Page 33 of Hold Me Before You Go

“And what’s that?” I asked.

So much for shutting up, Carrie.

“What was promised to me, Carrie. That’s what I want.”

I opened my mouth, but Monica cut me off. “We can’t do this here. You said we would be in a secluded location, not in a fucking motel room, Brandon.”

He pursed his lips again and nodded. “You’re right. We can’t.”

In a flash, he was in front of me, grabbing the top of my head as he grinned. “We’ll talk soon,” he promised as his fist came flying to my face.

All I felt was a twinge of pain, and then everything went black.

Chapter Eight

Grayson

“Can everyone hear me?” Dominic said as he pulled up to the prison, parking in the spot the security guard at the gate told him to a minute ago.

The rest of us were in an prison van about half a mile down the road.

“Loud and clear,” Jake confirmed, double-checking his laptop screen as I adjusted my earpiece.

“Check,” I said.

“Hear you, Gray,” Dominic responded.

The rest of the team made sure their earpieces were working as I pulled out one of my blades, the metal glimmering in the sun. We’d be in Missouri in less than five hours. As soon as Dominic got confirmation from the prison for his appointment with Gelling, we headed to the airstrip.

Humbly and his men were working on locating the van Monica Larks had stolen over two days ago, contacting every police station up and down the coast. For now, Carrie’s location remained unknown. That was about to change the second I got my hands on her father. Despite his confessions during his trial and the notes from the FBI investigation, Bradley Gelling still had a lot more secrets he was hiding.

I intended to bring every single one of them out into the light.

“You boys ready?” Dominic asked us through our earpieces.

Hayes was in the driver’s seat, me beside him, Ash behind me, and Jake behind Hayes. I sheathed my blade and twisted my upper body, looking each of them in the eye, knowing what they were about to do for me and for Carrie could change their lives forever.

“Don’t get out yet,” I ordered Dominic.

Hayes turned his head to look at me, his hand falling from his face as his brows came together. Jake’s head snapped up from his laptop, his expression matching Hayes’ as Ash just stared at me, his jaw tight. “What you’re about to do for me—”

“This isn’t the first time we’ve broken the law for a hunt,” Ash cut in darkly.

“You don’t have to warn us about what we’re about to do, Gray,” Jake added. My eyes met his. “We know what we’re doing.”

Hayes remained silent, and Dominic said, “I’m here, Gray. I’m ready to walk through those doors and do what needs to be done.”

“This isn’t for a mission or a hunt, guys,” I reminded them, my voice harder than I expected it to be. “This isn’t an assignment. This is about my woman.”

“We’ve been over this, Gray,” Dominic sighed as Jake returned, “You claimed her. She’s under our protection now.”

“She’s a part of Red Snake,” Ash said firmly. “We protect our own.”

My eyes shot to his, seeing something so familiar in them—that was when it hit me. He cared for the woman he’d gone into Devils Den for seven months ago. This complicated things. I’d told him at the airstrip that when Carrie was safe, we’d start the hunt for the preacher’s wife. We held our gaze for some time until, eventually, he looked away, focusing on the warm winter weather outside.

“We’re here, Gray,” Hayes finally cut in, and I returned my attention to my right hand. He gave me a single nod. “Let’s get it done, yeah?”

I nodded and gave the order. “Go, Dominic.”

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