Page 94 of Slaughter

What do you want?

The reply is instant.

Damon: We need to talk.

Tristan throws me back my phone, ignoring his reply, and I pocket it. “I was just curious to see if it had to do with Presleigh,” he adds. And I forget all about it. I’m here on a mission. To save her.

The back of the hatch opens, and I see Kayn placing blankets and bottles of water back there. I had Tristan tell his guys to bring some supplies, not knowing what kind of condition she will be in.

I hate the unknown!

“Let’s go.” I open the door and get out. I look around the property. It’s dark outside. The sun just set on our way here, so I can’t see much. But what I can see is dead grass and trash. Everywhere. We’re walking on it.

“The back is clear, sir.” I hear a guy by the name of Brian in my earpiece.

“Don’t move until I give the go,” Tristan orders him.

“Yes, sir.”

We come up to the house, and there’s no lights coming from within. The once white shutters are now black and rotted. One hangs from its hinges. The paint is an ugly brown that you can tell was once yellow. Windows busted out and shingles missing. It looks like something from a horror movie.

“Are you sure this is it?” I ask Tristan. This doesn’t seem like somewhere our brother would take her. I mean, the fact she was only miles away is a red flag. Then to bring her here. My brother likes expensive mansions and villas. It doesn’t make sense.

“I’m positive,” Tristan answers.

“Take the side,” I tell him, and he takes off around the house. Kayn and I make our way up the old rotted steps.

I walk up the three stairs and see the brown door is cracked. Another bad sign. I place one hand on it, holding the gun raised with the other.

I step in and flip the light switch, but nothing happens. The house is cold and deserted. The floors cracked, walls missing. No furniture or appliances anywhere.

Please be here.

I tiptoe down a hall and come to a door. Turning the knob, I open it. I walk in, gun raised, but it’s clear.

I repeat the process with two more doors, opening all of them.

The last room has two metal tables in it side by side and a big light above one of them. That table has thick leather belt like straps on it, and my jaw tightens as I think of what they did to her while she lay there helpless. The light is also on, so the house obviously has power.

I walk in and over to it, lowering my gun when I see the small room is empty. It smells of disinfectant and blood. It’s smeared all over the table, and I know it’s from her neck. They must have sewn up her cut from the tracker being removed.

Kayn whistles softly, and I turn to look at him still standing by the door. He nods his head to the hallway and mouths someone’s here.

“Standby,” I whisper into the earpiece.

I make my way over to him and continue walking down the hallway, raising my gun once again. I hear a familiar male’s voice, and my jaw tightens. “Yeah, he went out. He should return soon. Yes, sir. I’ll stay until you get back.”

My hand tightens on the gun. Who the fuck is he talking to? And where the fuck is my brother? His phone signal put him here. Has he left since then? Or did he just leave his phone behind? If he left, did he take her with him? She has to be here. If not, I may never find her in time. If she’s not already dead.

I step into the small room. It has a desk in the middle, and that’s all. I watch as the man hangs up his phone and places it on the desk. I walk in with my gun trained at his head. “Where the fuck is she?” I ask Lance. The very man who saved her for me just weeks ago helped take her from me. My jaw tightens.

The only people you can trust are in this room. Fuck, even Darrell knew he was in on it too.

He spins around and comes face to face with the tip of my gun. “Don’t make me ask again.”

“Avery …?”

I press the gun into his mouth, cutting off his words when I shove his head back at an odd angle. He mumbles around it, and I pull it out just enough for him to talk. “Downstairs.” He goes to open a drawer in the desk.

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