Page 5 of The Merciless King

Not that Josh Black from Black Hawke Security would agree, but he’s a Navy SEAL and we’re Marines, so that old argument stands.

Also, a few buddies have left the forces and started working for Barrett. Then I heard he was in Los Angeles on an undercover operation with the Black Hawke team when the Savino mafia had a bit of trouble.

Basically, I put two and two together, hoped like fuck they actually made four, and then went direct to Connor.

Why? Because I’m desperate.

Amy is missing.

Her piece-of-shit mother has gone downhill even further in the five years since I joined the Marines.

Amy is now twenty-one.

And hopefully alive.

A week ago, I was discharged from the Marine Corps after spending two months trying to find out where Amy is.

Her mom won’t file a missing person’s report, saying she believes Amy is, and I quote, “Just being a disrespectful little bitch and will come home when she needs something.”

“Where is she?” I demanded, getting up her face because by this time I was getting really damn worried.

Tracey had stopped contacting my parents, and when I saw the state of her house, I was shocked. It was filthy and in disarray, and so was her person.

“Hopefully stealing drugs from someone else,” Tracey slurred.

Drugs?

There was no way Amy was taking drugs.

“I spoke to her a month ago,” I yelled. “She was not on fucking drugs.”

I was certain I’d know even if it was a phone call from the Middle East.

“You have no idea, Braxton, no idea. Amy is not the innocent girl you once knew. She was a terrible teenager and now at twenty-one, she steals my booze and drugs.”

For a moment I haltered, wondering if she might have gone down a dark path, but then Tracey stumbled in front of me and if it wasn’t for my reflexes, reaching out and catching the woman who had been standing fucking still, she would have fallen.

Fuck that.

I pushed her onto the sofa and crouched in front of her, the denim of my jeans bunching up, then in a bitter tone asked, “Where is she? And how long has she been gone?”

“I don’t know, but if you find her, tell her she owes me a thousand dollars for crack.”

Jesus Christ.

I shook my head and accepted the truth. Tracey was a junkie, and while I didn’t want to believe Amy had started using, it was possible. Or she was lying like most addicts did.

Amy might have left to get away from her mom, but why wasn’t she answering her phone?

Dread laced through me as I thought about other possibilities.

“Did Amy get you drugs?”

Tracey snorted. “Sure, but she stole just as much.”

Fuck. Amy had been dragged into this hell life by her mother and not told us. Or me. My heart fucking broke when I realized what had been going on in her life that we weren’t aware of.

“Where could she be, Tracey? For fuck's sakes, she could be in danger.” I growled, shaking her.

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