Page 60 of The Eraser

"Find out who that is," I order Maverick, my heart racing with fear for my wife's safety. I have a feeling I know who did this. There’s only one fucking person it could be. Thomas.

"Stephen, where's my fucking wife?" Denis demands, panting heavily as blood pours from a wound on his head.

"You need medical attention." Maverick winces in concern.

"I need to know where my wife is," Denis growls.

"Maverick will find out," I grit out angrily. "Whoever was in that red SUV has taken our wives." I grab my phone, relieved that it still works despite the blast.

“Who the fuck are you calling?” Denis snaps, his eyes filled with rage and pain.

"I'm calling in all the markers I have. Every fucking one of them. Everyone is coming here. I want everyone here to find our wives. No one takes my wife and gets away with it, Denis."

He nods grimly in agreement. "I’ll do the same."

It takes us twenty minutes and we’ve made all the calls we needed to. Denis’ family is on the way. I’ve got the Fury Vipers in New York coming and the Gallos from Chicago and Missouri, not to mention every single one of Jerry’s men.

There’ll be no stone left unturned. I’m getting my fucking wife back.

* * *

"The SUV was abandoned three miles from the house," Maverick tells me. His voice is hard. He's just as pissed as I am. His sister and cousin are missing, taken from the safety of Jer's house, and now we have no idea where the fuck they are.

"Christ," I say through clenched teeth. "Fuck, Mav," I say, glancing up at the sky. I’m close to the edge. I can feel it. I’m drowning in the thought of losing her.

Cold, bone-chilling fear races through me. That cunt has her. I know he does. Now that he has her, what's he going to do to her? He doesn't give a fuck about Jess. He never did, and he's proven that he'll do whatever the hell he wants to her. Burn her, beat her, belittle her.

"We'll find them," he promises me.

"But in what condition?" I ask, voicing my fear out loud.

"Within the next fifteen hours, Dublin is going to be crawling with men on our side. There's no way that fucker can hide from us any longer. No fucking way.”

"I need to get a fucking tracer on her," I say. I had been thinking about it today when we were driving toward Jer's. I wanted to add a tracker to her ring as she wears it all the time. I should have thought about it before I gave it to her. I should have done it. Had I done, we'd have her whereabouts right now.

"We'll find her," he promises me once again. "Don't lose faith."

I have no faith. I never have had any. But I've been praying to any and all deities, pleading that they keep her safe.

"Don't lose it on me, Stephen," he says low. "You're the clear-headed one. You're the natural born killer. I need you to get your head in the zone. What would you do if you were Thomas?"

I scoff. "I wouldn't beat my fucking child," I snarl.

"I know, but where would you take them?"

I shake my head. I can't fucking do this. The woman I love is gone and I may never see her again. She has no idea just how fucking much she means to me.

I'm going to burn the fucking city to ashes in order to find her.

I’ll do whatever the fuck it takes to bring her home.

"Think, Stephen," Maverick urges. "Where would you bring someone you hated?"

I close my eyes and take a steadying breath. "Some place that brought back their worst memories."

He nods. "Good, that's fucking good. Emmanuel and Freddie have searched Jess' childhood home. There's no sign of them. As Ma said, it's been ransacked."

My chest heaves as it hits me. "Is there anyone else who was with Thomas the night he burnt Jess?" That was her worst nightmare. She was tortured more than any of us could have ever imagined when he burned her. He'll bring her back there. I know it, because I would do the same. "We need to find out where he'd take her. If we can do that, we'll find them."

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