Fuck.
Airline tickets. Seriously? I stare at the ceiling. Where the fuck did she want to go? I clench my hand holding the letter into the fist and throw the paper back onto the kitchen island.
I bound down the stairs, taking two steps at a time.
When I walk into the bar, my father nods toward the chapel. The doors are closed, but everyone is here. Everyone except Brooks.
Fuck.
With a nod to my dad, I walk through the door without pausing.
Brooks’s sitting at the table, his elbows on the tabletop, his head between them and his hands folded behind his head. All the other chairs are knocked over and a number of photos that were hanging on the wall are now scattered across the floor.
Carefully, I pick up one of the chairs and sit down next to him. We sit there for a while without saying a word. It’s obvious that something’s wrong, but I don’t know what exactly until he says “Jen," voice breaking.
“They were waiting for her?” I ask. Goddamn it.
Defeated, he shrugs his shoulders. ”Don’t know. They were there when I got there. She was standing by their car and when I got closer, they showed me they had a gun pressed up againsther ribs. All I could do was watch helplessly as they threw my wife into the back of a van.” He pushes his head further down onto the table with his hands. “I couldn’t do a goddamn thing.” He sounds choked up.
I put my hand on his shoulder. “Brandon?”
“At your mom’s. Together with Rebel.”
“Okay. Meeting. We gotta get them back, bro. That’s the only option. Without saying a word, I straighten the other chairs, put the paintings back up without checking if they’re broken, but judging by the crunching sound under my shoes, something definitely needs to be replaced. That’s for later.
I open the doors and gesture to my father, who immediately calls out, “Chapel.”
Once everyone is seated and the doors are closed, Dad looks at me.
“Layne and Jen were both kidnapped. Since Layne was caught around the corner, I suspect someone was watching. Brooks?“ I look at my best friend, who’s still sitting at the table in the same position I found him in.
“Black van,” he mumbles.
I nod and say, “They were probably on the lookout, but I’m not a hundred percent sure. It seems like the most logical explanation, else it would be too much of a coincidence. She wasn’t contacted, ‘cause I would’ve known.” I don’t mention the letter that confirmed my suspicions, ‘cause it’s too personal. My gaze shifts to Colt and I silently ask him for permission. When he nods, I continue. “I think our best option is to see if we can hack the computers of both the Knights and Vanderberg.”
“Hack? Computers?” Dad raises an eyebrow. “Sorry, but I’m not a techie, and last time I checked, you weren’t much good with those things either.”
“Colt can do it.”
Every pair of eyes at the table turns to him. Colt shrugs sheepishly.
“Okay, great. I didn’t know that. Get started right away. We need them back before God knows what happens. Call me when you have updates, and then we’ll regroup. The kids are at Abby’s, and the rest of you can use the rooms here. Is anyone else missing a family member?” Dad’s gaze sweeps across all the members, but they all shake their heads. "Good." Then he bangs the gavel on the table.
Colt, Pax, and I linger. Brooks barely moves. Ash lingers in the doorway, staring at his brother.
“Gonna kill ‘im, Ky. And he better not touch her. I’ll gut him like a fish.” Brooks slowly looks up, and I’ve never seen that look in his eyes before. Honestly, I’m glad I’m on his side.
“Fine. Let’s go. We’re going to Colt’s house.”
Twenty-Five
Thesmellofdisinfectanthits my nose as I wake up groaning. My whole upper body aches. My arms feel stretched, and something is cutting into the skin of my wrists. A tingling sensation spreads through my fingers and my head throbs.
That van is coming straight at me. I need to get out of the way. Shit, shit, shit. I can’t make it! Glass shatters and my forehead hits the steering wheel. Then everything goes black.
Shit, shit, shit.
Slowly, I open my eyes, fluttering my eyelashes. It takes a few moments for my eyes to adjust to the brightness before I can see where I am.
