Chapter 12
CHAPTER TWELVE
Wave had no way of going after Gina. He ran after the truck, but by the time he got to the road, the truck was long gone.
He made his way back to Cass, making sure she was okay.
She seemed to be in shock, but she hadn’t been harmed.
When the guy pulled the gun, people around them freaked out and took off running.
The area where they were sitting was a mess.
Tables had been flipped, and chairs turned over.
Food littered the ground, and he could see blood where people had fallen and cut their legs and arms.
He pulled Cass into a hug, his gaze surveying the area. “Hey, hey, are you okay?”
She grunted but didn’t say anything. She had to be upset. It wasn’t normal to see someone abducted at gunpoint. The violence was a normal part of his life and didn’t faze him.
He squeezed her tighter, and she gasped. He leaned back, meeting her gaze.
“What about Gina? Where is she?”
His throat closed with anger, and his emotions rose.
He wanted to punch something, wanted to rail and throw a fit.
If he had a vehicle, he could jump in and go after her, but none of that could happen, and the police were here now.
They would do what they could, but they would delay him.
He would be stuck answering questions. They would probably end up down at the station for hours.
“I don’t know where she is. We’ll find her.”
“How?” Cass asked as one of the officers approached.
“I don’t know, Cass. I don’t know.”
Gina cowered in the corner of the truck, holding her injured arm, wishing she had a way out. She did gain some satisfaction when the guy in the back with her fell to his side. But it was short-lived because he sat up as if nothing had happened.
If she had mad skills, she might have been able to gain some sort of footing and attack, but she had to dig her heels in just to stay in the corner of the truck.
They bounced along, her trying desperately to stay in the corner as the truck wove through traffic. The truck took a sharp turn, and she cried out as pain flashed through her when she toppled over.
She was on her side, her head throbbing from slamming into the metal floor. If they didn’t slow down, she was going to be beaten to death from being tossed all over the truck.
There were no sirens following, which meant no one knew where they were taking her. If this was about Pete, she was in big trouble. She had nothing for him.
The truck stopped, and she pushed up, flinching in pain. The guy in the back with her hadn’t rolled around as much as she had, so he had an easier time getting up.
He waved his gun at her. “Stand.”
Slowly, she tried to stand, but had to use her hands to pull herself up. She took a tentative step, trying not to wipe out. Her body ached like crazy. She had to blink rapidly to gain any kind of focus.
“What do you want?” She needed to figure out why they’d taken her.
“Shut up and keep moving.”
The back of the truck was open, showing the huge drop to the ground. There was no way she would be able to hop down. She slowed and leaned against the side of the truck.
“Come on. Keep moving.” He waved her forward, but she stalled and slid down the side of the truck. He yelled this time. “Move!”
She scooted forward on her rear, her eyes taking in everything outside the truck, which wasn’t much. They were backed up close to a metal building. Were they close to Pete’s place of business? If they were, the cops would probably be there soon.
“Hurry.”
The man seemed agitated. Why? Was he afraid someone would show up and interfere with what they were doing?
She wasn’t going to help their cause, so she didn’t move faster. Inching forward, she kept looking around for anything that could save her.
When she was close to the end of the truck, he yanked her arm, pulling her out. She reached out, trying to hang onto the truck so she didn’t splat on the pavement. Her arm had been injured in the earlier fall, and she cried out as pain sliced through her.
The guy raised his arm, threatening to hit her. “Get up and move.”
She straightened, defiance filling her. The desire to spit in his face grew, but she was already weak, and there was no way she could run. Escape would be impossible, even if they were close to Pete’s place, which was close to the hospital.
She took a step, moving around the side of the truck. Her gaze swept the area, and she realized they weren’t at Pete’s place, so they weren’t close to the hospital. She had no idea where they were.
Wave answered questions, wishing he had taken off before the cops arrived. They weren’t making any progress, and it was frustrating the hell out of him.
Cassandra squeezed his hand. He turned to her, seeing the sadness and worry in her eyes. He put his arm around her and pulled her close. Could he think of her as Cass? He probably should start thinking of her that way since she would be living with him.
“It will be okay.”
“What if they hurt Gina?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know.” He didn’t want to say that he would kill the people responsible with all the police around, but that’s exactly what he would do.
He pulled out his phone and sent a text to Tex and then one to Thario. After he sent those two texts, he texted his team, informing them of what had happened. None of them knew about Gina, but he knew they would be cool about everything.
His phone buzzed, and he turned it over, seeing the texts flood in.
No question, his buddies had his back. The guys were looking up Pete, trying to figure out where he had property.
They said they would coordinate with Tex and Thario.
By the time he was able to get away from the police, he would have some information.
His phone rang, and it showed that the number was unknown. He answered, hoping it was Gina, but thinking it was either Tex or Thario.
“Hello.”
“Wave,” Tex said.
“Yes. Thank you for helping.”
“Wolf and Cookie are in the area. I’ve sent them your information. They’ll be there in a few hours.”
“Oh gosh, thank you. Tell them I appreciate it.”
“They’re happy to help. Fiona and Caroline will be there for your sister. I’m sorry about your mother.”
“Thank you.”
“I understand families can be difficult, but you’ll be good for your sister. I’ll send you more information as I get it.”
“I can’t thank you enough.”
“Keep her safe. That will be thanks enough.”
The call ended, and he breathed out a sigh of relief. Cass leaned in closer, her eyes wide.
“Good news?”
“It’s not bad news. Two people I know are showing up in a few hours to help. Their wives will stay with you.”
Wrinkles developed on her forehead. “Oh.”
“They are nice. They may be older, but they won’t be jerks.”
Cass nodded. “I’m sure it will be fine.”
“I’m going to find Gina and bring her back.”
“What if they’ve done something really bad?”
He held her gaze, hoping she understood what he was saying without saying it. “Then I’ll have to take care of them.”
Getting to Gina before something awful happened would be preferable. They might not have known each other for long, but she was important. He would make sure whoever had taken her would pay.