“Kid, you did more than enough,” Shotgun reassured him.
“Must have worried you,” Jinx stated, and Shotgun realised the prospect was blaming himself.
“No. We were aware you were involved, I knew you’d save my kids,” Shotgun said. He felt emotion rise and choked it back. Jinx had just set a fine example of what brotherhood really meant. Nothing would ever make Shotgun turn against this kid.Jinx had sealed himself as a brother forever in Shotgun’s heart and mind.
“Failed,” Jinx murmured and screamed as Bear touched his foot.
“Fuck, do we have anything to knock him out?” Shotgun demanded. The kid’s agony was grating against him. How he’d walked on those feet, Shotgun didn’t know, but Jinx had. The kid was a fuckin’ hero.
Jinx closed his eyes, and Shotgun hoped he’d passed out. If it were possible for Shotgun to take the pain, he would. But that was impossible. All Shotgun could do was helplessly hold the man who’d saved his kids. How the fuck did he start to repay that?
Chapter Seventeen.
Shotgun
Allegra had been missing for twenty-four hours. Jinx had rallied enough to describe the guys he’d seen, but it wasn’t a lot. Nobody had any idea why Allegra and the kids had been targeted. Did this relate to the club, Allegra’s past, or Rain’s threat? Allegra’s family was frantic, rightfully so, and he and Rain weren’t much better.
Rain had already gone to bed a couple of hours ago, and Shotgun had napped in an armchair. People came and went, allies checked in, but nobody had anything to report. Allegra’s image was all over the media; the kidnapping of an heiress and famous photographer made the headlines.
Rain and Shotgun had taken the children to Allegra’s grandparents’ house, where the family was waiting and security was heavy. Shotgun refused to let them out of his sight.
Hellfire and the allies continued their search. The Feds said the first twenty-four hours were the most important. They’d been over the trucking rest stop with a fine-tooth comb buthad found nothing other than Jinx’s blood. Everyone assumed there’d been a second vehicle, but none of the group knew what. Now they were left twiddling their thumbs.
Rain’s phone rang loudly, and they jumped. He pulled it from his pocket, hit the loudspeaker, and answered.
“Hello?”
“Rain! Whatever they want, don’t do it!” Allegra screamed. The room became electric, and the FBI agent, Larson, turned to Shotgun and Rain.
Larson whipped his cell out and spoke into it.
“Allegra!” Rain shouted.
An unfamiliar voice replied, “She’s alive—for now. Get us the samples and documentation.”
Shotgun’s heart raced as fury overtook him. Allegra and Rain were his to protect, and he’d failed. Worse, his kids had been caught up in it. And now they were being blackmailed for her life.
“Which one!” Rain cried.
“The transplant rejection drug. Don’t waste our time. Don’t inform the police. We’ve got eyes on you. Go fetch the culture, and when you have it, we’ll call again.”
The line was cut, and Rain shoved his phone in his pocket and began walking to the door.
“Where are you going?” Larson demanded.
“You heard. The sample for Allegra. I’m getting the damn test samples.”
“If you give in to them, she’s dead,” Larson snapped. “Allegra can identify them.”
“And if we don’t, they’ll kill her,” Thatch snapped.
“Rain, we need to wire you up and put a tracker on you,” Larson said.
“Forget it. You aren’t wiring me up to set a trap. That will get Allegra killed. They won’t bring Allegra to the meeting point, and they won’t be getting the culture until I see her,” Rain stated.
He held Shotgun’s eyes before Shotgun nodded. He was with Rain. “Bring Allegra home, Rain,” he ordered.
Rain walked over and kissed him before leaving. Shotgun blocked Larson as the agent argued. By the time Larson got past the Spaldings and Shotgun, Rain was gone. As was Shotgun’s Hog.
