Maybe this was an end to a chapter, at least for me.
Raven Intel had been necessary, but in reality, taking justice into our hands hadn’t provided us with peace. Only a taste of what it felt like.
“Let’s do this. We won’t stop until it’s done.”
And in knowing I would die to keep her safe, I felt more like the man my father had taught me to be.
A law-abiding citizen.
Lightning flashed across the sky in a crisscross pattern, electrifying the horizon.
“Fuck. The last thing we need is a goddamn storm,” Chase hissed as he checked his weapon, slapping another magazine of ammunition inside.
I twisted my hand around the steering wheel, glancing out the windshield. The rain had yet to start. A storm. Just like the night I’d found her. She’d been knee deep in muck, the swampy areaholding little more than decay and death. I would never forget a single moment of that night.
Not one.
Here we were again, finishing what had been started. But I refused for there to be an entirely different ending.
A picture was texted to my phone when we were only twenty miles away from our destination.
I glared at the screen, hissing as I did. Alexia was tied with rope, a gag in her mouth. While it appeared she was inside a building, there was nothing to indicate what type. He was just goading me.
“Jesus,” Chase said from the seat beside me.
We were in two vehicles heading toward the address with enough firepower to start a goddamn war. Only that’s not what was needed this time. This was a single man hell bent on finishing a job.
I remembered how much Timothy was into organization. He was very particular about everything from his desk to how he took notes. I’d even teased him about being obsessive-compulsive. That’s exactly how the killer had been and how I’d been able to find him.
I’d had the killer in my line of sight and I hadn’t put the pieces together.
“Don’t let it rattle you,” Chase advised.
“I’m perfectly calm, my friend.” I was anything but calm, yet I refused to play by his rules. I had my own and that’s the way it was going down.
I sped down the interstate, weaving past other vehicles. Now, being only five miles out, I’d need to be much more careful.
“The house is off the road by quite a bit. We should be able to park on the road. Then we walk in.”
I wasn’t interested in him giving me orders. I was a fucking wreck at this point, still weaving around traffic, even blowing my goddamn horn not once but twice.
“Maverick. Stop. I know you’re worried about her. We are going to get her back. Okay?”
After making the turn, I forced myself to slow down, paying close attention to the GPS. We were close, so fucking close that a knot had formed in my throat as rage threatened to take over.
With a quick glance into the rearview mirror, I confirmed the others were right behind me. Gabriel could drive like a bat out of hell just like I could. For some reason, the realization offered comfort.
If you weren’t paying close attention, the road leading to the house owned by Betty Landers could easily be overlooked. The gravel drive across the street offered a perfect location to park.
After climbing outside, I grabbed the bag of weapons and other supplies. I threw on a tactical vest as Chase joined me. We knew what we needed.
Additional weapons and ammunition. Knives. Small explosives. Flashlights.
By the time we were geared up, the others joined, all three men doing the same.
Hudson walked closer, nodding to both of us. “You sure about the location?”
“I’m not sure of anything. Just going by my gut. This wasn’t about making her hard to find. It was about whether or not I’d cross the line he continues to believe I’m capable of doing.”
