Page 102 of Priest

“You’re on speaker,” Harlem says. “Priest is with me now.”

“Glad you’re okay,” Jett says. “Aside from Carlo’s compound and Bella’s home, is there anywhere else they could’ve gone?”

“Her ex could be involved, name’s Leo Campaldi. She also mentioned they had a warehouse and gave me the address.” I dig around in my back pocket for my phone. The screen is cracked but the phone still works. “I’ll text you the address.”

“Good, I’ll update you when I get the footage.”

“Hurry,” I say to Jett. “She… She won’t survive this. We know what that family is like, and this seems like Bella is the one who betrayed them. Hell, they’ll probably blame her for the shootout, think about it…”

Harlem squeezes my shoulder. “Let’s not jump to conclusions.” I know he’s just trying to make me feel better, but it’s not working. “We don’t know who has her yet. If it’s that Leo guy, wasn’t he her ex-finance?”

“Exactly.” I run both hands through my hair. “He was obsessed with her. I don’t know much about the guy except he was being groomed to join the mob, then when Bella’s father died, she assumed he moved up the ranks to take his place. Either way, he’s heavily involved and we can’t discount him having nothing to do with this.”

This whole time I never considered the idea that her family knew she’d be alive. I still don’t understand how that would be possible, but like I say, nothing surprises me anymore. The more I think about this Leo guy, the worse feeling I get. I know gut instincts and I always follow them.

“You gotta decide which way you wanna go,” Riot says as I try to stand without falling over. Both men steady me on either side. “Either with H to the warehouse to question Rueben while we wait for Jett, or wait to storm the compound where Carlo and his men are.”

I frown. “Did Cash?—”

“He’s not wasting any time,” Harlem says. “So this is gonna be bloody. Once Jett can confirm where the van went, we’ll better establish if we hit the compound now, or nightfall. The longer we wait, however—” He doesn't need to finish that sentence.

My heart beats like a runaway freight train. I get the idea.

I don’t let my mind go there — to the idea that they’d just kill her.

“We need to find Bella, if we storm the compound… She could be in there…”

“Which is why we wait for Jett,” Riot says again. “Just may take a while to get what you need out of Rueben, that’s if he knows anything.”

I’m certain he does. The more I think about it, the more my gut tells me something’s up with him. That this wasn’t just a case of him trying to get Bella alone because she was vulnerable. What if… What if he was part of this all along?

Is he some kind of mastermind, or just a bum with nothing else to do?

“Cash ain’t raidin’ nothin’ until I’m done with Rueben,” I grit. “I’ll call him myself.”

We all know I don’t have the authority to make that call, and normally, we’d make a big decision like this at the meeting room table at church, but that won’t be happening any time soon.

Harlem and Riot share a look but don’t say anything. “We better hurry,” Harlem says, nodding to his truck. “Cops will be here any second.”

I nod to Riot. “Thanks bud, for stayin’.”

“Anytime. I’ll meet you later, once Rock’s picked up the truck.”

I make my way over to Harlem’s truck and hop in. We take off just as an ambulance and two cop cars come screaming up to the scene. I sigh with relief. That last thing I need is to be caught up with the cops all afternoon. Once Callaghan got wind, he’d keep me down at the precinct until dooms day. I know what that snotty little bastard is like, and I don’t need him involved.

“She can’t be gone,” I murmur as Harlem looks over at me.

“You know how good our team are,” he tells me. “Jett will find the way.”

“And if he doesn’t?” My eyes meet his. “What then?”

“We’ll do whatever it takes, brother. Like we always do.”

Harlem has always had the ability to calm me like nobody else. He and Tag are always like this in a jam. They don’t panic or break a sweat, or if they do, they don’t let it show.

I slam my fist into my thigh. I’m so fuckin’ angry with myself. I should’ve protected her better. I should have realized that threats were still out there, even if her identity deception should’ve been enough to keep her safe. Now I can’t shake the feeling that my beautiful, sweet, innocent girl is at the mercy of men who want her dead for real this time.

The mob are brutal, we’ve established that. They have a network of human trafficking and they’re trying to bring that into our neighborhood. There’s no way I’m going to let that happen. There’s no way this club and Cash will let that happen.

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