Memories of my mother getting high and doped up flow into my mind as I stare into the small living room. The many backhands and punches I took growing up, trying to get her to stop. The many boyfriends or dealers, it’s all too much and I bend over, gagging and coughing.
Ashley’s gentle hands rest on my back and her soft voice breaks through the dreadful memories. “Nolan, I’m here, stay with me. You’re safe. You’re not a teenager anymore. She can’t hurt you again. You’re strong, independent and don’t need her approval, her fucked up ways. I’ve got you, we all do.”
Standing up tall, I take another look around. Christian and Ashton have Xavier uncuffed from the radiator and are helping him up. He’s worn down, beaten, and his bright blue eyes are dull. He’s feeling helpless and I need to push him past this. I walk toward him, my best friend, my brother. Xavier watches me approach and swallows hard.
“They took her, Nolan. We have to get her back,” he pleads.
“We will. I won’t stop until Izzy is back with us and safe,” I reassure. “Xavier, I’m sorry they dragged you into the middle of my mess. Now you’re hurt and Izzy’s missing.” My voice cracks on the last part and I push my emotions down deep. I need to focus, not get caught up in the pity party. There’ll be time for that later. Staring at Xavier I ask him the hardest question I don’t want an answer to, but I need to know. “Did anyone hurt her or you?”
He shakes his head as Christian hands him a water from the refrigerator. He takes a long drink and answers. “Just knocked us around and starved me. They fed Izzy occasionally. Anytime that fuckhead, Switch, had a hair up his ass, a tall man with short blonde hair stopped him. There was one time he told Switch he’d fucking kill him if he laid an inappropriate hand on her. I don’t know who he was, but he saved her quite a few times.” Tears are falling down Xavier’s face.
“Does he look like this?” Ashley asks, holding out her phone. Xavier takes it with trembling hands and stares at the picture. His eyes flash to hers and his bottom lip quivers as he nods his head. Ashley breaks eye contact and takes her phone back. I get a glimpse of the picture on her phone. It’s a selfie she took of her and Austin. “That’s why he’s here. He must have caught word from Diablo about what’s happening and came here to protect them.”
“Who is it?” Xavier asks.
“My brother I thought was dead. I’ll explain later. Right now, we need to get out of here and find Izzy. If he isn’t with her, there’s no telling what they’ll do to her.” Ashley says.
The rest of my team is searching the apartment and Marks comes back with a notepad in his hands. “Boss, I found this. You’re going to want to read it.” He hands me the notebook and I open it up. Inside is details of each operation Switch, Marcus, and Wrath have going on. Names, numbers, and addresses. There’s one that stands out to me and I close the notebook.
“Come on, I know what they’re doing and where they took Izzy. We’ve got to hurry though. According to this, a shipment of guns are coming into The Graveyard on Staten Island tonight.”
“Are you sure?” Ace asks. “That place isn’t ideal for a large ship. Any coming in will sink. It’s too shallow to maneuver a vessel that big.”
“Not if you have a small boat and know the path. When I was in their gang, we did many drops there.” I respond.
“What are we waiting for? Come on let’s go,” Christian speaks up.
“Is Mia still here?” I ask.
“Yeah, she’s back at the hotel waiting for a report from us. It wasn’t easy getting her to remain behind. Her crazy started to show,” Christian answers.
“OK call her on the way to The Graveyard and tell her to stay inside the room. Don’t answer the door, don’t call room service. I don’t like her being there alone. Something in my gut feels off.”
“I can stay with her if you want,” Harris offers.
“Would you? I know you want in on the action, but I think we can all do our jobs better if I had reassurance someone was there with her.” I respond.
“Of course. I don’t have an issue protecting Mia. Whatever makes it easier, I’ll do it,” Harris says.
Christian is pacing back and forth. His hands are clenching and unclenching into fists. He’s torn about what to do. “My cop instincts are saying go with you, but the boyfriend side is telling me to go to Mia. What do I do?”
“Christian, I understand where you’re coming from. You need to do what you need to do. That’s your decision. It’s a tough one but make it fast. We need to get moving and get out of here.” I tell him.
“Since the drop is tonight, why don’t we all go to the hotel, shower, reload with our weapons, then go?” Ashley suggests.
“That’s a good idea. Come on, let’s get out of here and get back to the hotel for a quick bite and regroup.” I agree.
We all file out of the apartment and quietly walk down the hallway, watching and waiting for an attack. This felt way too easy like they wanted us to get Xavier. The hair on the back of my neck stands on end and something is off. Once we reach the stairwell, I stop Ramirez. “Do you still have eyes on this place?”
“Yes, boss. We never took them down. What’s up?” he answers.
“Something seems off, this was too easy. For as long as they had them why would they leave him alone when they knew I was here?”
“Maybe they have what they want or they thought you were under their control. Or they’re getting too cocky, thinking they’re untouchable. Either way, it benefited us and we have one back. I’ll keep the cameras up and monitor them when we get back to the hotel.” Ramirez counters.
“Let’s do that. Keep an eye on this place. It feels abandoned like they had no intentions to come back. But I want to be on the safe side and know if someone comes back.” I agree.
“I’ll set up a trigger to warn me if someone comes into the apartment. If I set it up here, it’ll constantly go off because of the other residence, but I can set one up at the door. If anyone approaches or enters the apartment, I’ll get a warning. How does that sound?”
“That works. Take Marks and meet us back at the hotel when you’re done.” I order. “Oh, and Ramirez.”
“Yes, boss?” He questions.
“Watch your back. Come back safe.”
“You got it, boss,” he salutes me like a smartass. “Marks come on. We have one final job.”
Ramirez and Marks disappear back into the apartment hallway and I rush to meet up with the rest of my team. Ashley raises an eyebrow and takes my hand. “Everything all right?”
“Yes, just want reassurance no one will be entering or leaving that apartment without us knowing.” I squeeze her hand for support while watching Xavier. The guy has had it rough the last couple of weeks and we need to find Izzy. He’s going to torture himself until she’s back safely.
We walk out of the apartment building and I breathe a sigh of relief as the breezy night air cools my skin and regenerates my mind. I watch Xavier stand under the street lamp. His eyes are dull and a frown is upon his face. He’s stressing about Izzy and I know how he feels. I felt the same way when Shaun took Ashley, so I know what he’s going through. Approaching him, I rest a hand on his shoulder, snapping him out of his head. His blue eyes collide with mine and something passes between us. This is the second time someone has kidnapped Izzy, but this is worse than before. “X, I don’t know what to say. I feel like everything that’s happened to both of you is my fault. Marie, now Switch. It all leads back to me and my haunted past. I won’t be mad or upset if you want to blame me for it. I should have come clean, but I thought I left them behind, this life behind.”
“Nolan, you’ve been my best friend for a long time. I really thought I knew you. After this happened, I realized I don’t know who you were in the past,” I lower my head in shame. My past is ruining a friendship. “But, I know who you are now and that’s all that matters. If we get Izzy back safely, nothing else matters. Not what you’ve done here, not who they made you become. Yo
u’ve been like a brother to me since we were eighteen. I knew there was something in your past you didn’t want to share and I’m fine with that. What I’m not fine with is these dumb fuckers messing with the wrong guys.” Xavier’s response shocks me to my core. I thought for sure he’d be pissed and want to take a swing at me. “But Nolan, when it comes down to it, I want a piece of Switch. I want to inflict the same torture he did to us. I want to watch him beg and plead with tears in his eyes before me. I want pain and punishment.” His voice is cold and deadly. He might regret it later, but it’s the least I can do.
“You will be there with me when we take him down and you’ll be there when we get Izzy back. I won’t shut you out of that. Just be careful with what you wish for because sometimes the outcome isn’t something you can remove from your head.”
“I don’t care. I want him gone and that little bitch too. She’s horrible and has no remorse for anything. Honestly, watching the two of them, it felt like she was controlling him. Wrath would snap her fingers and Switch would grovel at her feet.” Xavier reveals.
My head is spinning with this new knowledge. “Let’s get back to the hotel. I have some research I need to do.” We all get into the cars we brought. Harris rides with Ashton, Ace and Rush ride together and Xavier rides with us. We leave the SUV that Marks brought behind for them to get back with.
As Ashley drives us into the busy nighttime traffic, thoughts overwhelm my mind. Have I had it wrong the whole time? When I was with them, it was the other way around. Switch snapped and Wrath responded. Have they been playing me this entire time? Has Wrath been the one in control since we were teenagers? If so, why would they role reverse? What does she have on him to give her the power? They didn’t talk much, but since the first day I met them, something was off between the two of them and I could never figure out what. I see it now and I will get to the bottom of it.
Chapter 25
Ashley
Driving on a busy street in the dead of night, The Plaza comes into view. The Victorian hotel sits on the corner of 5th Ave and Central Park, giving off a sense of comfort and peace in the middle of a storm, a safe haven for us.
Nolan directs me to a parking garage a few blocks away and we get out of the car. The low fluorescent lights cast shadows over our faces. I stretch my tight muscles as we wait for everyone else to catch up. I watch him and Xavier talk and my heart breaks for those two. They’ve been through so much in the last year, I pray this won’t push them apart. Xavier has lost weight from the kidnapping and I’ll bet he’s starving. I know he won’t eat until we get Izzy back, but I will have to force him. He needs to be strong when we go after her. They give each other a slap on the back, their bro code for everything is good again and Nolan must have said something because Xavier is cracking a small smile. My smartass Nolan keeping things light in the face of danger. I haven’t seen that side of him lately and a smile graces my lips witnessing it.
Ace and Ashton park their cars next to us and get out. Nolan approaches me and drapes his arms around my shoulders, pulling me close to him. He kisses the top of my head and I inhale his masculine scent, resting one of my hands on his beating heart and my head on his hard chest. We stay this way for a few precious moments and I revel in the love we have for each other.
“Everyone here?” I ask, not moving from Nolan’s hard chest.
“Yes, they’re all here,” Nolan’s strong voice rumbles in my ear. I pull away and we walk, hand in hand down the concrete steps and into the night.
We walk a few blocks and The Plaza comes into view. Traffic is still crazy this time of night and we finally get a break to cross the street. The colossal French doors leading into the hotel are beckoning me to enter and rest for a while. A doorman opens them and we all file inside. The beautiful white and gold marble floors are shinning under the warm lighting as we walk across the lobby toward a gold colored elevator encased around white marble. Everything in this hotel screams money and I suddenly feel out of place. After we all pile inside, the doors close and I study each of us in the mirrors.
Something is wearing Ashton down; his shoulders are slumped forward, and his head is bowed. Ace’s dark skin is shiny under the lights, but his light brown eyes are clouded over, filled with vengeance as he looks uncomfortable here. Rush is feeling the jet lag from traveling across the country and going on a manhunt. His body is stiff and straight, but his black eyes are tired. Christian is finally feeling the adrenaline wearing off as he leans against the back wall with his arms crossed over his chest and he closes his eyes briefly. Nolan’s team member Harris looks like he’s still ramped up and ready to go. His towering frame is standing tall and at attention as his black eyes keep scanning each of us, ready for someone to strike. My eyes travel to Xavier. His jet-black hair is filthy from the lack of a shower and his athletic build appears to be shrinking like he’s losing the willpower to continue fighting. His piercing blue eyes are dull from the stress of not having Izzy here and he looks like he will pass out any moment.
Then my eyes drift to Nolan. No matter what we’re doing or where we are, he still takes my breath away. His whiskey-colored eyes collide with mine in the mirror and he gives me a wink while tightening his hold on my hand. A silent moment passes between the two of us, we’ve got each other. No matter what happens, he will pull me from the darkness and I’ll do the same. We’re in this together, for the rest of our lives.
The elevator doors ding open and we step onto an elegant beige carpet littered with gold specks. Christian uses a key card to open the main door of the Grand Penthouse Suite. I walk into a majestic looking foyer and spot Mia sitting on an overstuffed gold covered chair, curled up fast asleep. Her short red and blue hair is messy and sticking up all over the place. Christian quickly strolls across the room and gently shakes her awake. She blinks a few times before her eyes land on Xavier. Tears swell in her brown eyes and she jumps up from the chair and runs to him and wraps her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. She’s crying hard onto his neck and won’t let go. Xavier wraps his arms around her waist and hugs her back. Tears are in his eyes. After a few moments, Mia pulls away and searches him for injuries.
“Where are you hurt? What can I get you? Do you need food? A shower?” Mia rapid fires questions at him and doesn’t give him a chance to respond. “Come on, let’s get you something to eat. I’ve been going out of my mind worried. Where’s Izzy?”
“Mia,” Xavier responds, interrupting her rambling. “I’m OK for now, yes I need a shower and some food, but no physical injuries. We don’t know where Izzy is yet, but we’ll find her.”
“Oh, then sit and I’ll bring you some food from the kitchen,” Mia answers and pulls Xavier to the sofa. She forces him to sit and disappears out of the living room with Christian following behind her.
Xavier gives into Mia’s demands and stays on the sofa, his head is bowed, and his hands are clasped in front of him. He’s trying to keep it together. Occasionally, I can see his back shake from trying to hold in a sob. Nolan is sitting next to him on the sofa, Ace and Ashton are standing at the floor to ceiling windows overlooking Central Park. They’re talking quietly between themselves. Probably coming up with ideas on what to do next to get Izzy back.
Harris is sitting at the dining room table with the laptop fired up looking at the layout for The Graveyard. Rush is pacing back and forth from the foyer to the living room and back again. When he passes by me, I stop him from turning back toward the living room.
“Talk to me, Rush. What’s on your mind?” I inquire.
He stops pacing and stands in front of me. “I’m trying to figure out what they want with Redline. Diablo has had issues with him, but why would Switch take him? What is it with him they want?”
“What if I call Diablo and ask him?” I suggest.
“If we do that, we tip our hand knowing he’s involved,” Rush counters.
“Not if I play dumb. I’ll tell them he’s missing and wonder if they’ve seen him.”
/>
“That could work,” Nolan says from the couch. I didn’t realize he was listening. “Go for it, do your thing.” He encourages.
I take my phone out of my pocket and dial Diablo’s number. It rings several times before he answers. “Krimson, what do I owe the pleasure?” I can hear music and loud voices in the background fading away.
“Diablo, have you seen Redline? He isn’t answering his phone and I can’t seem to find him.” I ask, getting right to the point.
“Redline, hmm,” he pauses dramatically, and I roll my eyes. “Can’t say that I have. Last I heard he was with you in New York while you chased the demons of your boyfriend’s past.”
“Well, here’s the thing. Something pissed him off, and he hopped on the first plane back to L.A.,” the lie rolls off my tongue and guilt surrounds me. “I tried to call him, but he isn’t answering. I didn’t know if he’s sniffing around your bitch, again.”
“My bitch as you blatantly call her knows better.” Anger radiates through the phone. “Actually, I got rid of her ass a few days ago when she started asking questions she shouldn’t be.” Shocked, I scramble to find the words to say, but he beats me to it. “Shocking, I know. A man can only take so much bullshit in my line of work and if I can’t trust her, she’s gone. Now, tell me the real reason you called and don’t bullshit me either.”
My eyes fly to Rush, and he nods his head. This isn’t how I planned the call would go down. Diablo speaks before I can, “Krimson, I was actually expecting you to call before this. I thought you would’ve figured it out long before now.”
“How are you involved with the Corridore Rosso Gang and why?” I ask, getting right to the point. He already knows I know, so there’s no point in beating around the bush.
Savage Chaos (Racing Dirty Series Book 3) Page 17
