Page 9 of Back In the Shadows

A dark chuckle slipped from me while I toyed with ideas of how I might torture my next victim.

My cell vibrated again, and I looked at the screen, weeding through Dope’s message with coded keywords. A burner phone only protected you so much, but with Dope’s hacking skills, we stood a better chance of not getting caught. Even then, he wasn’t the best out there and we weren’t ever one hundred percent safe. If I was ever arrested, charges would never stick without evidence, and my men made damn sure there wasn’t anything traceable.

Dope:

I’ve let Kip know you’re on a bender. Let me know when to send him your way.

Kip had been goingoff radar occasionally, and I had my concerns about his activity, but as long as he didn’t land himself in hot water with the police, I wouldn’t jump to conclusions … for now. For my peace of mind, I wanted backup, though. Over the years, my good cop friend, Ryan, had helped clean up after my kills and also pointed the detectives in the wrong direction, throwing them off my path.

Me:

Will you be available in a week on the east coast?

Ryan:

As long as you fly me out, I’ll be there. Give me a heads up though.

Me:

Always. See you soon.

I tuckedthe phone into my jacket pocket and pressed my lips into a thin line. Ryan had been one of my closest people since college when he tracked me to one of my early kills. I was young and dumb, and when he confronted me about my activity, I took him hostage. It didn’t last long. He was on board with helping me anyway he could since he believed in the cause. Ryan majoring in criminal justice and landing his first job as a cop was icing on the fucking cake. He watched my back and was a key player in my investigation. I just wondered how long he could keep it up without being exposed.

Once the sun painted her canvas with blue, purple, and wisps of gold, I slipped from the tree line and jogged up the dirt road to my car. I climbed inside and started the engine, my phone vibrating again. I retrieved it, glowering at the screen before I answered.

“What?” I snapped at Dope. He knew better than to call when I was out. The sound of the phone could give me away at any moment, jeopardizing my safety. At one time, I used to turn it off, but if Ella ever needed me …

“Man, you know I wouldn’t call if it weren’t an emergency,” Dope said, his voice frantic.

My shoulders pinched as I spoke. “What is it?”

“I was just scrolling through the video footage at Ella’s house like you’ve asked me to, and normally it’s boring shit I see.”

“Get to the point, Dope,” I snapped, losing my patience.

“Death, man, she’s gone.”

I gripped the steering wheel until my knuckles turned white, and I was sure that I would rip it out of the column.

“What the fuck do you mean by gone?” I placed the phone on my lap and tapped the speaker option. “I’m on my way to her place, so you better talk fast.”

I hit the accelerator, rocks and dirt spitting from my tires as I tore ass down the road.

“A Nissan Sentra pulled up and some guy in a suit was talking to her. There was another man too. He came up behind her and stabbed her in the neck with a needle. She dropped to her knees on the porch. A few men went into the house, but Ella was carried to the car and tossed in the trunk.”

A roar tore from my throat as I tried to process what Dope was telling me.

“I backed up and looked at more of the footage, and the only good news I have is that the kids went with Lulu several hours ago. I think they’re safe, but we need to make sure.”

The car bounced along the dirt road as I sped toward her home, panic ripping through me as I realized that my worst fear had manifested. I’d pissed someone off, and it had put Ella and my family in danger.

“We have to act fast. Call the men and get to the airport. You know what to do. I’ll reach out soon, but first I need to look for her. Maybe they didn’t take her. Maybe they photoshopped the video or some shit.” As soon as the words left my mouth, I winced. Why would anyone threaten me and not act? If someone pulled that crap, they would die the moment I found them.

As my mind raced with thoughts of worst-case scenarios, a tiny glimmer of optimism kept me going. Maybe they altered the footage or something. It wasn’t likely, but I had to hold on to any shred of hope.

Silence crept over the line. I knew I was reaching, but she couldn’t be gone. She fucking couldn’t be.

Seconds later, I saw it. The house, with its door wide open, taunting me with its emptiness. A surge of fury rushed throughmy body, igniting every muscle with blazing determination. My nostrils flared in contempt, and I gritted my teeth with a fierce resolve to prove Dope wrong.

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