"Morrison wants you, right?He wants to make you suffer for taking Evangeline away from him.So we give him what he wants.You, alone, vulnerable.He shows up to gloat, we take him down."
"Using me as bait."
"Using you as leverage.He's got Evangeline.We've got you.He wants a trade, we negotiate terms that give us the advantage."
It's risky as hell and assumes Morrison will play by rules he's already broken.But it might be our only shot at getting Evangeline back alive.
"Do it," I say."Set up the meet.But I want backup close enough to respond if things go sideways."
"You're not going alone," Ghost says firmly."I don't care what Morrison demands.We're not giving him a clean shot at you."
"He won't kill me.Not until he's made me watch him hurt her first."
The words come out cold, calculated, but inside I'm burning with rage and fear.The thought of Morrison touching Evangeline, hurting her, makes me want to tear the world apart with my bare hands.
"Hades."Rogue's voice draws my attention to his laptop screen."Got something."
I move to look over his shoulder.He's pulled up traffic camera footage from the pharmacy parking lot, time-stamped twenty-eight minutes ago.
The video shows Evangeline walking out with a small pharmacy bag, looking tired but alert.Tiny follows behind her, looking professional and watchful.
Then a van pulls up.White, nondescript, no plates visible from this angle.Two men get out, both wearing masks.One grabs Tiny, pressing something to his neck.He drops like a stone.
The other man reaches for Evangeline, but she's already moving.Backing away, yelling something I can't hear, trying to run.
Pride and terror war in my chest as I watch her fight.She kicks, scratches, uses every dirty trick she can think of.But she's outmatched and they know it.One of them grabs her from behind while the other injects her with something.
She goes limp in seconds, and they load her into the van before speeding away.
The whole thing takes less than ninety seconds.
"Shadow Hawks," Savage says, pointing to a tattoo visible on one of the attackers' forearms."That's their mark."
"So Morrison's not just using their safe houses.He's actually working with them."
"Looks that way."
The implications are staggering.Morrison's not just a lone criminal with money and connections.He's got backing from an established MC, which means more manpower, more resources, more danger.
"We need to move fast," Ghost says."The longer they have Evangeline, the more time Morrison has to fortify his position or move her again."
My phone buzzes.Unknown number, but I know who it is before I even answer.
"You've got something that belongs to me," Morrison says without preamble.
"And you've got something that belongs to me."
"Touché.So let's make a deal.You want your woman back?Come get her."
"Where?"
"I'll send coordinates.Come alone, unarmed, or I start hurting her in ways that'll leave permanent damage."
"How do I know she's alive?"
There's a pause, then Evangeline's voice comes through the line."Hades, don't?—"
The sound cuts off abruptly, followed by Morrison's laughter."She's fine.For now.Still has that fighting spirit you seem to love so much.But that changes if you don't follow my instructions exactly."
