Page 22 of Four Times Saved

She turned up her nose as if she was walking past a piss-filled sidewalk. "Okay?" She rolled her neck.

"Is she here?" Ryan lost his patience and stepped to her again, challenging her with eyes of smoke and fire.

She gulped, but to her credit, she didn't move. "Why the hell would that bitch be here?"

Ryan hissed and we exchanged a glance. We'd never hit a woman but there were no ifs, buts or maybes about us wanting to knock her the fuck out. Instead, we pushed past her into the house. We weren't tough enforcers of any sort. We were the free spirit, go with the flow type, usually. But not when it came to Lily's life, I surprised myself.

I didn't know I had it in me as she screamed at us. "Hey, get the fuck out or I'll call the cops!" she yelled.

I spun around and pinned her to the wall with my eyes. "You do that and it'll be the last fucking thing you do."

Even I reeled back from my own words. I was grateful she didn't catch on to my shock or she'd be able to tell that I was all bark and no bite. Still, where the hell did that come from?

Lily had been good about keeping my anger in check, and I was only ever angry when it came to defending her. Growing up with military parents, I had known I was protected in a subconscious way. I didn't get in a lot of fights, if any at all. As I said, I sailed with the wind. The only times I had been angry to the point of doing damage had been the two encounters with Lily's father and since Lily had been taken. You never know what you're capable of until you're put in a life-threatening position.

Being in this house, where he lived, where there were ashtrays filled with the butts of cigarettes and gray ash, as well as empty alcohol bottles everywhere we went, I got a flashback to all the conversations I had with Lily growing up. Again, I was standing in the doorway with him threatening her life. I got a clear picture of the chaos Lily grew up in and the hairs on my skin stood on end like a sensor, being this close to his essence. I wanted to get my hands on him so bad.

Ryan banged open doors and stomped on floors to see if any of them would give way and we both met eyes with each other when we'd figured out that we'd terrorized this woman's home for no reason. There was no trace of Lily.

Doesn't mean he's innocent, I reconciled as we marched back out of her house with a throwaway over my shoulder. "Tell Terry Thornbread we're looking for him."

"Think she'll call the cops?" Ryan's breath rushed out of him. It was as if stepping out of the house had released him of the trance he'd fallen into, acting without thinking, picking up on the scent of Terry and losing his mind like a wild animal.

"I don't know, but she doesn't know who the fuck we are. We better get out of here," I said.

We didn't waste time jumping into the car and speeding off.

"I don't regret it." Ryan breathed. "Even if he's not guilty, he had that coming. It felt good. For Lily."

"Yeah." I agreed. "But just because she wasn't there, it doesn't mean he's innocent." All we did was ransack his house, but it was still a rush of relief.

"You still think he might be guilty?" Ryan asked.

"I need to look into his eyes. Get my hands on him." I grumbled, because Ryan was right, even if he wasn't guilty, I'd wanted to lay into him from the minute I laid eyes on him, and I didn't know whether or not I was going or coming at the moment. All I knew was Lily wasn't here, I needed someone to release my anger on and he was the perfect candidate.

"So on to his job, then?" Ryan said.

I nodded, looking at the other address Tyler got for us. With Tyler fighting alongside us, I was given permission to hunt for blood. Every part of me that had been locked away in a tightly controlled box was running rampant and until Lily was safe and back in my arms again, and I was able to let her smile settle the demons her going missing had awakened, I wouldn't be reunited with myself, the person she knew and loved. Because this 'me' would terrify her. In fact, once she was back, she could never know this part of me existed, or I might lose her again.

Chapter 12

Ethan

"What's that?" Tyler asked, frowning at the briefcase in my hand.

"It's the ransom," Matt answered.

"We were only able to get twenty-five million between the two of us. Can you believe the damn banks..." I added.

Tyler cut me off, eyes wide, looking around. "Put that away," he ground out, popping the trunk so that I could do just that. "You won't be needing that. Just let me lead, okay?"

My cheeks blushed red like a kid caught stealing. "I just thought..." I shrugged, looking at Matt for support. He shrugged as well before entering the van.

"What's this big old van for?" Matt asked, looking around the ample space. It was a far cry from his sleek black Audi straight out of a Batman film, that he'd driven to our place over the past couple of days.

"If we have to take loverboy to collect Lily, I figured a big, dark vehicle would be a good motivator to keep him cooperative," he said.

A chill ran through me, although, I will say I was relieved I wouldn't have to get my hands dirty. Lily wouldn't approve and I wasn't sure I could stomach it. Yesterday, sure, I was willing to wring Marco's neck, but today, I was focused on one thing.

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