Aaron
“Joan? Joan!” I was already out the door when the call disconnected. Her scream had been sharp, cutting through the air, and suddenly, everything wasn’t fuzzy. It was terrifyingly clear.
Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!!
I never should have agreed when she insisted on going without a bodyguard. If he had been there, he could have protected her. He could have bought them time.
Time for her to escape. The one time I relented, and now…
A chill ran down my spine at the thought of Joan lying somewhere lifeless. Green eyes closed forever. Mother gone. Baby gone.
Shoving the thought away, I scrolled through my contact list. This wasn’t a one-man job. I needed everyone on board-immediately.
“Send out the emergency signals. I need everyone close by. New York, precisely,” I said curtly, already heading to my car.
As soon as the call ended, I started the ignition and sped out of the compound, dialing Denzel. He picked up on the second ring.
“Hey. Guess who’s-”
“Track Joan’s phone. Now. Where is she?” I cut in immediately, my grip tightening on the wheel.
There was a brief pause before Denzel’s tone turned serious. “Give me a couple of minutes.” He knew from my voice that this was no time for jokes.
“Call me back the second you have something,” I ordered, my foot pressing harder on the gas. The city lights blurred past me as I headed toward the restaurant where Joan had said she would be.
A moment later, my phone rang. Denzel. I answered instantly.
He rattled off her location, and I quickly entered it into my GPS. My stomach churned with unease as I sped toward it. I had a sick feeling I was already too late.
Then another call came in-Alessia. My jaw tightened. If not for this dinner, Joan would be home. Safe.
“Hey, good evening,” her voice came through, light, unaware. Of course, she had no idea what was happening.
“Is Joan with you?” I asked. A small part of me hoped I was overreacting. That maybe she had just changed her mind about answering her phone.
But I had heard her scream. And if she were with them, Alessia wouldn’t be calling me.
She chuckled softly. “No, I was actually calling to see if she was still at home. Her line isn’t connecting.”
My pulse hammered as I took a sharp turn. The street ahead was quiet, too quiet. The faint glow of streetlights cast long shadows on the pavement.
I spotted something on the ground. Tire marks. And something else.
As I got closer, my heart sank. A phone.
I slammed the brakes and jumped out.
“She’s not with me,” I muttered into the phone, barely aware I was still holding it. “She left a few minutes ago. I think she’s been abducted.”
My steps felt heavy as I approached the object on the ground. The closer I got, the clearer it became.
My chest tightened.
Joan’s phone. The screen was shattered.
A dull ache started in my chest and through my whole body, spreading like wildfire. My knees nearly buckled, but I forced myself to pick it up.
Alessia was still talking, but I couldn’t hear her anymore. I tucked the phone into my pocket without another word.
They had tossed it away to keep us from tracking her.
Motherfuckers.
I straightened up, my entire body tensing. My vision blurred with rage. Oh, they had no idea what was coming for them.
For touching her. For making her scream. For making her cry.
They would pay.
Screw the police. Screw the law.
I was going to handle this myself. And my way would be bloody.
I stalked back to my car and yanked out my phone. My fingers were steady, too steady, as I dialed.
“Tell everyone to assemble at headquarters. Now. Emergency meeting.” My voice was ice. “My wife has been abducted.”
I gripped the steering wheel so hard my knuckles turned white.
They could try to run.
But I would find them. Even if I had to tear the world apart.