“Thank God,” Boone said, holding Rhett steady.
Rhett tried to get his bearings. The paramedics were working on Cameron, who began coughing; obviously he’d been knocked out. Peyton and Remy stood just behind Boone, tears in their eyes as they held each other. No, no sadness. Rhett couldn’t take it. He grabbed his phone and called her. The call went straight to voicemail. “Does she ever turn her phone off?"
Boone shook his head. “No. Never.”
Rhett took in another long, deep breath then tore the mask off and dropped it on the ground. He grabbed Boone’s arm. “The security cameras.” He took off running, with Boone hot on his heels, and the firefighters yelling at them to come back.
Every step burned his lungs a little bit more. He stormed back into the station, glancing at the chief’s empty desk. Rhett had failed to keep his promise. He shoved the shame aside. He’d find her…and the baby…his chest constricted tightly, but he shoved that thought aside too, desperate to stay sharp. By the time he was sitting behind his desk and powering up his computer, he was still coughing. He logged into Kinsley’s security system and fast-forwarded through the morning. Nothing.
“Stop there,” Boone snapped, glancing at the monitor over Rhett’s shoulder. “There.”
Rhett hit Play again but now in slow motion. A black van drove up to the back door and half a dozen men wearing ski masks got out, reaching for gas canisters. They gained entry by picking the lock. One man stayed by the door, an obvious lookout.
One minute went by…then two…and then two men charged forward out of the door. One held Kinsley by the waist, the other held her feet.
Life for Rhett stopped then.
Rhett knew pain. He knew what it felt like to have a bullet rip through his flesh. He knew what it felt like to lose people, to watch them bleed out and for the life to fade from their eyes. This…watching helplessly as men shoved Kinsley into a van was something he had no idea how to deal with. Pride filled him as she fought. Kicked and squirmed and punched, but the truth remained. They were physically stronger. And in a minute, they had her shoved into the van with the doors slammed shut. She didn’t come back out.
Kinsley. His child.
They were…gone…
Something inside him cracked and then broke, shattering until he could barely get air in his tight lungs. He couldn’t think. He couldn’t move. Kinsley…
Boone was on the phone, snapping at the person on the other line, “I need an Ashanti Alert issued.” Much like the Amber Alert, this act helped find endangered adults. “Victim is five-foot-five, brunette, twenty-nine years old, wearing a black jacket and dark jeans. Numerous suspects driving a black van. License plate unknown.” He ended the call abruptly, shoving his hand into his hair. “Why the fuck would they take her? Why? Where?” He frantically paced by Rhett’s desk, looking for all the answers that Rhett couldn’t find either.
Rhett rose on shaky legs. He placed his hands flat on his desk and breathed deep. Kinsley needed him sharp and strong. There would be no finding where they’d taken her fast enough. Unless they found the van, but judging by the timestamp, they were a good hour ahead of them.
Boone loosened a breath. “If they hurt her, I’m going to kill them.”
“No, you won’t,” Rhett said, finally looking up. Boone was too good. Too clean. Rhett…wasn’t. “But I will.” Planning to do whatever it took to find those men, he pushed away from his desk.
“I have—”
Rhett stopped dead, finding Asher in the doorway, looking like he’d seen a ghost. “Fuck,” Asher finally spat. He thrust his hands into his hair, his eyes fraught with worry. “I have no idea how to fucking say this.”
“Talk now,” Rhett ordered, feeling dread seeping into his bones.
Asher glanced at Boone and then back at Rhett, pity in his eyes. “A body was found twenty minutes ago on the 102 near Whitby Falls.” Rhett flopped back in his chair, all the strength gone from his legs, every bit of air squeezed from his lungs as Asher added, “She’s a brunette.”
Chapter 17
Roars echoed across the coastline and small beach area off the main road as Boone fought to make his way past the cop from the Whitby Falls PD. Rhett stood motionless, time ticking by and yet it felt like it hardly moved. They’d roped off the beach area, and from what they’d learned from Asher on the drive to the scene, the body had been dumped over the cliff. Rhett felt like he moved in a fog. He needed to find out if this new life he’d tasted was over. If the one woman who’d touched something deep in his soul was gone. If his unborn child was stolen away.
“Get fucking control of yourself,” the cop yelled, grabbing Boone by the jacket and shoving him back. “You don’t want to see this.”
Boone wasn’t muttering words anymore, just screams, veins popping out of his forehead and neck. His eyes wild with fear.
Where Boone had morals, Rhett did not. He couldn’t wait. Everything around him felt slow and unstable, and if he didn’t act soon, he wasn’t sure what he would do. When it became clear they were never going to let them on the scene, Rhett stepped forward and slammed his hand into the cop’s ribs. The guy dropped, gasping for breath. Rhett raced under the tape, dodging every cop who charged at him.
He had to know…
He had to see…
Another cop went to tackle him, but Rhett turned and maneuvered out of his reach. The cliff was right there…he was so close…
But then arms locked on to him, and Rhett roared, “She’s pregnant with my child. Let me fucking identify her.”
Those arms, whoever they belonged to, released him. Maybe at the raw agony in his voice that even he heard and barely recognized. He rushed forward, stumbling over his own feet as he reached the edge of the cliff. There, on the rocks, as the water sloshed up around the ice, he saw the body dressed in a black jacket and jeans, the dark hair. He couldn’t remember…was this what Kinsley was wearing?
A bitter east wind cut across the cliff, lifting the woman’s dark hair away from her face. Rhett’s world slowly turned on its axis. Everything he thought he knew altered as he realized he couldn’t survive without her. Kinsley had been there, every day for years, making him smile, laugh, showering him with her warm affection, pulling him back when he’d been so lost. Something deep inside him shifted as he dropped to his knees, pressing his hands into the cold hard ground. He knew Kinsley’s mouth. He knew her eyes. The lines of her jaw that he’d kissed. The curves of her body. He knew everything about her.
Boone suddenly dropped next to Rhett, and Rhett reached out, grabbing his shoulder. “It’s not her,” he barely managed. “It’s not her.”
“Jesus,” Boone wheezed, staring down at the deceased stranger. “Jesus, Lord. Thank you.” He planted his hands on the ground, bowed his head, and breathed deep.
“I planned to call you.”
Rhett glanced over his shoulder to find Detective Anderson behind them, his dark gray eyes weary. His black cap was pulled down low on his head, only the ends of his dark brown hair showing. “I only learned of Kinsley’s abduction on the drive over. I hadn’t had a chance to identify her.” He stepped closer to the edge. “A couple of guys told me that we’ve got the woman’s husband already in custody. He drove to the station right after and confessed to pushing her and she fell over the edge.”
Rhett turned back to the woman, staring at her. He could survive war, loneliness, and even a gunshot wound. But he couldn’t live without Kinsley and this new life she offered him. One that was hot at night and warm in the morning. A life of laughter and love.
Love.
Fuck, he loved Kinsley, madly, deeply. That’s why he’d spent years trying to protect her, because that’s what he did. He protected those he loved. And he wanted to protect her from the damage he could have caused her. But Rhett knew now that he’d changed, these past months more than ever. He’d touched her once, then everything changed.
This last push, though, that belonged to Kinsley. Her love di
d that. Every time she smiled at him, he saw that love. Every time those sweet eyes met his, he felt that love. She loved him wildly, and he’d never told her that he loved her back.
Why didn’t he tell her? Why did it take so long for him to realize it?
“I’m sorry about your sister,” Anderson said to Boone, offering him a hand. Boone took his hand and rose, looking slightly wobbly, as Anderson went on, “Whatever I can do to help in finding her, I’ll do.”
“Thank you.” Boone shoved his hands through his hair and glanced at Rhett. “We need to find her.”
Rhett rubbed his face, shedding the emotions dripping off him. He needed to think, to get a plan going. He couldn’t lose Kinsley and their baby. Helplessness trembled in his muscles. They had nothing. No one had spotted the van. There were no tips. No leads. Even Whitby Falls PD didn’t know much about this new biker gang. But Rhett knew that going the good way, the right way, sometimes didn’t work. “Go to Dalton,” Rhett said to Boone. “Shake him and get whatever else you can. He very well might know where they’ve taken her.”
Boone gave a firm nod, the horror beginning to fade from his eyes. “Yeah, all right.”
Rhett turned, and was immediately faced with the cop he’d taken down. He was still on his knees, wheezing. Asher stood next to him, offering a bottle of water. “It wasn’t personal,” Rhett said to the cop as he strode by. “You were in my way.”
“Remind me never to do that again,” the cop grumbled. Rhett offered his hand, and the guy took it, rising to his feet.
The cop patted Rhett’s shoulder. “I get it. We’re all good, West.”
Rhett nodded in acknowledgment before heading toward his truck. “Get Anderson to drive you back,” he called over his shoulder. When they’d arrived, he had left his door open and the truck running.
“What are you gonna do?” Boone called after him.
Rhett bellowed back, “Whatever I have to do to find her.” He hopped in his truck, the tires squealing as he sped off.
The engine roared beneath him, the adrenaline waking him up, making him feel alive. His mission in life was to protect. To hunt, if need be, and destroy threats, whatever the cost. As he turned down the first road on the right, his cell phone rang. “What?” he answered with the click of a button on his steering wheel.
Asher asked, “You’re not about to do something stupid, are you?”
“I am.” Rhett hung up and tossed his phone on the passenger seat, ignoring it when it rang again and again.
Kinsley was his. His to protect. His to love, as fiercely as she had loved him. The baby was theirs. He wanted those moments, with both of them. He’d been trained for exactly this mission. And ten minutes later, when he pulled his truck off to the side of the road, he felt primed and ready. He grabbed his gun, and took the safety off to confirm he had a full magazine clip. Then he got out, and every thought vanished from his mind. He met the tall stone fence, then raced toward it, climbing up the side and scaling over the top, landing hard on the other side. He breathed steadily, slowly, keeping his heart rate quiet and out of his head. He moved swiftly through the trees, spotting two security guards standing in the circular driveway. Rhett waited for them to turn away, then he sprinted toward the house. He hid behind a tree then slipped through the first door he found and was immediately greeted by a guard.
In an instant, he had the guy in his arms, squeezing his neck tight, while the guard pounded on Rhett’s arms and kicked out. When he finally fell unconscious, Rhett moved swiftly, remembering the layout.
It felt like a lifetime before he reached the door to the office. With silence around him, the guards unaware that one of theirs was knocked out cold, Rhett opened the door.
Joaquin King lifted his head, surprise filling his dark eyes.
Rhett raised his gun, aiming it at King’s head.
King slowly arched an eyebrow. “Are my men alive?”
“One is taking a nap.”
King chuckled. “A nap, huh?” He leaned back in his chair, calm as any other time Rhett had seen him. “I’m surprised you got past them. They’re skilled men.”
“Today I was better,” Rhett said.
King’s eyes darkened. His mouth pressed into a firm line before he addressed Rhett again. “You’ve got one minute tops before my team storms in here. If you’re here to kill me, I’d do so now.”
“I can’t kill you,” Rhett retorted. “You have information I need.”
“What information is that?”
“The headquarters of the Wild Dogs here in town.”
King’s mouth twitched. “Now why would you think I’d have this information, when you and the police do not?”
Rhett knew men like King. He’d studied them for years. He’d hunted them. Men who held a territory didn’t like others in it. “Because they will become a threat to you. Maybe not now. But eventually. And I’m certain you’re already aware of that threat and keeping eyes on them. They have something that is mine. Something I will use hellfire to get back.”
The door suddenly burst open and Rhett sensed, more than saw, three men circle in behind him, weapons drawn.
King held up his hand, freezing the guards in place. “What if I do have what you need, how will it benefit me to assist you?”
“I’ll remove the threat,” Rhett promised. “We both know that no one will come out of there alive. The threat to your territory will be erased without you lifting a damn finger.”
King cocked his head, a smile crossing his face. “It’s a damn shame you won’t work for me, West. I could use a guy like you.”
“You could never trust me, King,” Rhett countered. “I’d kill you the first chance I got.”
King’s men inched their way closer to Rhett, as King grinned darkly and said, “Ah, but that’s what would make it so much fun.”
* * *
The van went over a bump and Kinsley banged her back against something hard, darkness engulfing her because of the blindfold tight against her face. A gun, she grimly realized. The men surrounding her talked to each other and laughed at each other’s jokes, like they hadn’t abducted her. She tuned out their voices and instead listened intently to the outside sounds, counting the minutes since they’d shoved her in the van to establish a time frame. They passed the train on the right. Later, the highway on the left, telling her they had driven past Whitby Falls. A half an hour must have gone by, and she listened for every little detail in case she got hold of a phone. Anything that could help Rhett and Boone narrow down her location. Because undoubtedly, they were ripping apart both towns trying to find her.
She tried to piece together everything that had gone wrong. Had she not gone into her bar, she would never have even been in this situation. From what she saw, Cameron had only been knocked out, and she hoped he got out before they set the blaze. She slid her hand over her belly, worry engulfing her. She had to keep the baby safe, no matter what. She had to be smarter than these men around her. Men who apparently weren’t happy with her just closing temporarily but wanted the bar shut down. Permanently. But the bigger question remained: Why was she still alive? They could have killed her right there in the bar.
Why didn’t they?
The van suddenly slowed, then it turned right, and soon after they’d stopped, her blindfold was torn away. The two guys in the front got out first and then the back door opened. She kept her head down, hoping they wouldn’t feel threatened, not wanting them to act. As long as she didn’t see them, she couldn’t identify them, and hopefully, they’d let her go. She was none too gently tossed onto a concrete floor. She scanned the area, discovering that they were inside a chop shop. She noted the Lamborghini across from her, being repainted, and ten more luxury cars, all being altered.
“Get in that corner,” her attacker ordered.
She scrambled into the corner, unable to look away from him as he used a piece of rope to tie her to a post. He was too rough ever to be handsome. Everything about his face was hard a
ngles and cruel lines, but his eyes were far scarier than anything else. They weren’t only dead; they were evil. Those eyes told her that he liked to hurt people. Got off on it. Once he was done, he warned harshly, “Move and you’re dead.”
She took the threat seriously and remained still. The men got beers and cheered each other on, obviously proud they’d destroyed every single thing she’d ever worked hard for. Her dreams. Her everything. But now she realized all of that was nothing compared to the baby she was desperate to keep safe. To keep far away from the evil creeping into this room.
Rhett…
He’d come. He had to find her.
Minutes turned into hours. And soon, she didn’t even know how much time had gone by. The men were waiting. That much she could tell. Waiting and restless, and all the while, she remained in the corner, sitting there like a target ready to die. She drew in a long, deep breath and shut her eyes. This couldn’t be happening. This couldn’t be real. She was finally tasting happiness with Rhett, but maybe that’s all fate would give her. She could hear the men still talking, planning what to do with her. She opened her eyes and scanned her surroundings, looking for any way out.
With a sinking stomach, she realized there simply wasn’t one. They’d shoot her the second she stood up.
“What the fuck is this?”
She jerked at the nearness of the frigid low voice. She kept her head down as roughed-up boots with dirty jeans came into view.
Her attacker responded from his spot on the couch in the sitting area of the garage. “She came up on us at the bar. Wasn’t sure what the boss wanted to do with her. Figure it best to bring her back here.”
Ruthless Bastard Page 20
