28. Mason
Mason
The truck rumbles down the dark highway, headlights cutting through the thin fog that clings to the road like a shroud.
Kane sits in the passenger seat, his jaw tight, one hand resting on the dashboard as he stares out at the passing trees.
The engine’s low growl fills the cab, mixing with the faint hiss of tires on wet asphalt and the occasional gust of wind that rocks the vehicle.
The heater blows warm air that smells like old leather and the faint trace of Riley’s vanilla scent that still clings to my jacket from when I held her.
Every breath I take brings her back to me, and it feels like a knife twisting deeper in my chest.
I grip the steering wheel tighter, knuckles white against the worn leather.
My mind keeps turning over the same questions, restless and ugly.
How did the Morettis know she was in Montana?
Why did we need to move her so fast from my personal hunting cabin?
Nobody should have known about that place.
It was off the books. The thought of her out there right now, scared and alone with strangers, makes my stomach churn.
I can still feel the way she trembled in my arms when I said goodbye.
The salt of her tears on my lips. The way she whispered my name like it was the last thing she wanted to say.
Kane shifts in his seat, the leather creaking under his weight. He glances over at me, his expression grim in the glow of the dashboard lights. “You okay, man?”
I don’t answer right away. The road stretches ahead, dark and empty, the yellow lines blurring slightly in the fog.
I exhale slowly, the air fogging the inside of the windshield for a second before the defroster clears it.
“How did the Morettis know she was in Montana?” I ask.
“Why did we need to move her? I had her at my personal hunting cabin. Nobody should’ve known about that place. It’s off grid. Secure.”
Kane rubs a hand over his face, the stubble rasping against his palm. He lets out a long breath, the sound heavy in the quiet cab. “Yeah. You think someone on the inside is dirty?”
The question hangs between us like smoke.
I feel my jaw clench so hard my teeth ache.
The idea’s been gnawing at me since the call from Stevens, but hearing Kane say it out loud makes it real.
Someone betrayed us. Someone with access.
Someone who knew exactly where I’d taken her.
The thought makes my blood run hot with rage.
If I find out who it was, I won’t stop until they pay for every second of fear Riley has felt.
“I’m not sure,” I say finally, my voice tight. “But something doesn’t feel right. The timing. The urgency. Stevens pushing for the handoff so fast. I had her safe. Really safe. And now she’s gone.”
Kane nods, his eyes narrowing as he stares out at the road. “We’ll figure it out. Jax and Colt are already digging. If there’s a leak, we’ll find it.”
The satellite phone on the center console lights up, vibrating against the plastic. Kane grabs it and puts it on speaker. Jax’s voice comes through, tense and clipped.
“We’ve a problem.”
My heart rate spikes instantly. I tighten my grip on the wheel, the leather creaking under my fingers. “Talk.”
Jax doesn’t sugarcoat it. “Riley never made it to the drop-off agents for the WITSEC program. The team waiting at the secure location says no one showed. No handoff. No confirmation.”
The words hit me like a punch to the gut.
The road ahead blurs for a second. I have to force myself to keep the truck steady.
“That’s impossible,” I growl, my voice rough with disbelief and rising fury.
“I handed her off myself. Two agents from the field office. Suits. Badges. They took her right in front of me.”
There’s a heavy pause on the line. Then Jax speaks again, his tone darker. “I don’t know who those men were, but they weren’t the agents who were supposed to get her into WITSEC. The real team’s still waiting. No contact. No sign of her.”
My vision tunnels. The truck swerves slightly before I correct it, tires hissing on the wet road.
Riley. My sunshine. Taken. Not by the system.
Not to safety. By someone else. The Morettis.
Or someone working for them. The realization crashes over me like ice water.
I can still see her face when they dragged her out of the motel room, her eyes wide and terrified, reaching for me.
The sound of her crying my name echoes in my head, raw and broken.
Kane leans forward, his voice sharp. “Where is she?”
“We’re working on it,” Colt cuts in, his voice coming through the speaker now. “We’ve been trying to call Stevens all night but he’s not answering. Radio silence. Something’s very wrong here.”
“Stevens was on the phone with the two agents. Heard him myself,” I say, fists clenching on the wheel.
The truck feels like it’s closing in around me.
My heart pounds so hard I can hear it in my ears.
Riley’s out there. Scared. Alone. With the wrong people.
The thought of her in danger, of her soft voice calling for me and me not being there, makes something feral rise up in my chest. I want to turn the truck around right now.
I want to tear the world apart until I find her.
I want to wrap her in my arms and never let go again.
“Mobilize a team,” I say, my voice low and deadly. “Call everyone. I’m not waiting.”
Kane puts a hand on my arm, steadying. “We’ll find her, Mason. We’ll bring her home.”
I nod once, but inside the rage and fear churn together like a storm. Riley’s gone. And I’ll burn everything down to get her back.
The road stretches ahead, dark and uncertain, but my mind is made up. She belongs to me. And I’m coming for her.