“What is it?”
He and Liam asked the question at the same time, both movingin front of her.
Liam took a step back, giving Nate the chance to talk to herfirst.
Because she was his responsibility now.He reached for herhand.“What’s happening?”
“The alarm is off, and I can’t find Devi,” she whispered.
His father cursed under his breath.“I’m on it.We’ve beenaway from the bloody security cams.I’ll run them back.She couldn’t havegotten out the front.We would have seen her.”
“She went out back,” Daisy replied, still surreally calm.“She was upset about something, and she sits on the back steps when she’supset.Lucas, I need you to get the boys into the nursery.Bri’s there.”
Lucas was suddenly all kinds of serious.“You need me tocall my dad?”
She shook her head.“My father’s already on it.”
“Yeah, go get Ian,” Liam was saying into his cell.“Tell himI want a sniper on the roof of the club, and they’re looking for Devi on theeast side of the Ferguson building.Keep this quiet.We don’t know what’shappening yet.”
Lucas turned to the kids.“All right, guys.Let’s get a moveon.”
Hunter was already in motion, gathering up the youngest.“Let’s brush some teeth.Don’t want them to fall out, do we?”
They weren’t military but they were calm under pressure.
“We’ll stay with Bri and the kids,” Gabe assured them.“Letme know when the coast is clear.Until then, we’ll keep everyone in lock-down.”
The young men moved efficiently, getting the boys to coverwithout panicking them.
“I think they’re calling my cell.”Daisy’s hand shookslightly as she passed it to him.“I didn’t answer or look at the texts theysent.”
“Smart girl.”Her father still had his cell in hand.“Betterto play dumb.The minute you answer you’re on a timer.”
Daisy nodded.“I also didn’t get close to the windows.WhenI realized the alarm wasn’t on, I made sure no one could see me.I would haveloved to have seen her, but that would put me on a timer, too.”
She hadn’t panicked.She hadn’t rushed out trying to saveher friend herself.He was proud of her.His cell rang, and he slid his fingeracross the screen, putting it on speaker.“Dad?What have you got?”
Daisy leaned in.
“She went out the back and did exactly what Daisy said shewould.She was drinking coffee, sitting on the back steps crying,” his fatherexplained.“And then two men with military-grade weapons dressed in all blacktook her.I think they’re in a van on the other side of the Ferguson building.Liam, I told you I thought someone was following us.”
Liam cursed under his breath.“I’m sorry.I didn’t see it soI brushed it off.”He looked to his daughter.“I was too eager to get home andtell you and your mother you’re going to be safe.I just wanted to see mydaughter and tell her how much I love her.”
Daisy nodded.“I love you, too, Da.But we have to get Devi.I can’t let them take her.We have to exchange me for her, and then you’llrescue me.It’ll be fine.I’ll be a perfectly good hostage.”
There was only one problem with the scenario.“They don’twant you as a hostage, love.They want you dead so you can’t testify againsttheir boss.So no, we’re not exchanging you.”
“I can be very charming,” she replied, her shouldersstraightening like she was actually getting ready to walk right into danger andexpect to come out on the other side.Because she was charming.
Keeping her alive was going to be a full-time job.
“You are, my darlin.You are the most charming woman alivebesides your sainted mother, but I think in this case, we should try to takethe fuckers out before they lay hands on you.”Her father was suddenly thevoice of reason.
“Da, we can’t let them take Devi.”Daisy’s voice wavered.
“Her mother is already on her way, and Boomer happened to bein the club tonight so he’s got a high-powered rifle, and I assure you he onlyneeds one shot,” Liam explained.“However, we’re going to have to start thetimer or I worry they might kill her and try again later.I can’t imagineDevi’s being charming right now.She’s probably proving she’s Erin Taggart’sdaughter and giving them hell.”
“She fought hard,” Brody said over the line.“They roughedher up but good.However, she was alive when they put her in the van.Oh, wow,we’ve got incoming.Erin’s moving around the back.She’s clinging to theshadows.I don’t think they can see her.She’s in.”
