Chapter 26
TWENTY-SIX
My fist slams into the man’s face. Again.
He groans, but there is nothing more he can do when two of my men have his arms pinned behind his back.
“All you have to do is answer the question, and this all stops,” I tell him. “Or you can keep quiet, and I can get more creative.”
The man shakes his head, but it isn’t defiance I see in his eyes. It is resignation.
“I can’t tell you what I don’t know, man,” he whines. “Toph has never been looking to expand. That isn’t who he is. We do just fine with what we have, I swear.”
He honestly believes that.
There is no deception in his words. No hidden truths behind his eyes. If Toph Eriksen, president of the Iron Horsemen, is expanding, this man doesn’t know about it.
Or we are missing something.
“Tell me why Eriksen keeps targeting our men.”
The man groans again. “Man, you know I can’t tell you that shit. He’ll kill me.”
I snort. “I’ll kill you if you don’t tell me so…”
“You honestly think you’re scarier than Toph?” The man shakes his head. “Shit, I’ve seen Prez do some fucking nasty shit to those who cross him. I’m not fucking snitching.”
“See now, I’m willing to keep it a secret if you are.” I wink at him. “No one has to know.”
“Fuck you, man.” There is no heat behind his words, just simple resignation. “Look, he doesn’t tell us much…”
He is stalling. The biker needs a bit of incentive. Removing my knife from its holster, I slide the tip along his throat, hovering it just above his carotid artery.
“Just a nick,” I threaten. “That is all it would take. Then I could sit here and watch you bleed out on the pavement. Then I’ll plant evidence of you and your pretty little wife snitching to the cops and—”
“Leave my wife out of this!”
“Then tell me what I want to know!” I roar as I dig the tip in further.
“Okay! Okay!” he cries out. “Crowe has Prez’s daughter captive. That’s why we’ve been targeting your men. Under Crowe’s orders. He’s got it bad for you guys. I’m not even sure why.”
“Eriksen has a daughter?”
Why hadn’t we known that?
“She was taken when she was three years old,” the biker rushes.
“Crowe provides photos every now and again to keep Prez in line. He’s tried to get her out a couple of times, but then he gets photos of her, the girl.
Ones where she’s beaten or starving. Crowe threatens to sell her at auction if he doesn’t get his shit straight. ”
Well, fuck.
This is more complicated than we thought. Maybe Eriksen doesn’t have a grudge against us. And if that is the case, we need something to bring him to our side.
Nodding my chin at my men, I order them to release him.
“Not a word about this,” I threaten. “Or you’ll have more than just a beating to contend with. Understood?”
The man nods fervently before lumbering down the alley toward the bar.
It was a risk to come this far south, but I needed answers.
There was another hit on our men. A drive-by.
They opened fire into one of our neighborhoods.
Everything that our witnesses told us made it sound like it was the Iron Horsemen, but it isn’t adding up.
What the hell are we missing?
I slide into the back of the SUV, signaling to my driver. He pulls away from the curb and eases into traffic. The streets are bustling today, which means that it will take twice as long to get home.
Normally, I enjoy the silence of a long drive through the city.
Even with stop-and-go traffic, but today, my mind is troubled.
Bailey has barely been gone a few hours, and I am already chomping at the bit.
My body is riddled with anxiety. What if she has been found out?
The device we planted in her clothing is undetectable, but shit happens.
It could have become damaged, or it could be that she doesn’t plan on contacting us at all.
Not that I can blame her for what we have planned.
No. With what Kiernan has planned. I want nothing to fucking do with it.
Bailey isn’t stupid, and if she thinks something is off, she will no doubt bolt.
Fuck.
I told my brother we shouldn’t go through with it. Sure, our plan to ruin the senator and see him behind bars will ultimately free her from her father’s control, but she will never forgive us for how we get there.
And I wouldn’t blame her.
Fishing my phone out of my pocket, I dial Bridgett.
“Yeah?”
“I need everything you can find on Toph Eriksen. His marriage, his family—everything. He’s got a daughter, and I want to know who the hell she is.”
“Well, hello to you too,” Bridgett sighs. “I’m doing good. How are you? Oh, I’m fine, thanks.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Hello, Bridgett.”
She snorts. “Well, that’s a start,” she sasses. “What can I do for you?”
“I need you to find everything you can find on Toph Eriksen,” I tell her. “Apparently, Crowe is holding his daughter captive. I want to know who she is.”
“How long has he had her?”
Fuck.
“Since she was three.”
“Birthdate?”
“Fuck if I know.”
“That’s not a lot to go off.”
I let out a long breath. A headache is drilling its way through me. “I know this. But it’s all I have, Bridg. Find out everything you can about Eriksen. Do a deep dive. We never really did that.”
We should have.
“Okay.” She groans. “But I’m not making any promises.”
“Deal.”
I hang up the phone, dropping it to the seat next to me.
Something is coming.
I can feel it.
My gut is churning, and that is never a good thing. My gut is never wrong.