“Well, I’m not letting you fuckers go on your own,” Ben said, crossing his bulky arms over his chest and glaring at us all. “Lexa will kill me if I let you three go in there and get your asses blown to hell. Plus, I’m the law. I can say we have a warrant or some shit and get us through the door faster. Any pants-pissing can come after we’re through the gate.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Theo agreed. “The kids are at Raven’s. Ryan can stay behind and watch over the women at your house.”
It was easier than I expected to get Delaney to go to Lexa’s for the night. Knowing she would be safe and happy with my sisters and with Ryan there to watch over them, I was able to focus on taking care of Garcia.
There was an iron fence around the house, with two guards standing in front of the gate. At a glance from the outside in, I understood what Gian meant about it being a miracle for Delaney to have gotten out without getting caught.
Delaney hadn’t asked for me to bring back anything of hers, but she had wanted me to make sure Marta was okay. I had a feeling I wasn’t going to get to fulfill that promise to my little treasure. Gian had been right about her getting out just in time, and I didn’t doubt his conclusion about the housekeeper being dead. But if by some chance she was still breathing, then I promised myself before the gates even opened that I would bring her back to Creswell Springs with me.
She had saved Delaney, and I owed her for helping the girl who owned my fucking soul survive long enough to get to me.
We were all stuffed into two of Ben’s cruisers. When he pulled up to the gate, he had his lights on and brandished the fake warrant. The two guards spoke into their headsets, letting whoever was on the other end know what was going on, but they had little to no choice but to allow us through.
As we pulled up to the house itself, more guards came out. Ben slapped the warrant against some guy’s chest, spouting some legal bullshit, while the rest of us were already climbing the steps to the front door. It wasn’t until they saw that most of the men with us were wearing suits and I was in my cut that it became clear this was just a ploy to get inside.
But by the time their slow brains realized that, we were already in the house. I noticed immediately that there was no sign of anyone. No housekeeper. No Aunt June. And no fucking Tony.
Gian’s gaze traveled over the other guards who were gathered in the foyer once we’d checked all the rooms in the house, his eyes narrowed as he took in each of their faces. “Where’s Navarro?” he barked at the nearest man to him.
“Who?” I demanded.
“Navarro,” he repeated. “Garcia’s second-in-command. He’s not here either.”
The guard Gian had directed the question to remained mute. With a vicious curse, Gian grabbed the man by the throat. “Tell me where the fuck Navarro is.” He didn’t even flinch, and Gian pulled his gun, pressing it to the bastard’s temple. “You have until the count of three to tell me before I put a bullet in your brain. One. Two. Th—”
“I don’t know!” the guard cried, his voice shaking as he lost control of his composure. It just showed me that these fuckers knew exactly who Gian was, how ruthless and unforgiving he could be, but they’d had no clue how dangerous my MC brothers or I could really be. “He came back like two hours ago, and all he said was he was taking the boss to pick up the girl!”
My heart stopped, my feet suddenly glued to the spot as I watched the two of them.
“What’s so fucking important about the girl?” Gian demanded.
“Boss has been promising her to his gun supplier. She was supposed to be his on her birthday or some shit. To cover his outstanding debt.” Sweat poured down the guard’s face. “When she ran, the supplier got pissed. Said he wanted what he was promised. Gave Boss until Monday to get her to him, or he threatened war. Navarro has been looking for her himself. When he got back, he took Boss and the supplier north.” He gulped audibly. “Th-that’s all I know, man. Honest.”
“Fuck!” Ben and Theo muttered in unison behind me, but I barely heard them over the blood rushing through my ears.
Without a word to any of them, I took off like a bullet toward the cruiser. Too desperate to get to my girl, I didn’t bother waiting for the others. I hopped into the driver’s seat and started it up. But Ben, Theo, and two of his men jumped in before I could get it in gear. All I could think about was getting back to Creswell Springs as fast as I could.
My treasure was in danger.
I had to get to her.
21
Delaney
Lexa’s home was a two-story three-bedroom house in the same neighborhood as her parents, or so she told me as we stopped at the grocery store for all the ingredients for tacos and churros. By the time we were making tacos in the kitchen, Nova, Ryan, and his cousin Ciana arrived.
I hadn’t seen Ciana at the reception, which I guess was understandable, considering everything that was going on. But then I took one look at her, and I wondered how I hadn’t noticed her. She was gorgeous. Dark red hair that flowed down her back like glossy silk. Brown eyes that sat in a face that had the kind of beauty Grecian goddesses would have been jealous of.
The clothes she wore had designer labels on them, and her makeup looked like it had been expertly applied. When I first saw her walking through the kitchen door, I’d had this picture in my head of every mean girl who ever existed. And then she smiled so brightly at me when Nova introduced us and welcomed me with a hug.
She didn’t know more than how to say “Hello” in ASL, but she talked slowly enough for me to understand her. Some people who had to speak slower when they addressed me made me feel like I was stupid, but Ciana didn’t give off that vibe.
While we ate tacos in the kitchen, she told me about her life back in New York. She lived with her parents, was the middle sibling of five, and was going to college to be a nurse. Ryan made a face when she mentioned that little detail, making her shoot her cousin a glare. I wondered why he didn’t like the thought of her being a nurse, but I didn’t want to upset anyone by asking in case it was a touchy subject for either of them.
At first, I was confused about their family connection. Ciana was Ryan’s cousin, but also Nova’s. Yet Ryan and Nova weren’t cousins. They weren’t related at all. Nova explained to me that her mom was related to Ciana’s dad, and Ryan’s dad was Ciana’s mom’s older brother.
Lexa taught me how to make churros, which I’d always loved, and we ate them with vanilla ice cream, drizzled in caramel and chocolate sauce. Time flew by in the blink of an eye, and before I realized it, over three hours had passed since Max had left me.
I missed him like crazy, but I had to admit I was having fun with his sisters and extended family.
I thought it was an all-girls’ sleepover, so when Ryan changed into a pair of sweats and dropped down onto the couch beside Nova, who was in her pajamas like the rest of us were to watch the movie I’d picked, it surprised me. I didn’t know if sleepovers were typically co-ed or not, so I didn’t bring it up as we settled in to watch Pirates of the Caribbean.
I’d watched the movie with my parents many times, and it was one of my favorites, but I hadn’t gotten the chance to see it in years. Lexa turned on the subtitles for me and passed out bowls of popcorn as the opening scene rolled.