Page 73 of Owen (Storm Enterprises)

“Do you know what’s on this?” Owen scans my face.

The intensity behind his stare makes it difficult to swallow, and I blow out a shaky breath before answering. “No.” My eyes implore his. “I’ve no idea.”

His shoulders relax, and he pulls me toward him, placing a soft kiss on my head as I bury my face against his chest. “Okay, baby girl.”

For the first time in my life, Owen’s touch has anxiety creeping up my spine, consuming me and banding around my heart like a viper. “What do you think is on there?” I whisper.

“Nothing good, if it’s to do with that prick,” Tate snipes out, and Owen glares fire in his direction.

Then his attention is pulled back to me, and he strokes comforting circles over my back. “I don’t know. But I don’t want you to worry about it. I’ll deal with it; do you understand me? I’llprotect you.” He lifts my chin so our gazes clash. “You can trust me to protect you both, Laya.”

I nod, believing every word.

“Let’s get Romeo changed and go home. I want to know what I’m dealing with.”

A ball of dread lines my stomach, knowing deep in my heart nothing good will come off that memory card. Not a single thing, and I can’t help but feel this is all so much bigger than what Owen can deal with, no matter how much he proclaims to protect us.

This is bigger than him, and he might not be able to protect us as much as he’d love to, and I refuse to let him get hurt trying.

He deserves more than that. We all do.

THIRTY-FIVE

OWEN

As soon as we arrived home, Laya fed Romeo, then I bathed my little buddy, allowing her the time to shower. My skin was itching to lock myself away in my office, but my girl needed me. No sooner than she wrapped her soft lips around my cock and began suckling, did her eyes close and her breathing even out.

Slowly, I slipped from her mouth and covered her with the bedsheet, ignoring my semihard cock as I zipped up the fly of my jeans and grabbed one of the baby monitors to take into my office.

I called Tate, and he and Mase were at my house within twenty minutes.

Blowing out a deep breath, I survey my friends. “I’m not sure what we’re going to see on here.” I point toward the computer screen while keeping my attention on Tate, knowing this could affect him deeply, especially after discovering his wife was kept a prisoner in a cage that provided entertainment to some sick,twisted fucks. My best friend had to witness her misery, and I want to know if he’s strong enough to endure it again.

He clamps his jaw shut, his teeth grind, and his nostrils flare, then he gives me a firm nod toward the computer.

I press play, and watch as crackling appears on the screen, then it slowly clears, and I take in the scene. Carlos is in a warehouse, and the sight of him has my hands tightening into fists, wishing I could band them around his throat and rip him apart. This man married my girl and gave me the greatest gift in my son, but he’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing. He’s dealing with shady characters that could have used Laya and Romeo as leverage, and not for the first time, I wish he was alive, just to personally extinguish him how he deserved.

A truck appears, followed by a black car, and out steps a man I know to be the don of a Mafia family on the West Coast. Benito Carrera, a man known to be a monster and a human trafficker for his own sick amusement. My stomach clenches at the thought and anger burns through me like poison.

My eyes scan the screen as I wait to see if his heir, Azrael, emerges from the car like his usual shadow, but he doesn’t, and while that seems odd, I’ve no time to consider it because another man appears from the office behind Carlos.

I zoom into the image.

“Who is that?” Mase leans over me.

“Looks like Harrison Davis, the police commissioner.” I lick my dry lips, knowing why the memory card holds such value. Carlos entrusted me with this for multiple reasons, and I can imagine one of those reasons is to keep this as leverage to protect Laya and Romeo.

The truck door opens, and Carlos steps forward. Bile clogs in my throat at the way he pulls a woman out of the vehicle by her hair, and I close my eyes, knowing how he’s handled Laya.

Did he give her the same cruel treatment?

“Fucker,” Tate spits out, and I open my eyes to witness Carlos drag the girl across the floor. Then he delivers a swift kick to her stomach, causing her to cry out in agony.

“What the hell are we going to do with this?” Mase waves frantically toward the screen.

Tate turns to face him. “We need to keep a copy, whatever we do.”

“No.” I shake my head.

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