Page 69 of Hartley

“Got it.” I could hear his shoes hitting steps then the noise of a door opening and the world seeping in. Barrett got into his car and started the engine. “Where?”

“County Line Road. I’m not sure where on it, but that was their last location.”

“They could be gone.”

“Doubtful. They stole Lane. He’s mine and I’m getting him back.”

“Let me know if you find them.”

“My guess is they aren’t hiding in a big-ass house. Without much money, they aren’t living in the lap of luxury.”

“I’ll come in from the west.”

“East.”

I hung up before he could say more. Staying on the line long wasn’t safe, even if Barrett never stabbed me in the back.

Reghan drove out of the city, entering the road from the east. We were in his Jeep Gladiator, not my Maserati. I wanted the element of surprise. Plenty of people outside of the city drove SUVs and trucks that didn’t look like the ones I typically had with me. Noel wouldn’t expect us in this, or Sheldon on his motorcycle or Oleander in a ridiculously fast Subaru. We were spread out, not clumped together.

We worked from one end of the road to the other, passing Barrett along the way. Raiden sat in the back seat of Reghan’s truck, looking for things we might have missed. It was on the way back that he pointed out a run-down farmhouse that obviously wasn’t being lived in, yet there were fresh tracks in the dirt driveway.

Reghan turned us around as I called the others and told them where we were heading. Without knowing how much firepower the Everharts had on them, I didn’t want to go in hot, so we parked down the road along a lane that led to the farm from the other end. It was a decent-sized property that was still being farmed. The soil was recently tilled, signalingthey were getting ready to plant their crop soon. It provided the perfect cover for us.

No words were needed as we made sure our guns were loaded and started on foot toward the home. The closer we got the louder the yelling was inside the house and a horrible coughing. I hoped whatever Edison had didn’t infect any of us. He could keep that shit to himself. Fuck it. I’ll just put a bullet in him before he can so much as breathe in our direction.

I spotted Sheldon coming in from the back, walking low in the tall grass. Why my mind went to the ticks he could be picking up was anyone’s guess. I was going to blame Albert for that. Albert and his talks about nature and all that shit. We received a lesson on tick-borne diseases one day. Afterward, I made sure Tahoe never missed a dose of his preventative. Fucking parasites.

“What do you want from me?” I heard Lane yell. “I’ve never done a damn thing to get in your way, yet you pull me off the street like I’ve spent the last who the fuck knows how long plotting against you.”

“Haven’t you?” Noel accused. It sure as hell wasn’t his father. This voice was clear.

“You think I wanted to be with them? I was kidnapped, asshole. They grabbed me when I was going through my dad’s house.” We were close enough now where their voices didn’t need to be as loud, thanks to the broken windows and the way they echoed through the home. He was smart not to admit he would rather be with us, that he gave himself over. He was buying time until we got to him. I didn’t doubt he was lying. After what I’d witnessed, Lane wanted nothing to do with them.

“Your dad?” a man rasped then started coughing again. “I’m your fucking father.”

“No, you’re the man who pretended to be. But I know the truth. You think I didn’t find the paper in his home of the amount of money Weathers owed you? What else could it have been from? I’d never met the man.”

“You were always too smart for your own fucking good,” Edison said. He gasped for breath before coughing once more.

“So, you admit it? He was my father, not you?”

The sound of a slap reverberated around the space and out the windows. My men and Barrett were waiting for my signal. I was running this shit. And I wasn’t going in until I heard all they had to say. It was easier this way. Then I could off Edison the moment I was in the door.

“You’re no son of mine. The only reason you lived was because of her, and the money you have.” His last word was barely more than a panted breath.

“Smart,” Noel growled. “He might think you are, but what a fucking fool you’ve been for not figuring it out sooner. You think Dad wanted more children? You came along after a one-night mistake, and he kept you from that lowlife. But the money, that was owed and more. He needed to pay for the food you ate and the clothes you wore. I had someone go to his house to kill him, but he was already on his last leg, barely able to move. Instead, I had them deliver a message. That he would die alone, never meeting his son. And he did. But the real icing on the entire situation is that his grandson is dating Jordan Altair. All the pieces came together. Except we were supposed to grab one of his lovers, but all we could get to was you. They’ll come and when they do, I’ll kill them and you.”

That was all I needed to hear before walking to the front door and kicking it off its rusted hinges. I said nothing beforepointing and firing at Edison. Barrett was at my back, his arm past me with his gun aiming and landing true on Noel’s wrist, so Noel’s gun fell to the floor. Reghan was on my other side, his gun there. I had backup and then some. Sheldon entered through the rear of the house with Oleander.

“I got one outside,” Sheldon said.

“Same,” Oleander added. That explained while we didn’t see any guards when we walked up. I also trusted my men to handle them if they were there.

Noel howled in pain as he dropped to his knees and tried to lunge for the gun with his good hand, but Lane was there, on his feet that they stupidly didn’t bind. They couldn’t even be good criminals. Shameful. One swift kick and Lane’s foot connected with his brother’s head, knocking him backward.

Lane stood over him and spit. “Fuck you.” Then he went to the man he thought was his father before he met us, and spit on him as well. “Untie me.”

Sheldon came up behind him and used his knife to cut through the plastic zip ties. Lane grabbed the gun off the floor. I couldn’t lie and say my shoulders didn’t tense or that Raiden didn’t rush around me to cover me while Reghan shoved Barrett behind him. I’d let that slide just this once.

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