“He came to her rescue once before,” I remind him.
“Because she called him. There’s no way he could even know we’ve got her now.”
“Unless he speaks to Camilla or her men.”
He huffs out a sigh. “Even if he does find out, and even if he did come for her, he’s not getting past the front gate without a bullet between the eyes.”
Chloe’s soft sobs fill the cabin, and the urge to comfort her only grows by the second.
As soon as we’re back in Miami, I’m going to find myself something to do far from the compound, because when it comes to Chloe Weaver, I am weak.
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
RYKER
NOW
It takes longer than I care to admit to get my shit together after Damon drives away with Chloe.
The car won’t start, I have no cell service, and I can barely think through the panic raging in my chest, something that has never happened before.
It’s not an emotion I’m familiar with, nor is it one I’m particularly enjoying, but it doesn’t seem to matter how much I reason with myself. I can’t seem to settle my heart rate.
Once I gave up on getting the car started, I collected Chloe’s bags and started back toward the highway in the hopes of finding service, but it’s almost an hour before I get a single bar.
Thankfully my girl packed light, because as fit as I am, heavy bags would have slowed me down, and I can’t afford to waste anymore time than I already have.
Ryker: FYI, Lombardis took Chloe. Will update you when I have a plan.
I send the text into a group chat with Camilla and her guys. As far as I know, she’s still in the hospital, so it’s best all five of them are updated about what’s going on.
Once the text sends, I steel myself for a phone call I really don’t want to make.
There are few people on this earth that scare me, but my boss is one of them.
He’s a lethal motherfucker who has made his name taking down the worst of the worst, and while he’s the best boss I could ask for because he lets me scratch my bloodlust itch on a regular basis, I’m perfectly aware of the fact he would not hesitate to kill me.
And after losing the one woman he tasked me with protecting? The only person I’ve ever heard of him actually caring about? Yeah, I’m fucked.
I dial the number, quietly hoping it goes to voicemail, but no such luck.
“Ryker,” he greets. “You haven’t checked in for a few days.”
There’s a reason for that,I think to myself as I try to work out how to break this to him without him flying to New York just to fucking kill me.
“There have been some complications.”
Silence falls on the other end of the line, and I pinch the bridge of my nose as I lean against a tree along the highway.
I knew it was going to be hard to tell him that I’d lost her, but this is fucking impossible.
“What kind of complications?” he growls.
“The Lombardi kind,” I reply. “You really should have told me who she was hiding from when you put me on this job, by the way.”
“Where is Chloe?” Each word is colder and more menacing than the last.
“They took her.” The words hurt as they fall from my lips, but there’s no point delaying this. I need his help if I’m going to get her back, and beating around the bush only gives them more time to hurt her. “They were helping the Syndicate find Camilla and Crew, but as far as I can tell, they had no idea Chloe was in the city, let alone working for the De Marcos. Predictably, she ran, myself and the brothers chased, and long story short, they ran us off the road and held a gun to her head. My only choice was to let her go or they would have killed her right there in front of me.” The CliffsNotes version of the last few days tumbles out.
