“What do you mean, abusive?” Gears asks.
“He abused her. He is her ex-boyfriend. He abused her for years. She didn’t tell anyone until he set her on fire. They went to court, and that’s when she wrote that he abused her for years.” Phantom runs his hands across his face. The air is thick with guilt and frustration. We knew she’d been through something, and we should have figured this out sooner.
“I’m going to kill him!” I yell, punching the wall.
“Sit down!” Pres shouts. “I know you are upset. All of us are, but we need to be at the top of our game when we get her back. And you punching walls only hurts your fists and will slow you down!”
I grumble, wanting to go on a killing spree. Get my hands dirty.
“He is working with the Italian mafia.” Phantom looks over at Pres.
“Are they the ones who broke him out?” he asks.
“Yes, sir.”
I take a deep breath in. We don’t like getting involved with the mafia. It never ends well, and we don’t want to lose anyone.
“I understand if you don’t want any part of this, but I am going to get Brooke back. She is my girl, and I don’t care if I have to kill hundreds of people to get to her. I promised I would keep her safe,” I say to Pres.
He stands and walks toward me, placing his hand on my shoulder.
“No, you won’t go alone. She has planted herself here and has become part of the family,” he says. “Phantom, track down everything you can on this guy! I want to know everything about him. Most importantly, I want to know where he is holding Brooke.”
“On it!” Phantom types rapidly on his computer.
“Now, I know you are mad, but I need you to stay cool until we get her location. You can go ham whenever we get there,” Pres explains, looking at me.
“Yes, sir,” I reply. “I need a beer.”
Before I can even get up, a beer is placed in front of me.
“Here you go,” Whiskey says.
“Thank you.” I nod.
I pick up the bottle and take a big swig of it. My leg bounces in anticipation. I just want Phantom to find out where he is holding her. I want her back in my arms, safe and sound.
“Can I kill him when we find them?” I ask Pres.
He lets out a sigh. “I would like to question him, but if it’s a dangerous situation and you have a clear shot, take it.”
“Thank you.”
Oh, I can’t wait to end him. To have him dead and below me. I smile at the thought.
“Thinking of all the ways you could kill him? That smile is a wicked one,” Gears says.
“Oh yes. I can’t wait,” I reply.
Before Gears can say anything more, Ink beats him to it.
“Can I talk to you for a second?”
I nod, standing and following Ink. We walk into the back room, where nobody else is.
“What did you need?” I ask, leaning against the wall.
“I just wanted to apologize. I know you gave me the responsibility to watch over her and keep her safe. It’s killing me that this happened. I should have gone in with her, but I wanted to give her space,” he says, looking me directly in the eyes.
