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“I have people heading to his home and Mendes’ home. There is a location that we have been watching, a potential place they could be holding her, and the only reason I am about to tell you that address is because you’re much closer than we are.”

“Tell me,” I say as we race toward the car.

He tells us the address.

It’s not far from here. Ten minutes maybe. They’re at least forty-five minutes out.

“Be smart about this,” he says. “We can’t risk the case.”

“Fuck the case!” Forge growls. “That’s my girl, and I will kill every one of those fuckers for laying a hand on her—”

“Detective—” Stephens starts

“I got this.” I yank the phone from Forge’s hand, while starting the car with the other. “Send whoever you can as fast as you can. We will do what we need to do.”

I end the call and put the phone down.

I look at Forge as I put the car into drive. “Put your seatbelt on.”

He turns the lights on as I pull away from the curb and race through traffic. They get shut off when we’re two minutes out so we don’t risk them hearing us. If they know we’re onto them, they could kill her. It doesn’t feel like she’s dead. That connection is still very much there. I don’t want to think about what else they could be doing to her though, because I will agree with Forge on that one—they will all be dead and I don’t care what happens to me afterwards.

We end up in the same woods that Raewyn’s village is in, only we’re about five miles away from the nearest home. This must be how Tiger got mixed up in everything.

We drive as far as we can, and then we’re on foot, looking for a cabin. Stephens texted us the coordinates of it, so I put them into my map but the service out here is spotty. I’m in and out of service, but we keep going, knowing the general direction.

“There,” Forge says, holding his arm out to stop me from moving and pointing toward the cabin that you can hardly make out through the thick trees. The only reason I caught it is because I’m at the right angle to see the candle giving them light inside.

No shades on the windows. How fucking stupid.

It’s always arrogance that gets people caught.

I grab onto Forge as he steps forward.

“We need to be smart about this.” He opens his mouth to argue, but I speak first. “Forge, do not let your anger get the best of you right now. We need Raewyn safe, and we need you home with us. That means you react appropriately.”

He grits his teeth, then shoves me off and moves forward, sticking behind the trees.

We draw our guns as we get closer, moving quickly but quietly. We watch and listen. There are no guards walking around that we can see, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any at the door or patrolling the area further out.

A scream cuts through the air. Raewyn’s. I close my eyes and take a steadying breath.

She’s alive. That’s good. But if they hurt her…

“Pierce,” Forge says. I can tell he’s right on the edge, ready to burst in there and get himself, me, or worse, Raewyn, hurt.

I hold up my hand, palm out, telling him to calm down.

As we get closer, I notice the window is open an inch or two. I tap Forge’s shoulder, then point to it. He notices what I’m talking out and nods. So we move closer, hurrying over to the house and sitting against the side so we can listen.

“I know you know who he is, so you better fucking tell me.”

I look at Forge, who mouths, Mendes. I nod in agreement.

We’d recognize that voice anywhere.

“I don’t! I swear.”

That’s Raewyn. She sounds terrified.