Maddox shrugged, but his mouth quirked smugly at the corner. “You’ve got your methods. I’ve got mine.”
My gaze dropped to Jesse’s unconscious form, then back to the treasure trove of information in my hands. My pulse hammered against my temples as the implications sank in. “This could’ve saved us hours.”
“Exactly. We could’ve already been on the road if you hadn’t been so blinded by your craving for blood.”
I folded the paper and shoved it into my back pocket. My sneakers carried me toward the door in three quick strides, renewed purpose flooding back into my movements. “What are we waiting for, then? Let’s go.”
Behind me, Maddox shook his head, but I caught the motion in the corner of my eye. “You’re insane.”
I paused at the threshold, glancing back over my shoulder, frowning. “Get in the car, Mad.”
This time, he didn’t argue.
Maddoxand I worked the list like wolves. Name after name blurred together. Viper after Viper.
We dragged them out of dive bars, caught them unaware at their houses, cornered them in narrow alleys, where their backs pressed against brick walls and they had nowhere left to go.
And still…nothing. Every bastard claimed ignorance. Rusty had gone completely dark, and no one wanted to be the one to break the code of silence. Fear of their boss outweighed their fear of us.
For now.
There would be repercussions for what we were doing, but that was a problem for another day. Another lifetime. All I cared about was her. Every hour that ticked by without a lead was another hour she was locked up somewhere, waiting for me to find her.
By the time we hit the sixth name on the list, some punk calledSpider who pissed himself when Maddox’s boot connected with his ribs, my phone buzzed against my thigh. The vibration felt like an electric shock, cutting through the adrenaline fog that had been my constant companion for the past forty-eight hours.
My father.
His name on the screen made my jaw clench. The last fucking person I wanted to hear from, but maybe it was desperation, or perhaps the last shred of hope I had left that made me answer anyway.
“Come home,” he ordered when the line connected, forgoing any pleasantries. It had been days since we’d last spoken, and I had no idea what he knew or didn’t know.
I glanced over at Mad who had Spider pinned to the wall. “I’m busy.”
“Kreed.” He sighed, and I could picture him rubbing at his temples in exasperation. I seemed to always be a thorn in his side. “I wasn’t asking. Trust me, you don’t want to miss what I have to say.”
I highly fucking doubted it, but the line went dead before I could argue. “Fuck” breezed out of my lips as I glared at my phone. I didn’t have time for this shit or my father’s games.
“What’s going on?” Mad asked while keeping his attention on Spider.
“I need to go. Dad,” I explained, knowing nothing further was needed. “You got him?”
Maddox’s lips curled. “Do I ever. It’s about time you left some of the fun for me.”
I rolled my eyes. “Just don’t make a mess you can’t clean up alone. I’m taking the car. I’ll call Mason on my way home.”
“No rush. I have a feeling Spider and I are going to need a bit of time to get to know each other better. Isn’t that right, Spider?” He clasped the Viper on the shoulders as if this were a budding friendship.
Grudgingly, I left, showing up at my house thirty minutes later, looking like I’d crawled out of a back-alley fight. Which, in a way, I had.Blood had dried in dark, rust-colored stains across my white tee, turning the fabric stiff and brittle. My knuckles were split open in a dozen places, scabs forming and tearing again each time I made a fist. My jeans were stiff with two days’ worth of sweat and dirt, and I could smell myself, a mixture of violence and desperation clinging to my skin.
I hadn’t showered in forty-eight hours. Hadn’t eaten. Hadn’t slept for more than twenty minutes at a time. There hadn’t been time for any of it.
Not my finest moment, but Dad had seen me in far worse shape. This was light work and wouldn’t faze Donovan Corvo.
It had been several days since I last set foot inside the Willows, as our house was named due to the line of willow trees bordering the driveway, creating a lush canopy as I drove toward the house, which was nothing short of spectacular. A house that would be any architect’s wet dream, but to my mom, it had been her pride and joy.
Taking in the two-story custom home with all its floor-to-ceiling glowing windows, I’d forgotten how much I loved this place, the land, the views, the cozy rooms. It had once been a place of sanctuary for me, a place I could escape all the evil lurking outside the grounds, but with just a zip of a stray bullet, my sanctuary became like a catacomb.
Dad met me at the front door, his light-green eyes taking in every detail of my appearance with his usual scrutiny reserved for his boys. His mouth twitched once, not quite a frown, not quite disappointment. Something worse. “You look like shit.”
