Get the goods, and I’ll wire the money. No payout until it’s inhand.
“What the fuck does that mean?” Kairo asks as he leans against the desk.
“I don’t know, but I don’t like the sound of it,” Roman says as he clicks on Knox’s contact and begins a video call.
It takes two rings before the army vet pops up on the screen. He’s burly, with massive shoulders that take up the camera. His dark hair is buzzed around the sides, and the top is cropped short. He scowls at us through the camera, his sharp features twisting unpleasantly. “What?”
“Any word on what that message could mean?” Roman asks, skipping pleasantries.
“Fuck if I know,” Knox grumbles. “Does he have any connections to law enforcement or political figures?”
“Not that I know of,” Roman rubs a hand over his eyes. “It could be anything.”
“Hmm,” Knox hums roughly, typing on his desktop. “My bet is that it wouldn’t be anyone in the line of law enforcement, considering he’s freshly released. I can do some more digging and see if I can trace the message back to a body. Whoever this is, they’re keeping an extremely low profile.”
Roman nods. “See what you can find and get back with me.”
“Before you go,” Knox stops Roman. “Do you know of anyone looking for a security detail out there? Our contract is almost up, and we’re trying to get ahead before the season dips.”
Security work, especially small gigs, always struggles to stay afloat. Knox and his team are no different than us. They’re amazing at what they do, but they’re still struggling to keep themselves from tanking.
“I’ll keep an eye out.” Roman signs off.
“Stay in touch,” Knox ends the call.
Kairo paces the room, rolling his shoulders. “Well, that got us nowhere.”
“In time,” Roman says. “We have to be patient.”
Kairo throws a hand up. “Yeah, until something horrible happens to Rosalie. I’m getting tired of being patient when her safety is on the line.”
Our leader levels him with a severe expression. “And you don’t think I feel the same? I spend every waking hour tracking and noting any last location Waylon may have sniffed around. You aren’t the only one stressed.”
The blonde runs his hand through his hair messily. “Sorry. I need to fucking unwind.”
We all do.
We’ve been on edge for days, holding onto hope that something will give us a lead. We’ve done a good job at holding it together for Rosalie, but there’s only so much we can take.
The unmistakable sound of the garage opening has me going on high alert. My head whips around to the ajar bedroom door, and I see that Songbird is no longer seated on the cream colored sofa.
“We’re on vacation,” I say ominously. “Let’s fucking relax.”
Kairo smirks. “Whoever finds her gets to fuck her first.”
Roman’s jaw twinges. “Why don’t we all teach her a lesson then? She can’t talk back with all of her holes filled.”
“Even better,” Kairo claps a hand over our friend’s shoulder. “Let the hunt begin.”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Rosalie
A Corvette isn’t my first pick of cars, but as the wind blows through my hair from the open top, and the engine revs beneath me, I couldn’t be happier. The fresh island air of the Pacific fills my nose, and the salt sticks to my skin as I leisurely drive down the coastal road that encircles the main isle. The sun kisses my skin, making the weight of the last two days seem to lift from my shoulders. I don’t have to be cautious of my surroundings here. It’s the first time in a long time that I feel completely free.
Okay, not completely free.
The guys shouldn’t be too far behind me. I wasn’t subtle with my sneaking out. Mostly because I want to see what they would do.
