Chapter25
Gunner
“You what?”I choked the words out, staring at Freya.
She stepped inside the meeting room, shrugging. “Jude went through a rebellious phase just before I left. He broke into every single one of Cian’s houses and stole something. He never took anything valuable, but it pissed Cian off, which was Jude’s only goal. He still has all the things he took.”
I blinked at her, not sure I heard her correctly.Did she just say she broke into the houses of one of the most brutal crime bosses in Chicago?“Why would you go with him? Do you have a death wish?”
“I didn’t want him to get killed. And it’s a two-man job, so I went too.”
I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be impressed that she didn’t get caught or strangle her for being so reckless. She could have gotten killed. Or worse, tortured and then killed.
She looked over the blueprints and photos on the table, pointing to a warehouse we’d disregarded. “He usually keeps his hostages in this big factory right here. There’s a basement he converted into cells.” She shivered. “It’s really creepy down there. Even has a torture chamber.” Picking up the photo, she pointed to the second floor. “Easiest way to get in is through this floor. He’s too cheap to put an alarm on it.”
She put the photo down and looked at me expectantly. “So who are we looking for?”
I brushed my hand over my face, wondering if we were really having this conversation. But it seemed she was in it now. And we could really use some help.
“He has Blake’s six-year-old daughter, Sofie. He kidnapped her to get information from Blake. But now that Liam struck a deal with Cian, he’s still not returning her. And we don’t know why. He hasn’t contacted my guy.”
She nodded and turned back to the table. “How many men can you get together on short notice?”
“As many as you need.”
She tapped her finger on the photo again. “Now, of course, I could be wrong since a six-year-old isn’t his usual prisoner. But he wouldn’t keep her in any of his houses. Too many people coming in and out. He likes his women, and they like to talk. If there’s suddenly a strange little girl hanging around, they’d notice.”
“Carter’s had men check out the bars and strip clubs he frequents. There hasn’t been mention of a little girl.”
Freya nodded and bit her bottom lip. “Then the warehouse is our best bet.”
I nodded at Carter, and he got on the phone. Twenty minutes later, I had a full team in the office. My men were as eager to get Sofie back as I was.
I briefed everyone on the factory, Freya jumping in when it came to the layout and usual guards. She also knew where all the entry and exit points and alarms were.
If I wasn’t already head over heels for her, this would have done it. Even my most seasoned men stared at her with awe when she walked them through layouts and how she broke into the factory.
“This is a retrieval mission first and foremost. Make sure you don’t kill anyone unless it’s between you or them. Use your tranquilizers. And let’s get our girl,” I said before dismissing everyone to get ready.
The men nodded and filed out, Freya going with them. I stepped in front of her before she could leave. “Where do you think you’re going?”
She crossed her arms and tilted her chin up. “I’m coming with you. It might have been a few years since I was in that warehouse, but while Cian most likely changed the security, the layout wouldn’t have changed. You need me.”
If she was anyone else, I wouldn't hesitate to take them with us. But this was Freya. I couldn’t put her in danger. “You’ve already told us all you knew about the warehouse, which is more than we’d ever have found out otherwise. And I’m grateful, but you’re not going in there with us.”
She studied my face and narrowed her eyes. “I’ll wait in the car. But I’m not staying in the office.” She eyed the cuffs on my belt. “And if you even so much as reach for your handcuffs, you can kiss any future with me good-bye.”
I sighed, knowing I had to at least give her stubborn ass something. “Fine. But you put on a bulletproof vest and stay in the car with the doors locked the whole time. That’s nonnegotiable.”
Her face lit up, and she slung her arms around my neck to pull me down and kiss me. Then she bounded out of the room and after my men.
We all filed into four black, bulletproof SUVs. Freya was in the back with me, bouncing in her seat. I usually sat in the front, but I didn’t want to be too far away from her. Carter was driving, and Devon and Chase were in the car with us.
The short drive was made in silence, each of us doing our own rituals before a mission. I prayed Sofie was there. She was running out of time, and we were running out of ideas of where she might be.
We stopped far enough away from the warehouse that we wouldn’t announce our arrival. “Stay in the car, no matter what happens. Mika is in the car next to yours, hacking the surveillance system and coordinating the mission.” I pressed a phone into her hand. “He’s speed dial one.” I then handed her an earpiece. “I know you want to know what’s going on. This will allow you to listen in. But no matter what you hear—”
“Yeah, yeah, stay in the car. I got it.”
