“I’m okay,” she lied.
She was trying to be strong for me, but she couldn’t hide her grimace. Nor could she hide the bruises that had already formed underneath her right eye. I could barely see straight, I was so pissed.
I peered over one of the other cars and watched as Joel and another man led Reyes into the back seat. I knew where they were taking him.
We left the hotel, my SUV turning left while Joel turned right. I dropped Savannah off at LS Private Investigations with Micah and Jodi. They had a doctor already on standby to look her over. Aiden was safely with them.
“Mama!” Aiden yelled and ran to her as soon as we entered Micah’s office.
Savannah let out a strangled cry and fell to her knees, wrapping Aiden up in her embrace.
“Are you okay?” I asked, pulling away and holding him out for inspection.
Aiden nodded with tears running down his cheeks. “Your face.” He cupped the side of her face that was swollen.
Another lump formed in my throat as I moved to the both of them.
“I-I’m fine,” Savannah told him.
But she couldn’t hide her swollen eye and bloodied lip. I hated to see her like that and worse, that Aiden had to see her like that.
I kneeled down beside Aiden. “I have to go handle something.” I stroked his back. “The doctor’s going to treat your mom. You take care of her while I’m gone,” I told him before leaving. “I’ll be back soon, okay?”
He nodded. His face turned serious. “I’ll protect her.”
I planted another kiss on his forehead and to Savannah’s before handing her over to the doctor. I gave Micah one final nod and then departed to finish Reyes.
* * *
An hour later,I arrived at the safe house, as Joel called it. It was little more than a tattered wooden ranch out in the middle of nowhere.
I inserted my hands into a pair of black leather gloves as I strolled up the stairs to the door. Not bothering to knock, I barged in to find my father and another guy sitting on a few stacks of hay.
Joel looked up at me and silently waved his head toward one of the back stalls. I brushed past them and found Reyes on the floor, hogtied with tape over his mouth.
I stepped inside the stall, a sick thrill filling my stomach at the terror in his eyes.
I pulled my tactical bowie knife out of my back pocket and slid it out of its leather case. The horror in Reyes’ face intensified, but that wasn’t enough for me.
I moved closer and stooped low. He tried to scoot away as best he could while tied up. Strangled cries came from his mouth. I supposed they were cries for help, but it was tricky with the tape over his mouth and a broken jaw.
“Let me help with that,” I encouraged before leaning over and cutting the electrical tape from his mouth. “There.” I moved back. “This way, I get to hear every scream. Every cry that’s about to result from what I’m going to do to you.”
“F-fuck you,” he slurred. “I don’t beg.”
I paused and gave him a look. “Is that right?”
“Fuck yes. That bitch should’ve given me the money when I told her to,” he managed to say through clenched teeth.
“That bitch?” I rose to my full height.
He howled when the bottom of my steel-toe boot came crashing down against his face. A waterfall of blood gushed from his nose.
“A broken nose to go with that jaw.”
Reyes groaned in agony before spitting out a couple of his front teeth.
“What was all of that about not crying or whatever?” I kicked him again, that time in the ribs. The same side that he’d hit Savannah.
