King was in his office when Brick kicked the door open without knocking.
“Tessa’s missing,” were the first words out of Brick’s mouth.
King looked up sharply.One glance at Brick’s face and the mood shifted instantly.
“What do you mean, missing?”King demanded.
“She didn’t come back from work.Her phone was in an alley.There was a struggle,” Brick explained.
The room went still.
“You think it’s the Iron Serpents?”
Brick’s hands curled into fists.“I’d bet my life on it.”There was no one else who would want to screw with him like that.
King stood.“Anyone else know yet?”
“No.”
King began pacing immediately, already running scenarios.“We’ll hit their known properties.Split into teams and...”
“They don’t have time for that,” Brick snapped.
King stopped pacing and looked at him.“You don’t get to lose your head right now.”
“She’s already lost time,” Brick shot back.“And so has Dillon.”
King studied him for a long second.“How important is she to you, Brick?”
Brick lifted his head.How could King ask him that question?
“There’s no one above her,” he said hoarsely.“She’s my everything.And I’m bringing her home.Anyone who tries to stop me gets buried.”
The silence afterward was heavy and absolute.Then Brick’s phone buzzed.It was a text from an unknown number.Brick had a bad feeling about this.He opened it.
We have Tessa.And the kid.If you want them back, you come alone.
Brick’s vision went red.
“Show me that,” King demanded.When Brick didn’t hand his phone over, King walked over to him.
King read the message over Brick’s shoulder, his jaw tightening.For a heartbeat, the office was silent except for the distant thrum of music from the clubhouse below.Then King let out a slow, dangerous breath.
“They really think you’re stupid enough to walk into that trap by yourself,” he said.
Brick barely heard him.The room felt like it was tilting, his pulse roaring in his ears.The image of Tessa alone, frightened, possibly hurt, kept flashing behind his eyes like a brand.
“They’ll kill her if I bring the whole club,” Brick said, his voice sounding far away to his own ears.
He felt numb and hollow.Like the words had been ripped straight out of his chest instead of passed through his lungs.
King moved fast.One second he was across the room, the next his fist was gripping the front of Brick’s cut, yanking him close until they were nose to nose.
“They’ll kill you if you don’t,” King snarled.“And then they’ll kill her anyway.You don’t fight wars solo.Not in this club.”
Brick’s chest heaved.Rage shook through him, raw and violent, barely leashed.It took everything he had not to shove King off him and storm straight back out the door alone.
Every instinct screamed at him to go now, to tear through the city until he found her or died trying.King held his stare a second longer, searching his eyes for reason.Then he released him.
