“It’s been a few minutes,” he confirms.
“The bar is dark. Fuck it, I’ll go look. I’ll call you later, babe,” I tell him, just wanting to hang up.
“No, you don’t. Go over, but keep me on the line,” Xander commands in his no-argument voice.
“Yes, sir,” I say, getting out of the car with my phone and keys in hand.
I put the keys into my pocket so my hand is free and can rest on the gun on my belt. As I round the corner to the back, I see Josh lying on his stomach on the ground.
“Holy fucking shit, Josh!” I yell, running over to him and crouching beside him.
“What?” Xander asks in a slightly panicked voice after my outburst.
“Someone knocked him out,” I explain after checking his pulse and noticing a bleeding wound on the back of his head. I turn him over so he is lying on his back, and he seems to come to. “He’s waking up,” I relay to Xander.
“Carolina?” Xander asks, and I take a look around, but no one is there.
“Hang in there, bro,” I tell Josh, who starts to moan and blink.
I head to the bar. The back door is closed but not locked, so I draw my gun and go inside, swiftly checking each room. Finding no one, I announce, “Clear,” although I’m not sure who I’m saying it to.
“So, she’s not there?” Xander asks as I head back to Josh, who is now sitting upright, holding his head.
“Josh, what happened?” I ask, crouching down next to him.
“Fuck, I don’t know. I think her coworker knocked me out,” he mumbles. But in the next second, his eyes go wide, and he struggles to his feet, swaying slightly.
“Easy there,” I soothe, steadying him.
“He has her,” Josh exclaims, eyes wide when he grips my upper arms.
FORTY-SEVEN
The office is only dimly lit,and Captain Swanson sits behind his heavy oak desk, eyes scrutinizing as Clay and I enter. He looks tired. But oh well, we don’t have time for that shit.
I fucked up, and my girl is in danger.
“Carolina’s missing, Captain. We suspect her uncle,” I relay, my voice strained.
My head is still hurting like hell, and my vision is blurry, but that can wait.
Captain Swanson raises an eyebrow. “Carolina? Ms. Costa?”
Clay chimes in. “Yes. And we need backup immediately. We don’t even know where to start looking, but we know she is in danger.”
Just as the captain is about to reply, the door bursts open. Taylor, Del Moro’s partner, face pale and eyes darting nervously, steps inside. He looks at me, then Clay, and finally at Captain Swanson.
“I need to come clean,” he says hurriedly, gulping. “I just helped Martin kidnap Costa’s sister from Lee’s house. I knew he was with the Metro Milanesi gang, and I thought it was just some side hustle, but this shit is too much.”
The room falls silent. The weight of Taylor’s words hangs heavily, and the atmosphere grows tense.
Clay takes a step closer, eyes flaring, fists clenched. “You didwhat?”
I hold Clay back with a hand on his chest, trying to keep my emotions in check. “Let him talk. We need answers.”
Taylor looks on the verge of tears. “I’m so sorry. I thought I was just helping a friend, but I realized I was way out of my depth when he wanted me to do that. I don’t want this, not like this.”
Swanson leans forward, his voice firm. “Where did you take her?”
