I nod, paying attention to the way his voice shook when he talked about it. Every part of me wants to find the man and break him in half.
“You said you missed the interview?” I ask quietly.
“Yeah. It was the first good shot I’ve had in months.”
“I’m sorry.”
He laughs, but it sounds bitter rather than humorous. “Not your fault.”
I think for a second, then say, “Look, if you want a change, I can offer you one. Prospect with us. You already know how to watch a perimeter and follow orders. You’ll have paid work, a readymade support network, and we’ll make sure he doesn’t circle back around to try this seriously fucked up shit in the future. You’ll finally have something solid under you.”
He studies me like he’s not sure I mean it. “You serious?”
“When it comes to my club, I don’t make casual offers.”
His good eye glints with interest. Of course, the other one is swollen shut at the moment, but that’s beside the point. “Let’s get through this first. But yeah, it sounds like an interesting offer.”
“Good,” I tell him, pleased that he’s taking my offer seriously.
Stitch finishes packing up and heads out. Rivera watches me, then lets out a long breath. “You really are going to go after this asshole, aren’t you?”
“Absolutely.”
He gestures to his ribs. “If you’re going after him, be smart. This guy’s got backup. The car he stuffed me into wasn’t stolen and the plates were clean. That means he’s got money and someone keeping records tidy.”
“Let me worry about that.”
“I’m already doing that,” he says. “You’ll want to start near the east end of Imperial. Most of the warehouses there are half-empty or private storage. Perfect place for someone who doesn’t want to be seen to hang out.”
I nod once. “Rest up. We’ll handle it from here.”
Rivera studies me for a long second. “Don’t let Christina see you come back bloody.”
“I don’t intend on it,” I say.
For two reasons—firstly, she doesn’t need to know what goes down when I get my hands on that fucker, and secondly, if I get any blood on me, it sure as hell won’t be mine.
After we get Rivera cleaned up and dosed with painkillers, Onyx brings food from the diner down the block. Rivera manages half a sandwich before sleep drags him under.
I pull out a map I got from the lobby and spread it across the small table. Onyx sits across from me, as quiet and patient as he’s ever been. Jinx is leaning against the wall, scrolling through police scanner apps on his phone. Maddox is standing guard outside.
Rivera stirs once, mumbling in his sleep, and I lower my voice. “Rivera said the asshole mentioned a warehouse off Imperial. You see anything that fits the description?”
“There are plenty of them,” Onyx says. “Half of those units are fronts or shell leases. Could take days. The area is rife with crime. We could just as easily get jumped ourselves as get our hands on him.”
“Not if we draw him out.”
Jinx looks up. “How would you go about doing that?”
“From what Rivera said, he’s obsessed with Christina. Her name kind of runs on a loop in his mind. He’s probably checking all the same leads we are, hoping to sniff out her trail. If we leave a false one, he might come running.”
Onyx nods slowly. “A rumor, or something like that.”
“Exactly. We need something believable that says she’s been seen. Put it through the channels he’d monitor. We could post information that a former investigative reporter is going to hold a seminar at the local civic center or a local auditorium.”
“That’s risky,” Jinx says.
“So is waiting for him to find her first,” I shoot back.
