Silence descends. “Do you think he knew anything about Misty?”
“Our parents were fighting like hell for a while before the divorce, and that was before Misty went missing. They avoided each other at all costs. Dad’s always been real with us. He would have told us.”
He drifts off before speaking. “I’m questioning everything I ever knew about Misty. What was a lie? What was real?”
“What do you mean by that?” I ask him.
“I thought I knew her, but with every passing day... it’s like I never truly did.”
“Whatever the outcome, the relationship you had with her was real.” I lean toward him. “You know it... you feel it here.” I place my hand over his heart.
His Adam’s apple bobs.
I drop my hands and sit up straighter in my seat. “There’s no proof Misty’s living there. Audrey could have helped her travel anywhere around the world. Regardless of the truth, there’s still this part of me that can’t believe Misty would leave us... that she would willingly cause us this much pain.”
Kane’s hands clench. “I’ll forgiveno onethat was involved.”
Doors open, and the men file out of church. Knox walks to us holding black vests. When he’s close, he hands them to us. “They’re bulletproof.”
I open my mouth to speak, but he’s quick to say, “Neither of you are coming unless you wear them. Go get changed into comfortable clothes and shoes you can run in.”
It’s finally happening... I feel like I’m going to vomit.
Both vans stop only minutes away from the property, out of sight of security cameras. Tension buzzes as we wait in the car. Everyone’s dressed in black clothes. My stomach tightens at what’s coming.
“Twitch, do it now,” Knox tells him.
Twitch turns to us from the front passenger side. “It’s done. The security has been disabled. I’ll monitor it and keep you updated.”
Knox nods, then talks into the walkie-talkie. “Demon, you there?”
“Sure am,” Demon replies. He’s in the van behind us with Cash, Axle, Viper, and Rage.
“Make sure none of the men leave the van without their masks.”
“Will do,” Demon’s voice comes through again.
Knox hands us black masks. I grab mine from him with a shaky hand. “Leave them on till I say otherwise,” he says.
Knox taps Reaper’s shoulder. Reaper, who’s driving, accelerates fast, making me slip further into my seat.
My pulse thrashes against my skin as I pull the mask over my head. My heart pounds on my ribcage like it’s trying to break free. As we get to a clearing, lights glint from a mansion on a hillside. The mansion is surrounded by a vast wall.
“Are you sure that security is off, Twitch?” Knox asks.
“One hundred percent—I’ve got your back. Don’t forget the electricity circuit on the right side of the house, if you want the electricity off. And ensure the generator isn’t linked to the house.”
The van veers off the road and drives up the hill, along the wall. Kane leans over and slides the van door open. Everything is tingling.
“Pass me the gun in the center console,” Knox asks Reaper.
As I’m stepping out onto the ground, the other van pulls up behind us. I look up at the wall and see security cameras on top. I hope Twitch knows what he’s doing.
Knox grips my arms. His eyes pierce mine. “Are you sure you want to come inside? You can wait here with Twitch.”
“No, I want to come. I want to look her in the eye and find out why.”
All the men stand around us waiting for instructions. Faint screamy music plays. One man has an earpiece in one of his ears. I peer at his eyes and glance down. The tattoos on his hands indicate it’s Demon.
