I had just refocused my energy on Jesse when the metal side door creaked open. Completely oblivious as to what they walked into, this newcomer came to a confused halt at seeing me and then zeroing in on Jesse as he shoved to his feet, slumping against the wall. “What the fuck is going on?”
“I’m still trying to figure that out.” Jesse coughed, slowly straightening as his breathing returned to normal. “You should probably get out of here, Theo.”
“Theo, huh?” I echoed. “Don’t fucking move.”
Maddox reappeared in the doorway, and a grin crawled across his pale features. “I got this one,” he said, crossing the garage in smooth strides, grabbing the newcomer by the collar and hauling him back outside.
Jesse’s slitted gaze pinned mine. “What the fuck are you even talking about? Who’s keeping Kaylor? Where is she?”
The question ignited volcanic fire in my chest. I grabbed him by the front of his shirt again, this time slamming him sideways into the workbench. Wrenches and screwdrivers clanged to the ground. His breath caught in a sharp hiss as I pressed my forearm across his windpipe. “If you’re playing games with me right now,” I began, droppingmy voice to barely above a whisper but undeniably threatening, “then the only way you’re leaving this greasy-ass shop is in a goddamn body bag.”
He actually had the balls to smirk even with my arm crushing his throat. “You ever think about working on those anger management issues? Might help you live longer.”
My jaw ticked once, the only external sign of the rage building pressure behind my sternum. “Tell me where Rusty is,” I growled. “Right fucking now. You give me something useful, and maybe no one else gets permanently hurt today.” I leaned in close enough that he could see every fleck of violence in my eyes. “But I can’t promise the same mercy for you.” I let that threat hang in the air between us. “That part depends entirely on how truthful your answers turn out to be.”
His eyes finally flickered, genuine fear bleeding through the bravado or maybe just the dawning recognition that I wasn’t making idle threats.
Good.
Because I meant every word, and Jesse was about to learn exactly what happened to people who stood between me and what belonged to me.
Jesse held up his hands. “I don’t know anything. I swear. But if Kaylor’s in trouble, tell me how I can help.”
“Fuck,” I seethed, shoving away from him before I beat him unconscious. “Your father took something from me, and I want her back.”
Jesse flinched. “Kaylor? You think he took her?”
“He did. That’s not the question. I want to know where he would take her. Does he have any other property besides your house?”
“No,” he replied, shaking his head.
I paced the perimeter of the shop, Jesse remaining in my peripheral vision, his back pressed against the wall, one hand still clutched protectively over his ribs where my fist had found its mark.
The minutes crawled by with agonizing slowness as I waited tosee if Mason, Maddox, or Raine had better luck. Finally, my brothers returned from their search. Maddox appeared first, a scowl carved so deep into his features. He shook his head before I could even form the question burning on my tongue. His pale green eyes held nothing but frustration and grim confirmation.
“Clean,” he muttered, wiping dust from his hands on his dark jeans. “Too fucking clean.”
Raine appeared next, leaning against the workbench frame. He shook his head. “Nothing at first glance, but it’s going to take longer to go through his computer. Despite the condition of this place, they’re using decent equipment. Most of their business seems to be digital.”
That could be a good or bad thing.
Mason emerged behind Maddox. His hands hung loose at his sides. “Not a single goddamn note,” he reported, his voice flat with disgust. “No burner phone, no ledgers tucked behind fake walls, no hidden drives taped under desk drawers. Hell, not even a receipt with a suspicious address scribbled on the back.”
Raine uncrossed his arms and let out a long, weary sigh. “Either Rusty’s more paranoid than a meth head with government conspiracy theories, or he’s got professional help cleaning up behind him.”
It shouldn’t have been a surprise that the shop was clean. Kaylor’s father wouldn’t have been so careless to have crew dealings bleed into his business, but I’d hoped Rusty wasn’t as smart.
My gaze drifted back to Jesse. The bruises starting to bloom purple and black weren’t nearly enough to satisfy the storm of fury raging inside my chest. Not even close to adequate payment for what his father had taken from me.
“Rusty’s involved,” I said. “Maybe he’s not sitting at the head of the table making executive decisions. Maybe there’s someone above him in the chain, someone pulling his strings, but he’s not just grunt labor. We need to get into his house.”
Maddox nodded, his expression grim. “You want to break in?”
“I got a better idea,” I continued, the pieces clicking into place. “He’s been running this shop for what, two decades? Three withKaylor’s father? It’s the perfect operation to boost and move cars, but if you want to move human cargo through a town like Elmwood without raising eyebrows or setting off alarm bells?” I gestured to the walls around us, to the familiar Viper’s Auto signs and the decades of trust they represented. “Kaylor’s father wouldn’t have been involved. It was why Rusty helped our father execute him. Rusty essentially was killing two birds with one stone by agreeing to help us. So it would make sense that he kept this part of his life out of the shop. He would have kept it close to him, somewhere Kaylor’s father wouldn’t stumble upon.”
“Except he did find out,” Mason pointed out.
“Right, but how?” I turned to Jesse. “Care to chime in?”
