Page 96 of Smooth Sailing

Scott nodded. “We’ve been dedicating a lot of resources to this guy. Though, I’m sure it won’t surprise you, he has a vested interest in us not learning all we need to know. Then Madison showed and not long later, so did the Feds. They sometimes don’t cooperate great with the locals, but it came clear this was part of what they were investigating. Being honest with you, it shocked the shit out of me. There’s not even a rumor of it being part of Babic’s operations.”

“That phone gonna help at all?” Pete queried.

A slow smile spread on Scott’s face. “Technically, it’s stolen property. Officially, it was stolen by the victim after the commission of a violent felony, so it’s evidence in a rape case, and yeah, I figure we’ll find some interesting things in there.”

“He’s been fuckin’ with her head something bad,” Pete reminded Scott of what he’d shared after the man arrived. “She hasn’t replied, but he’s been repeatedly issuing threats against a whole slew of people she might give a shit about, including herself, for over a week. That a felony?”

“All I know is, when it gets to trial, it’s not gonna play well with a jury.”

Pete reckoned he was very right. If he was on a jury and he saw those texts, he’d vote to send the man so far down the river, he’d never find his way back.

They all looked down the hall to see Diana had her head and hand out of Madison’s door and she was beckoning to Hugger.

Hug prowled in that direction.

Pete and Scott watched as they had a low conversation. Hugger nodded. Diana disappeared behind the door. Hugger came back to them.

“Madison lost it again,” he told them both, but to Scott he said, “She wants to know if you’ll call her parents and let them know she’s okay.”

Being a cop and probably not getting to share good news too often, Scott was all over that.

“Fuck yeah, I will. Does Madison want to speak to them?”

“Di hasn’t gotten that far,” Hugger told him. “But she wants them to know right away.”

Scott nodded, hit a button on his phone and shifted from their huddle.

Pete heard him say to someone, “Yeah, need you to get me Lubbock PD. Texas. And the name of whoever is dealing with a missing woman named Madison O’Keefe.”

Big Petey got closer to Hugger.

“Those threats, brother…” He let that trail, because Hugger had also read them.

“I wanna be here in case Di comes out. Can you call Rush with the update?” Hugger asked.

“You got it.”

Hugger turned his gaze to the hall.

Pete went to the balcony.

He filled in Rush, who told them to stay the course. Dutch, Core and Linus had hit Phoenix, and Coe and Jag were heading down that day.

Rush also shared, as they suspected, Resurrection wanted to break off with Chaos to do their thing, leaving Chaos on security for Diana, Madison and Nolan Armitage.

“Kinda feel like letting them have at it,” Rush said. “We’re clean and clear, and they’re good at that shit.”

Pete didn’t disagree.

By the time he was off the phone with Rush, he’d started to head back inside when he saw Diana return, going right to Hugger. She fit herself into his side that time, but he made the way clear for it and didn’t hesitate to curve an arm around to hold her there.

This meant Big Petey moved back to the railing and returned his attention to his phone.

He engaged the cell.

Because it was time.

Long since time.

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