I wasn’t sure it was, in fact, fine and judging by my phone vibrating in my pocket, I knew Gideon wasn’t happy.
“Coffee, water, anything to drink?” The detective sat across from me, placed a recorder on the table, as well as a pad and pen.
“Not right now.”
He nodded. “Okay, Mr. Garrand, let’s begin.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Gideon
“What the fuck!”I shouted as I read Penn’s message. “Who the fuck is Detective Tolland?” I asked Alex.
“Penn said Bainer referred him, message the chief, find out.”
I gritted my teeth and texted Penn to wait to go with the detective, then messaged Bainer. My phone remained silent for too long. I texted Penn again to please leave, and once again another to Bainer.
“Nothing, no one is talking!”
“I’ll find out what’s going on.” Alex left the living room and I fell onto the couch, clutching my phone in one hand and fisting my hair in the other.
I continued to text Penn, hoping he’d respond—even if it was just a fucking thumbs-up. Nothing.
“Boss.” I turned to Alex when he returned. “Bainer was called away this morning for a meeting but according to the mayor, who he was supposed to see, he never showed up.”
“Fucking hell! Get the motherfucking car. I knew this was a fucking bad idea. Fuck!” I shouted.
Alex didn’t argue. He left the room, I grabbed my jacket, and was outside just as he was driving the SUV to the door. Toni was in the passenger’s seat and I got into the back. Immediately I cracked the window and lit a cigar, but even that didn’t calm me, so after a few minutes I tossed it away. I needed Penn.
As he drove I messaged Danny, who informed me he had eyes on the station and Penn hadn’t left. Raff moved to the rear to be sure he wasn’t getting out that way. So, Penn was in there, at least.
“Sir, once we get there, it could do more harm than good if you get out of the vehicle,” Toni informed me. “It’s possible Penn can’t text you because he’s in the middle of giving his statement. Going in guns blazing isn’t smart.”
“Thank you, Toni, for your obvious advice. I just want to get to the station. Maybe, don’t use this time you have on your hands to school me on what I should and shouldn’t do and find out where the fuck the chief is.”
“Yes, sir.”
We arrived at the station, and Alex pulled up alongside Danny’s vehicle. “Any news on Bainer?” he asked me.
“Toni’s working on it.”
I stared at the entrance to the building as if I were willing Penn to stroll out. We sat there for what felt like forever, but was only a half an hour when my gaze snagged on a figure walking toward the station.
“The commissioner.”
Alex nodded. “Maybe the detective couldn’t get in touch with Bainer either, and called the commissioner. Penn is throwing Lorcan to the wolves.”
“The commissioner is not who I want going in there right now. Call my lawyer, get him over here.”
“You got it, Boss.” Alex made the call while I refused to take my eyes off the door.
I’d known this was a bad idea from the get-go. Penn shouldn’t be in that building with those vipers. Bainer’s disappearance only solidified everything. Lorcan Anders was not winning this war and taking everything I’d built and everyone I cared about. I would pull him down into the depths of hell and burn with him if I had to.
“Shit,” Toni muttered.
“What?”
He turned to face me. “I sent two guys to Bainer’s house to see if he was there.”
