Clementine is practically yowling now, kneading Ry’s neck and butting her tiny head against his chin. “Come here, sweetie,” I say softly as I reach for her.
In an acrobatic feat only a cat could pull off, she leaps from Ryker’s shoulder, twists in mid-air, and lands square in the center of my chest, where I cradle her and coo softly. “It’ll be okay. We’ll find him. You’re hungry, aren’t you?”
Sweeping my gaze around the room at my family, I hold on to Q’s kitten like she’s all that’s keeping me upright. “He’d never leave her. Clementine’s as important to him as Charlie is to Ripper. Alec took him. I don’t know how I know, but I know.” My voice cracks, and my legs feel like jelly.
West grabs one of the chairs at Q’s little table and shoves it under me before I fall. “Base, if you have any idea where that sorry excuse for a pig fucker is, we need it. Now. Probie? Upstairs. Find a suitcase, duffel bag, or hell, even a pillow case and pack a couple full changes of clothes for Quinton. Inara? Find his laptop and pull all the cameras. We need those memory cards. Ry? You’re on transpo. Get us a plane ready and waiting—something fast. We need Ripper at the warehouse as soon as Cara can get him there.”
“Where the fuck do you think I am?” Rip replies.
“At my place. With Wren.” Ry’s tone leaves no doubt he’s pissed as hell, and both Wren and Ripper start talking at once until he growls, “Rip, you better have a goddamned explanation for this.”
“You cut your bandwidth in half when you took a sledgehammer to your wall without thinking, asshole. The second we realized this was a big fucking deal, I called Cara. She’s back with Wren now.”
“I was alone for all of twenty minutes, Ry. And I’mfine. Stop being an over-protective Neanderthal and focus.”
Only Wren could get away with talking to him like that, and Ryker’s eyes widen for a second before he shakes his head. “I’ll get us a plane.”
Satisfied, West crouches down next to me as the rest of the team gets to work. “What does the cat need and where is it? We’ll bring her to the warehouse.”
I rattle off the list: litter box, carrier, food, her bed, a couple of toys, and West collects everything while I gently stroke Clementine’s back. “He’d kill me if I left you here alone, you know.”
Shemrrpsand finds one of the larger pockets in my tactical vest, pawing at the flap until I open it and let her crawl inside.
I should have known. Should have insisted he let me station someone outside his place. Every one of my instincts was screaming at me when I kissed him goodbye yesterday morning.
He was sure Alec was still in Texas. His brother would have called.
Tapping my earpiece, I clear my throat. “Rip? Q has a brother. Connor.”
“Shit. Right. You said the brother had men watching Harrow?”
“Yeah. So either Alec got to Connor, or he’s working with someone.”
Ripper swears under his breath. “On it.”
“No laptop,” Inara says as she kneels in front of me. “Anywhere he’d lock it up?”
Turning, I scan Q’s living room. His mouse is on the floor under the desk. “He doesn’t leave his house. It should be right there.” Pointing, I shake my head softly and squeeze my eyes shut. “Alec has it. And him.”
I can’t voice my next thought.
How long until he breaks Q completely?
* * *
Quinton
The van door opens, startling me awake. Voices surround me, but they sound like they’re coming from underwater.
When did I fall asleep? Why can’t I move?
Strange sounds. Metal. Footsteps. Laughter.
“Get the door open, lover.” That voice. I know that voice. Hate it.
Light floods my eyes, and I struggle to focus. The air is hot and dry, and I catch a glimpse of prairie, vast and wide and open. A fence in the distance. Then a shadow blocking my vision.
Panic floods my limbs, and I whimper as Alec drags me out of the van and throws me into a wheelchair. My legs are numb. My ankles bound together. Fuck. Bits and pieces of the last however many hours come back to me, but then we’re moving and my stomach pitches.
