“Yes.”
Another piece locks into place. They didn’t just take her. They took the prospect with her. Witness. Leverage. Punishment.
My vision sharpens again, but differently this time. Not less rage. Direction. “Where?”
“Dom is working it.”
I look toward the store. Camera. Feed. Routes.
Dom.
Find the thread. Peel it.
End it.
My breathing slows by force. One breath. Another.
Hammer’s arm loosens slightly.
Shadow doesn’t let go.
Logan watches me. “You with me?”
No.
I’m with her.
But to get to her, I need them. So I say, “Yeah.”
He studies me. Hard. Then nods once. “Let him go.”
They release me slowly. No one trusts it.
Good.
They shouldn’t.
I look down at my hands. Blood from my knuckles. Metal cuts. Nothing important. The birthday bag sits on the pavement near my boot. I crouch. Pick it up. The paper is torn. One corner crushed. Inside is something small wrapped carefully, destroyed now by asphalt and boots and the violence that took her.
My chest tightens once. Then it stops.I hand it to Blaze without looking at him. “Keep it.”
His face changes. He takes it. No joke. No words.
Smart.
Dom’s voice comes through Logan’s phone. “I’ve got direction.”
The entire lot stills.
Logan puts him on speaker. “Talk.”
“Sedan left west, then cut onto Palmer. Second vehicle followed. I’ve got one camera catching a turn toward the old industrial corridor.”
My head lifts. Warehouse routes. Storage lots. Industrial corridor. They didn’t run random. They ran home.
“Send it,” Logan orders.
“Already did.”
