I can get his attention so I can get him under the bed, then he will be safer when it all goes down if someone enters the room before I reach him.”
Even though everything we’d seen indicated only two people were inside, I knew better than to underestimate the unknown or assume nothing could go wrong. It was wiser to plan for any eventuality.
I turned to my brother-in-law, with determination in my gaze, along with a silent plea for backup.
“Let him try,” Lyric said. “I’ve been around Griffin enough to know that he will do exactly what Jett says.
The little guy worships his father and is enamored with everything he’s done in the military.
” Lyric gave me a nod. “He won’t let his daddy down.
Plus, if he can get a signal to him, we can use the flashbang. ”
My eyes pricked with tears as I listened to my brother, my friend, and now, my teammate’s words. Not only did he have faith in me, but he also had faith in Griffin. But it was the part about how my son felt about me that made it difficult to push away the emotions.
The seconds of silence that ticked by after we both finished our spiels were agonizing. I knew that I had to follow Gyth’s lead on this one.
“Okay,” Gyth started, and the tension deflated from my body. “Once our other man is in place, you have five minutes to get it done.”
I stared through the window, my eyes trained on Griffin as an unfamiliar voice I didn’t know came through our comms. Slipping to the side of the window, I placed my weight against the wood of the cabin.
“Coming toward you guys now.”
It was a good thing Gyth came prepared with extra gear and had another earpiece for the sheriff; otherwise him rustling through the bushes could have spelled trouble. Once the man cleared the brush, making his way to Lyric and me, I knew without a doubt he was also ex-military.
His eyes said it all.
“We don’t have much time for introductions, so let’s make this quick. I’m Hayes.” The man thrust his hand out toward Lyric, who shook it, and then extended it to me. “I’m sorry about your son.”
I grasped his palm and shook his hand, wondering how he knew it was my son inside and not Lyric’s.
“I could see it in your eyes.”
Well, that answered my unspoken question. And wasn’t that just the same thing I’d thought about him a second ago? Looked like he fit right in. I gave him a nod of thanks, then released his hand.
“Do your thing,” Gyth told me, having overheard our brief exchange.
“You got this,” Lyric added.
After taking a deep breath, I turned back to the window to find my son laying back down on the bed, once again curled into a small ball. Very quietly, I raised my hand, and lightly tapped on the glass. Not too loud, but hopefully enough to catch my son’s attention.
His head lifted off the mattress a fraction and I could practically see his ears perk up as I tapped again. He was always a curious little guy, and I was grateful for that at the moment. When he sat up, his legs dangling over the edge, hope surged within me.
Another tap drew his attention to the window, his eyes rounding in surprise when recognition dawned.
Griffin’s lips quivered and I could see his breath shutter in his chest. Planting his feet on the ground, he slowly approached with his small brows furrowed as if he couldn’t believe I was truly there.
I placed a finger over my lips in a shh motion; he bobbed his head in acknowledgement right away.
Damn, I knew the kid was smart and would work with me.
When he was right up by the glass, his head tilted upward to see me, I used my hands to gesture to what I needed him to do, while mouthing the words.
Making motions with two fingers pointing down, moving them in what looked like a fast-walking motion, I pointed back toward the bed where he had been.
Then with one hand laid flat like the bed, I ducked my other hand under the first trying to tell him to get under it, and then covered my ears trying to convey that was what he needed to do.
Please let this work.
A tiny smile formed on his tear-streaked face, and he nodded again. Without hesitation, my son turned from me and rushed over, throwing himself under the bed exactly as I asked. I watched as he covered his ears, but then the damndest thing happened.
Griffin moved one hand off the side of his face, and slid his arm out from under the bed, shocking me as he gave me a thumbs up. Then he pulled his arm back under the bed to cover his ears once again, while also squeezing his eyes shut.
I couldn’t have been prouder than I was right then.
“Griffin is in position. Ready for the flashbang.”
Murmurs from the guys about how awesome my son was echoed through the comms, making me even more proud. I had a feeling in my gut that he’d know exactly what to do, and he passed with flying colors.
“Get into position,” Gyth ordered. “We need to move before someone goes into the room.”
Just the thought of losing the opportunity with him in a more secure space had my pulse racing, but the Sheriff moved into place while Lyric and I rounded the back corner of the house.
“We’re set,” Lyric confirmed, after we got our spot at the back door. “And you’re not going to fucking believe this shit. The door is unlocked,” he relayed quietly after he’d checked the knob.
“Want to trade?” Kace asked.
“Don’t make me hit you right now, jackass,” Gyth answered him. “It will give away our position, and then I’d really be pissed.”
It looked like we would be slipping in while the others would still kick in the door to spring surprise on anyone at the front of the house.
That was unless Kace opened his mouth again.
I maybe should have been worried, but I’d heard stories.
The two fools were stellar at their job even going at it.
“I’m in place with a direct line of sight on the kid,” Hayes informed the group. “The boy is still alone.”
For a second, I wondered what the sheriff thought while listening to us but didn’t have time to ponder that thought before our leader’s voice came through the comms again.
“On my go… breach, bang, and clear. No more wasting time.”
Heart beating like a drum, it pounded as I waited for the one word that would lead me to my son.
And then it came.
“Go!”