It’s been a tense few hours. All this sitting and waiting is seriously killing me. We should be out there searching. But I was a cop for years, and all my training has told me endless hours of mindlessly searching won’t do me any good. I need to be here, at the center of it all, finding out all the information as it comes to hand. Neon’s here, so is Hammond. Everyone with all the feelers out is right there within my grasp. I’m better off with everyone close, so the second I hear where they are, I can go get them, rather than being on the opposite side of town and it taking too fucking long.
I need to be here.
I need to know what’s happening.
Step by step.
Minute by minute.
It’s a process, and although these cops have been a thorn in my side for the last six years, they’re here boosting me up right now. My wounds aren’t healed, but they’re definitely mending.
Ethan barrels into the room from the kitchen. “I got a lead. We need to leave. Now!”
My heart slams up into my throat as I jump from the sofa. Jovie moves to follow me, but I shake my head. “We can’t be sure what we’re walking into. Please, can you stay here with Lou? I just… if something happened to you too, I just… I need to focus.”
She brings her hand up, caressing my cheek. “I get it. Good luck.” She leans in, planting a chaste kiss on my lips as Lou grabs Jovie, pulling her to her.
I rush off with the swarm of cops and my brothers at my side. Whoever thought the Defiance MC and the Houston PD would be working united? I never thought I’d see the day.
I hurry over to my bike, jump on, and start it as quickly as possible.
Ethan takes off in a squad car, and I have to admit, riding alongside the squad cars on my ride is all kinds of fucked-up right now. I don’t know if I feel like a cop, an older brother, a biker, a criminal, or just a broken father trying to get his damn kids back.
Maybe some version of all of the above.
But I need to focus if I’m going to be able to do this.
Because I have to go into this with the thought that no matter what, Sadie and Lucas are fine.
No matter what, they’re coming out of this fine.
Because any other alternative is not something I can ever comprehend.
Ethan’s car zooms down the road faster than I’ve ever seen him drive. At least he’s taking this seriously.
Zero, Wraith, Neon, and I follow as three other squad cars are behind us. We pursue Ethan as he approaches, sirens and lights off. The noise of our bikes is bad enough. We don’t need sirens and flashing lights to alert whoever the asshole is doing the Baron’s dirty work. Ethan pulls into an old abandoned warehouse, into the parking lot, a little way back from the actual building. I assume it’s so our bikes don’t alert whoever is inside.
It’s like a factory warehouse, tall in size with lots of ground to cover.
I tense all over.
My kids must be so fucking scared in there.
I slide off my ride. Zero, Wraith, and Neon all moving with me as we stride over to Ethan and Hammond.
“Okay, word is they’re inside. We just don’t know where or how many people are in there with them,” he whispers as he and Hammond both pull on protective vests.
Ethan hands one to me, and I raise my brow at him. “C’mon, there’s a reason they call you Kevlar, Liam. Wear the fucking vest… your kids need you.”
I peer over my shoulder at Zero, and he bobs his head. “Put it on, Kevlar. Think of it as a trip down memory lane. A one-time thing only though, brother.”
I huff, snatching the Kevlar vest from my blood brother, and I yank it on over my head. “Fine, but if you guys give me shit for this—”
“We will, but let’s get your kids back first,” Neon suggests.
“Okay, I’m assuming you all have weapons with you?” Hammond asks.
The four of us all pull our Glocks out from the back of our pants, loading them.
Hammond exhales, shaking his head. “Normally, I would treat this completely different. Having bikers on this with us is entirely off-book, but right now, Liam, I trust your judgment. Your men only use weapons if you have to and strictly for self-defense. No vigilante shit. Do you understand me?”
“Got it. I just want my kids back.”
I focus on Zero, nodding at him to play along. Once we know who is behind this, we can come for them when the cops aren’t fucking everywhere. Right now, I need my kids safe.
“Okay, let’s move in. Follow my lead.” Ethan signals, and we all move in formation toward the warehouse. It’s quiet. The early morning air is crisp with the threat of a storm in the distance. Cicadas chirp through the silenced night as the slow whistling of the breeze through the leaves makes it all too fucking eerie. We walk up the ramp toward the giant roller shutter opening. The fact it’s open is warning enough. We move to the edge, guns at the ready.
Ethan ducks around the corner, heading inside. There’s no noise as we wait. My heart’s frantically racing, then Ethan pokes his head out. “Clear.”
We file in behind him into the open expanse, many boots hit the concrete with a thump as cops check the offshoot rooms, each whispering out “Clear” when they’re done.
A closed door grabs my attention, I signal to Ethan, and we all head that way. Ethan signals for one of the corporals to open the door.
He does, and we all stand back waiting.
Nothing.
So, we head through to a smaller room with packing crates lining the floor.
What the hell?
We search the room for any clue, any tiny detail when Neon sends a low whistle through the room, calling us over. We all make our way to him. He points to a crate that has a sign on it with one single word.
Eeny
My eyes shift to Zero. “What the fuck is Eeny?”
Ethan rolls his shoulder. “Maybe it’s another language?”
“We should keep looking,” Hammond suggests.
We make our way through to the next room, this one is smaller again, it smells a little moldy, and it has waste everywhere. I turn up my nose as we walk through the giant trash cans of stale litter.
“Lieutenant, you need to see this,” someone calls out, no longer using the whispered tone we’re all trying to keep.
We all spin, glaring as he points to the trash can, aiming his gun and flashlight at it. My skin prickles, tingling in the worst possible way as I slowly round the trash to view the sign on the front.
Meeny
My stomach swirls as my eyes shift to Ethan. “It’s a damn game. They’ve hidden them somewhere in this warehouse.”
“Spread out, look for anything with those signs,” Ethan demands, then everyone scatters in all directions.
Anxiety flows through me as I rush around, pushing over crates, turning over tables, searching behind anything to try and find them. Everyone seems to be doing the same thing when I spot a large filing cabinet. On the front is a blood smear, and I let out a sound I don’t even recognize.
Zero is the first to my side.
Ethan soon after. “Jesus… Coombs, get over here with your gloves. We can’t contaminate the scene if—”
“Don’t say it, Ethan. Don’t you dare fucking say it,” I yell at him, lunging forward.