Page 29 of Tempest

God, please. Someone. Anyone.

* * *

Tempest

My head snapped up, every muscle tensing. A scream, distant but unmistakable, shattered the night’s quiet.

“Fuck,” I growled, already in motion. I stopped by Kasen’s room and saw it was empty. Rushing through the house, I scanned every room but couldn’t find her anywhere. My feet pounded against the wooden stairs as I tore down to the beach, adrenaline surging through my veins like liquid fire.

Sand flew beneath me as I sprinted toward the sound out on the water, my heart thundering in my ears. Who the hell was out there? And why did I have a sinking feeling I knew exactly who it was? With Kasen not anywhere to be found inside the house, worry ate at me. Had it been her I’d heard scream?

“Kasen!” I roared, my voice raw with fear and fury. “Where are you?”

A boat’s engine roared to life, a harsh intrusion on the peaceful night. I skidded to a halt at the water’s edge, my chest heaving. Too late. Always too fucking late. I saw a small form held by two men, fighting to break free. And I knew…

“No!” I bellowed, my voice cracking. “Kasen!”

But she was already disappearing into the darkness, a small figure struggling against larger shapes on the rapidly retreating boat. The moonlight glinted off the wake, mocking me with its beauty. Helplessness crashed over me, quickly replaced by a tsunami of rage. I wanted to tear something apart, to make someone bleed.

Instead, I fumbled for my phone, cursing as my trembling fingers struggled with the lock screen. Wire. He’d know what to do. He always did. I didn’t give it a shit if it meant Tank would find out I’d brought his daughter here, didn’t care if he wanted to beat the hell out of me. I’d let him. I fucking deserved it.

The call connected after an eternity of rings.

“Wire,” I barked, my words tumbling out in a frantic rush the moment I heard him pick up. “They took her. Kasen. Fucking traffickers, I think. Speed boat, headed southeast from the Gulf Coast of Florida. Track her phone, now!”

I hoped like hell she’d had it on her, but I feared she’d left it behind. I hadn’t thought to check, and I didn’t want to leave the beach just yet. Not until I could no longer see any sign of the boat.

“Whoa, slow down,” Wire’s voice said through the speaker. “Who took --”

“There’s no time!” I roared, pacing like a caged animal. “Every second counts. You hear me? If we lose her, I’ll --” I choked on the words, the reality of the situation hitting me like a sledgehammer.

“I’m on it,” Wire said, his tone sharpening. “Give me two minutes.”

I stared out at the inky blackness of the ocean, my heart pounding in my chest. “Hang on, Kasen,” I whispered. “I’m coming for you. I swear to God, I’m coming.”

I could hear Wire’s fingers flying over his keyboard, the rapid-fire clicking a counterpoint to my ragged breathing. “Got a ping,” he said, his voice tight with concentration. “They’re moving fast, but I’ve got a trajectory. Heading southeast, toward the Keys.”

I pictured the route. “How far out?”

“About ten miles and gaining. But Tempest…” Wire paused, and I could almost see him frowning at his screens. “There’s a lot of islands out there. Lots of places to hide. And there’s a chance they aren’t aiming for the Keys at all. Could be going to Cuba.”

My fist slammed into a nearby palm tree, bark splintering under the impact. “Then we search every fucking one!”

“Easy, brother,” Wire cautioned. “I’m triangulating cell towers, trying to narrow it down. Thankfully they’re close enough to land I’m able to get a signal from her phone. If they were farther out… Give me a few more minutes.”

I paced the beach, each step leaving a deep furrow in the sand. My mind raced, conjuring images of Kasen -- terrified, hurt. The thought of those bastards laying a hand on her made my vision go red.

“I should’ve been watching her,” I growled, more to myself than Wire. “I didn’t even fucking hear her leave the damn house!”

“You can’t blame yourself,” Wire said, his typing never slowing. “Focus on getting her back.”

I took a deep breath, trying to channel the rage into something useful. “What’s our play? We can’t go in half-cocked. And when Tank finds out I lost his daughter…”

“Working on it,” Wire replied. “I’ve got a few ideas, but we’ll need backup. Let me make some calls. And yeah, you’re probably fucked when it comes to Tank. He’s going to lose his shit.”

I nodded, even though he couldn’t see me. “Do it. Whatever it takes. I’m not losing her, Wire. Not Kasen.”

The fierce protectiveness in my voice surprised even me. When had the girl who’d always looked at me with those big, adoring eyes become so important? I already knew the answer. She always had been. I’d just been too blind to see it until recently, or at least, that’s when I’d allowed myself to admit it.

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