Page 41 of Brutal Secrets

“Open,” he demands, his voice deep and twisted. Knowing too well what happens when I don’t listen, my robotic mouth falls open like it was only yesterday he pushed his dick into my small mouth, while the sound of skin slapping against the boy began.

Time after time they took from him, rendering him powerless to their sick actions.

Until I gave him the power back.

Chapter

Twenty-One

LUCAS

We stride toward Bren’s office in a dark warehouse about an hour away from our home.

My skin crawls with a need to find them, knowing too well that nothing good has come from their absence. I blame myself because I’ve been withholding information that would leave me too transparent and not in control, and I need the control.

My hand finds the knife in my pocket, and I graze my thumb over the smooth wood again and again. It’s my protection, always my protection, when I need it the most.

One of Bren’s younger brothers eyes us as we approach, and his lip quirks up when he sees Mia in Jace’s arms. She’s restless and wants her mom. I’m sure she can sense the panic and fear coursing through our family, and the thought of her suffering has my feet moving toward Bren’s office with a fierce determination for answers and, more importantly, for help.

The brother opens the door for us and steps aside. Of course, they knew we were coming, no doubt STORM Enterprises gave them a heads-up or the many cameras surrounding the warehouse did. Either way, I don’t care, I refuse to leave here until Tia and Harper are found and those twisted fucks are dealt with. I stroke my thumb over my blade, the one that ended Martin, the one that will end them too.

Cole takes the lead, striding into the room like a man on a mission, which we all are.

The mission being the safe return of our girls.

Bren pushes back in his chair and stands. Jesus, the man is tall and broad too. His eyes narrow. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

Okay, so he wasn’t aware of us coming.His blue eyes flit toward Mia, who is still squirming in Jace’s embrace.

“They took them,” Jace spits out, and the sound of his sharp voice causes Mia to cry. He immediately attempts to reassure her, stroking his hand down her back and whispering he’s sorry.

Bren’s eyes narrow, assessing us.

“They took Tia and Harper,” Cole clarifies.

“Who did?”

“Who? Who?!” Jace gets louder on each syllable, as does Mia. “The fucking Lancasters!” He bellows so loud even I jump.

Bren’s shoulders sag, and his hand rubs along his jaw. “Con, get Oscar on the phone, and Owen too,” he tacks on before who I am now guessing is Con leaves the room with a nod.

He takes a seat, then his eyes lock with mine before he says, “You could have just called.”

I stare at the man dumbfounded.Called?

“Called? Fucking called? They kidnapped our girls!” Jace is becoming erratic and so is Mia. Cole steps toward her, but as if sensing my gaze, his eyes meet mine, and I shake my head. Hecan’t take her from Jace, she’s the only thing keeping him from becoming the man he once was, from becoming Rage.

I step toward Bren’s desk, and our glares collide. “I don’t think you understand the severity of the situation.”

None of them do, and I’m kind of grateful for that right now.

His temple tics as he stares back at me. This man is pigheaded and obtuse, but he has a weakness. He’s a family man, and with that thought, I change tactics.

“That baby over there is crying for her momma, do you want to know what else she’s crying for?” Bren glares back at me, his lips pulled into a thin line. “She’s crying because she’s hungry. Her mom gives her the best of everything she has, which means she’s breastfed, and right now, she doesn’t have a mom. What would you do as a man watching his baby cry for your wife and food.” I don’t need to tell him we have enough bottled breastmilk made up to last her almost a week. The relief I feel inside with that knowledge is reassuring.

No, I won’t tell him that.

His eyes soften as he watches Jace soothe Mia, then his body jerks, his hand snaps out toward his phone, and he presses it before lifting it to his ear. “Get me Luca Varros on the fucking phone, now!”

---