Less than a half-hour later, the entire club is at the barracks, the lot locked down tighter than a fucking safe.
The Chapel has never felt more like a war room.
Every brother is present, called in from wherever they were, faces grim and ready. Steel and Bones have three laptops running, tracking every camera feed in the county. Tank is on the phone with our contacts in the sheriff’s department. Lee stands beside me, silent and solid, the only thing keeping me from putting my fist through a wall.
I can’t stop moving.
I pace the length of the table, then back again. My fingers rake through my hair for the tenth time in as many minutes. Every muscle in my body is coiled tight, vibrating with the kind of energy that has nowhere to go. My jaw aches from clenching it.
Where is she?
The question loops in my head like a broken record. I’ve faced down cartels, corrupt cops, federal agents. I’ve made decisions that could’ve gotten my brothers killed and slept fine afterward.But this—not knowing where Josie is, what they’re doing to her, whether she’s even still?—
No. I shut that thought down hard.
She’s alive. She has to be alive.
“Stone.” Lee’s voice is low, steady. “Sit down. You’re making everyone nervous.”
“I can’t fucking sit down.”
He doesn’t push. He knows better.
The clock on the wall ticks. Every second feels like an hour. Every minute she’s out there is another minute I’m failing her.
“We’ve got a location.” Steel looks up from his screens, and my whole body snaps toward him. “The SUV went to the old textile warehouse on Route 9. Same place Caruso’s been running his operation.”
“That’s where the FBI raid is supposed to hit tonight,” Hawk says.
“Then we move the timeline up.” I pace the length of the room, mind racing. “Steel, get Agent Pilkin on the line. We need federal backup now, not in six hours.”
“Already calling.”
“What about going in ourselves?” Tank asks. “We’ve got the firepower. We know the layout.”
“And they know we’re coming.” Lee points out. “They took Josie specifically to draw us out. If we go in blind, we’re walking into an ambush.”
He’s right. I know he’s right. But every second Josie is in their hands is a second too long.
I should never have let her go alone. Should have checked the bathroom and hall first. Should have?—
“Dad.” Lee’s hand lands on my shoulder, grounding me. “Stay focused. We’ll get her back.”
I nod, shoving the guilt down deep where it can’t distract me. There’ll be time for self-recrimination later. Right now, Josie needs me sharp.
“Pilkin’s on line two,” Steel calls out.
I grab the phone. “They’ve got Josie.”
“I know. We intercepted their communications five minutes ago.” Her voice is clipped, professional, but I hear the urgency underneath. “They’re holding her at the warehouse, using her as leverage. They’ll want to know what evidence we have on them.”
“She won’t tell them anything.”
“No. She won’t.” A pause. “Which means they’ll escalate. We need to move fast.”
The wordescalatehits me like a sledgehammer to the chest.
I know what that means. I’ve seen what men like Caruso do to people who won’t talk. The images flash through my mind unbidden—Josie’s face, her hands, her body broken and bloody because she’s too goddamn loyal to give them what they want.
