Page 124 of Hidden Memories

“We’re on his tail.”

Gabriel is resigned, he knows this tone of mine. The one that is a warning to not even think about changing my mind.

“Fine. Stay on him, but don’t do anything stupid,hermano… Just stay on him in case our tracker fails. And remember, if that’s D, he isn’t working alone…”

Could it fucking be? Is Damon the D from the burner phone? Is M working on our ranch, too?

I order my brother to make sure everyone else at Monarch Hills is on high alert. “Call security at the ranch. I have Kat, but you never know what these people will do.”

“Got it.” He hangs up.

Kat ends the call and tosses the phone onto the dashboard. I grip the wheel tightly as I push the truck harder, the tires kicking up dirt and gravel. The distance between us and Damon’s pickup is shrinking, but not fast enough.

Kat sits stiffly beside me, her breathing shallow, her face pale. Fear radiates off her. She has a death grip on the seat belt. Seeing her like this—scared, powerless—fuels my rage.

Damon is going to pay for this.

The truck barrels down the dirt road, the dust cloud growing thicker as we close in. My phone buzzes, and I glance at the screen. Gabriel’s name flashes across it.

Kat answers.

“Damon’s heading toward the old quarry.”

“The quarry?” I bite. “What the hell is he going to do there?”

“It’s remote,” Gabriel replies. “No cameras, no witnesses. It’s perfect for someone trying to disappear.”

Or worse. The unspoken implication sits heavy in the air, choking me.

I don’t have anything on me to threaten Damon. I don’t keep a gun in my truck. “Gabriel. Get there fucking fast.”

The line goes dead. My jaw is clenched so tightly I’m grinding my molars to powder.

I don’t care what it takes. Who I have to go through. I will get him back.

Damon made one mistake.

He won’t make another.

The narrow road twists sharply as I push the truck harder, every second feeling like an eternity. My knuckles ache from gripping the steering wheel, but soon, the quarry looms ahead, its jagged edges ominous in the harsh sunlight. Dust hangs heavy in the air, each breath tasting of grit and desperation. The dust cloud ahead is thinning; we’re gaining on Damon.

Kat’s breathing is erratic next to me like she’s close to passing out.

“We’re close,” I mutter, both for myself and for her.

The road widens as we crest a small hill, and I finally get a clear view of the green pickup. Damon’s truck veers sharply onto an overgrown trail that leads toward the quarry, its tires skidding in the loose gravel.

“There!” Kat shouts, her voice sharp with panic. “Santi, that’s him!”

“I see it,” I growl, my eyes locked on the truck.

I swerve onto the trail. The terrain is rough, the truck jolts over uneven ground, but I don’t let up. Adrenaline surges through me, sharpening every thought, every movement.

As we approach the quarry, the trees thin out, giving way to a rocky expanse. Damon’s truck screeches to a halt near the edge of the pit. My heart lurches when he yanks Theo from the cab, one hand wrapped tightly around his small bicep.

Theo struggles, his legs kicking at Damon wildly. “Let me go!” he screams, bravely.

But he’s terrified.

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