“You’re not taking that chance. I am.” I wasn’t going to argue about this. It was nobody else’s decision but mine. “They have no reason to kill me. That would only encourage the rest of you to come after them. They don’t want that. This is their desperate attempt to find a way to run back to their own town with their tails between their legs.”
Casper and Stray helped Damon out of the bathroom and onto the couch in the living room. He looked like he might need a hospital. When Stray suggested as much, he immediately shot that idea down.
“I’m fine,” Damon insisted. “Don’t worry about me. We need to get Noah back.”
He and I shared a look then. We were both willing to do whatever it took. We both loved Noah. Right then I was grateful that he had a friend who cared so much.
“This is the plan,” I said. “Let’s get Garrett on the phone.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
DOM
Getting Garrett on the phone wasn’t as easy as I expected. Damon had a number for him, but the fucking thing rang endlessly before going to voicemail no matter how many times I called. That asshole had to be screwing with me.
Unable to sit still, I roamed around Damon and Noah’s house. Racking my brain for a way to find this guy. While the guys helped Damon get cleaned up, I continued to call Garrett over and over.
Every time he neglected to answer, I grew more furious. Closer to breaking. I wasn’t sure how much more of this shit I could take. He thought he had the upper hand because he had Noah. How did he not realize that was only going to piss me off further? I wasn’t about to let this go.
Finally, my phone rang in my hands. Garrett.
“Where the fuck is Noah?” I snarled into the phone.
“Settle down, lover boy. I’ve got your boyfriend right here. Take a few calming breaths. I won’t negotiate with you if you’re all amped up and ready to blow.” Garrett chuckled.
I tightly gripped the phone so hard I thought it might shatter in my grasp. “Is this funny to you? For someone who’strying to find a way to get out of town alive you’re not doing a very good job.”
“Is that a threat?” Garrett was suddenly serious now. “Remember that I hold Noah’s life in my hands. You guys were going to kill me tonight. I have no reason not to strike first now that I have the upper hand.”
I scoffed. “Upper hand? You touch one hair on his head and I won’t stop hunting you until you’re dead. Pissing me off isn’t a good idea. You thought you were being smart by grabbing him. You have no idea the mistake you’ve made.”
There was a moment of silence as Garrett contemplated my words. Finally, he said, “No worries, Dom. I’d rather have you anyway. I need the leverage over the rest of the Kings. Since you have no choice, we’re going to do this my way. Meet me in one hour in the parking lot of the Walmart on the edge of town. Since it’s a public place, it’s probably not a good idea for any of you to try anything risky. There will be cameras everywhere.”
I hated that I had no choice but to agree to anything he said. “Fine. One hour. And if you hurt him, I hurt you.”
He ended the call without saying another word. I knew that he heard me though. When I relayed our conversation back to the guys, they tried again to convince me not to give myself up in Noah’s place.
“What choice do I have?” I flung my hands wide, frustration boiling over. “I have to get him back. I’m more valuable to them than Noah. If we don’t do this, they might just kill him.”
“They will definitely kill him,” Damon added. “Garrett is pissed that Noah didn’t kill you. He was hoping Noah would kill you and the Kings would kill Noah in retaliation. Which would force me to make a desperate move. He wanted to cut down our numbers so they had less of a problem. That didn’t work. Now he’s backed into a corner. He has nothing to lose.”
Casper thoughtfully gnawed his lip before signing, “Doesn’t he? What about family?”
Since Damon wasn’t as familiar with sign, Stray translated for him. Damon pressed a bag of frozen vegetables to his swollen face, hissing in pain. “Actually, I think he might be married.”
“Good. Then we have something to work with.” Rebel was understandably infuriated. He’d worked hard to establish the Kings as a force you didn’t want to screw with. We all had.
Waiting for the next hour to pass severely tested my sanity. We tried to convince Damon to sit this one out, but he wouldn’t hear of it. After popping a few painkillers and taking a shot of tequila, he declared himself to be feeling just fine.
We made the fifteen minute trip over to the Walmart. Like most days, it was still busy, even this late into the evening. Darkness had fallen, leaving the parking lot bathed in artificial light. It wasn’t hard to spot the white Sprinter van at the back of the lot. That had to be them.
We pulled up next to it, bracing ourselves for anything. There was no telling what kind of shit Garrett might pull. Although he had chosen a public place, which indicated his lack of confidence. He was afraid.
After a minute, the van door opened as Garrett got out. The rest of his guys emerged as well. One of them dragged Noah out of the back, holding a gun covertly against his side. We got out too, meeting them behind the two vehicles.
My eyes immediately locked with Noah’s. Other than a fresh bruise on his cheek, he seemed to be uninjured. I was so fucking glad to see him alive and unharmed. The relief that shook me left me breathless and a little nauseous.
“Let’s make this fast,” Garrett said, eyeing us with open hostility and suspicion. “Try anything and Ray will put a bullet in your boy here.”
