A dark and primal rage claws its way up from the pit of my stomach. The kind that makes men do terrible things.
Anyone who touches her dies.
It’s not a threat. It’s not even a decision. It’s a fact, as certain as gravity. If there’s a single mark on her, a single bruise, I will burn that warehouse to the ground with everyone inside. FBI raid be damned. Consequences be damned. They will learn what happens when you take my woman from me.
Lee’s hand lands on my shoulder—grounding, steadying. He sees it in my face. They all do.
I force myself to breathe.
“How fast can you get your teams in position?”
“Two hours. Maybe less if I pull some strings.”
“Make it less.” I grip the phone so hard I’m surprised it doesn’t crack. “Whatever strings you need to pull, pull them. That’s my woman in there.”
“I understand. Stone. We’re going to get her back.”
“Damn right we are.”
I hang up and turn to face my brothers.
“Two hours. FBI takes point on the assault. We’ll provide perimeter support, make sure no one gets out.” I meet each of their eyes in turn. “This isn’t about Summit anymore. This isn’t about Caruso or the cartel or any of that shit. This is about family. They took one of ours, and we’re getting her back.”
“And if she’s hurt or…?” Hawk doesn’t finish the question
The rage I’ve been holding at bay threatens to crack through. I think about Josie—her sharp tongue, her soft heart, the way she looked at me this morning. The way she trusted me to keep her safe.
I fucking failed.
“If she’s hurt,” I say, my voice deadly calm, “then God help whoever touched her. Because I won’t.”
I dismiss the men to go do what they need to prepare for the coming battle.
Steel finds me on the roof an hour later.
I don’t know how long I’ve been standing here, staring at nothing, running through every possible scenario in my head. Every way this could go wrong. Every way I could lose her.
The night air is cold, but I barely feel it. All I can feel is the hollow ache in my chest where certainty used to live. For fifteen years, I’ve been numb. Going through the motions. Running the club, raising my kids, keeping everyone else safe while something inside me slowly calcified into stone.
Then Josie walked into my life and cracked me wide open.
“They haven’t hurt her.” Steel says quietly. “Their comms are mostly about logistics. They’re moving product, cleaning house before the heat comes down. She’s leverage, not entertainment.”
“Yet.”
“Yet,” he agrees. “But she’s smart. She’s keeping them talking, asking questions, probably cataloging everything for the prosecution.” He almost smiles. “She’s trying to negotiate her own return.”
That’s my girl.
“The civilian?” I ask. “The woman from the alley?”
“Hawk got her checked out. She’s fine—they drugged her, but it’s wearing off. She didn’t see much, but she confirmed three men, black SUV.” Steel pauses. “They planned this, Stone. They knew exactly when and where to grab her.”
“Someone’s been watching us.”
“Looks like it.”
I file that away for later. Right now, it doesn’t matter how they knew. What matters is getting Josie back.
