Page 76 of Command and Control: GHOST Operative

"He's my second." I nearly choke on the words, because someone I trusted is responsible for taking the only thing that matters to me. Stealing her right out from under my fucking nose.

"No shit." Heidi's eyes widen further. "That's bad." Sheshakes me again. "That's real bad. He knows you. He knows what you're going to do."

She’s saying things that haven't occurred to me, twisting the panic and dread in my gut tight enough bile crawls up my throat. "Then we have to get to her fast. Find where she is, get her out, and blow every person involved off the face of the fucking earth."

Heidi takes a quick breath, blowing it out between pursed lips. "I don't disagree with that, but if that's your first inclination, then Amos is going to be prepared for that reaction."

"I don't fucking care. I want him to fucking see me coming. I want him to count down the last seconds of his life before I gut him while he's still breathing." I couldn't save my mother. Couldn't fight the sickness that stole her from me. But I can save Julieanne. And I sure as fuck can obliterate everyone who thought it was wise to take her from me.

Darius, the lead from the team who just returned, rushes through my doorway. He's already dressed and armed to the teeth. "We’re ready, but no one else is in town. Amos sent everyone else out on assignment. The only reason we’re here is because we finished early."

"Fuck." I need more than ten men. I need three times that many. And that’s only if Elias can narrow down Julieanne's location. If he can’t, I’ll need even more.

Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath. I know where I can get more men. I know where I can find a whole team of people just as skilled as the ones in the pit. I lift my lids and meet Heidi’s gaze. She gives me a small nod.

Abandoning her and Darius, I go straight to my desk and dial out. I hold my breath and count the rings, terrifiedit will go to voicemail. I don't deserve for my call to be answered, but I will keep calling back until it is. I will do anything,anything,to get to Julieanne.

When the call connects after the third ring, I don't give him time to answer. "They've got her."

The line’s quiet for a second before Pierce responds. "They've got who?"

"Julieanne. She's my—" My voice breaks, because if I can't find her, I won't have the chance to make her my anything. "They took her right out from under my fucking nose, Pierce."

"Who isthey?" Pierce's tone is all business now. Clipped and short, and I can hear him moving as we continue to speak.

"Amos took her off the property, but I don't know who the fuck got him to do it." I grab the trash can from under my desk as I start to retch.

Heidi steps in at my side, resting one hand on my back and smoothing it in circles. "I can help with that."

"Is that Heidi?" Pierce doesn't sound surprised.

Heidi snags the phone from me, pressing it to her ear. "Tell Harlow I'm about to start sending her a bunch of shit, and I need them to go balls to the wall on this."

I don't hear what Pierce says next, but I can imagine it's something about how unhappy he is to discover she's here.

Because Heidi fucking laughs at him.

"Get over yourself, Pierce. Don't act like you've never been an asshole before." Her eyes come to me. "And I’m pretty sure he's learned his lesson." She shoves the phone back at me, and I take it.

The next words out of my mouth are ones I don't think I've ever said before. "I'm sorry."

"Save it. You can apologize to me after we find your Julieanne."

"STOP MAKING THAT face."Pierce lowers into the chair next to me as I watch the countless people packing the pit trying to find the only fucking thing that matters in my world. "We will find her."

I want to keep it together. Want to remain true to who I've built myself to be. But I'm about two seconds from losing it.

"I don't know what I'll do if we don't find her." I lean forward, resting my elbows on my knees as my head drops. "I —" My voice breaks.

Pierce's hand comes to my shoulder, steady but firm. "I know. That’s why we will find her." His hand stays where it is, gripping tight. "What you need to be doing now, is figuring out all the ways you're going to make them suffer for trying to take her from you."

I lift my head just enough to slide my eyes his way. "Thank you for doing this."

Pierce's expression is unreadable. I'm not sure where I’ll stand with him when this is all over, but I will be indebted to him forever for being here.

His next words stun the hell out of me. "You would do it for me."

I struggle to swallow. "I would." My throat is tight. Aching as I continue. "Pierce, I—"

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