Just in case, we remained as quiet as possible as we opened the door and headed inside. Once we were through the door, we immediately spotted four large metal storage containers in the back of the room. At first glance, I thought nothing of it. You’d expect to find containers in a warehouse like this, but these weren’t your typical storage containers. These had been manufactured with bars on the front. We inched closer to get a better look, and bile rose to the back of my throat when I spotted old, stained mattresses nestled in the back corner of the containers. I dropped my head in disgust as I muttered, “Oh, damn.Thismotherfucker…”
“I figured he was into some shit like this. There’s a lot of money to be made in trafficking, and this guy’s got a lot of it,” Shotgun grumbled.
Hawk sounded equally distraught as he snarled, “Sick fucks like him deserve a special place in hell.”
“Yes, they do.” I was trying to collect myself, but another wave of nausea hit me when I spotted a small teddy bear on one of the mattresses. I motioned my hand to it as I scowled, “He’s smuggling kids, too.”
“Don’t worry, brother. He’ll pay for this shit,” Shotgun sneered. “He will pay for all of it.”
“I’m gonna hold you to that.”
Shotgun gave me a nod, then motioned for us to follow as he proceeded to check out the rest of the warehouse. When we came up on the staircase, Shotgun turned to Hawk and whispered, “You two go check it out.”
Hawk nodded, then we both started up the steps. We hadn’t gotten far when the hairs on the back of my neck stood tall, letting me know we weren’t alone. Someone was watching us. I could feel their eyes on me, but I kept moving.
Nothing was going to stop me from getting to my daughter.
The old steel steps moaned with every step, making it impossible to hide the fact that we were getting closer to the top of the stairs. We were just a step away when the office door flew open, and we were greeted with the end of a double-barreled shotgun.
Without thinking, I reached out and grabbed the end of the gun, then rammed it into the guy’s chest. He was a decently sized guy, but the force of the hit was just enough to throw him off balance, causing him to lose his footing. It was only for a brief second, but it gave Hawk the opportunity he needed to take a shot. He pulled the trigger, and seconds later, his body dropped to the ground beneath the stairs.
There was movement inside the office, so Hawk gave me a nudge, warning me that there were more men inside. I didn’t care. I wanted to know if my daughter was in that room, so without bothering to seek cover, I took a step forward.
“Billy!” Hawk called out to me, urging me to wait for him.
It was too late. I was already in the office.
I took a quick look around the room, and my heart sank when I saw no sign of Kiersten. Just a small desk, a few cabinets, and a worn-out sofa. I let out a stream of curses, then turned to leave. It was at that moment that gunfire erupted from behind the sofa. Hawk and I both shot off several rounds, and in a blink, the coward in hiding was lying lifeless on the floor.
Hawk and I took another look around the office, making sure there were no other guards in hiding, but we found nothing—absolutely nothing. While I was relieved that the guards had been dealt with, I wasn’t happy that my daughter was still in DeLuca’s hold.
But we were coming for her.
This battle may have been over, but the war had just begun.
I would stop at nothing to save my daughter.
EVERLEIGH
The meetingwith Viper and his men had been completely terrifying, but by the grace of God, I managed to get through it. I answered their questions the best I could, and once they had everything they needed from me, I was escorted out. When I got back to the family room, Rebecca and Cat were finishing up their movie. I felt guilty intruding on their time together, but Lynch and his president had left me with no choice.
I walked over and reclaimed my spot in the recliner. I hadn’t been sitting there long when Cat’s favorite song came on. She sprang off the sofa and started dancing around the room. A bright smile swept across Rebecca’s face as she and her daughter started singing along with the characters in the movie.
I might’ve joined in if I didn’t have a giant knot that was growing in the pit of my stomach. I couldn’t even seem to concentrate on anything else. Rebecca must’ve sensed something was wrong and asked, “You okay?”
“No, but I will be.”
I wanted to believe that was true—that I would be okay, but I wasn’t so sure. Antonio DeLuca was a powerful man who had pure evil running through his veins. I feared no one, not even the mighty Ruthless Sinners, would be able to take him down. I also feared that nothing would stop them from trying.
They were enraged by the fact that Antonio had the nerve to take one of their own, and it was evident by the questions they’d asked that they were devising a plan to get her back—a plan that would put all their lives in danger.
I couldn’t let that happen, especially when I had the power to make this whole thing go away. It was that thought that had me getting up from the recliner and rushing toward the door. I hadn’t gotten far when Rebecca called out to me, “Are you leaving?”
“I have something I need to take care of.”
I stopped when I heard her ask, “Do you want me to go with you or...?”
“Thanks, but this is something I have to do on my own.”