Page 7 of Vengeful Reign

“I know, but we don’t know who they are or what they’re capable of, Bro. We need to figure out how they knew where to look and how they knew we wouldn’t be home. This was strategic. They came for John, and John alone. As soon as they had him, they were gone as if nothing else mattered.”

He swallows hard, running his hand through his long black hair. “What’s your plan, Boss?”

“I already put in for our contacts to pull all the traffic cameras leading away from our property. Until that happens, we need to do everything we can to look for a lead.”

“Where the fuck do we begin?” Connor growls, rubbing his hand over his face.

“I want every call made to the gates and to Dad, and Joanne’s phone checked too. Someone knew they would be here. We need to comb over the area, and I need someone to back-hack into our system and see how they were able to cut the feed to the cameras in front.” Each runs on a different line intentionally to prevent a massive system failure and hacking, which means they knew how to get into it and knock out the right cameras.

“Damn, which means they are sophisticated enough to hit us hard. They have to be a big operation, or just crazy as fuck.”

“They’re dead either way. I want answers, our brother John back, and then a bunch of dead bodies littering our path on the way home.” We part ways, working on answers, getting the men to do their job.

The first thing I need Connor to do is contact a contractor to rebuild the gate and have it reinforced. An impenetrable steel frame will be a must so that an explosion won’t work. Fucking pricks got lucky that we were woefully unprepared for the level of brass balls on the bastards to play that dirty, but we’ve learned our lesson and that won’t happen again. This place isn’t just a compound of wealth and opulence. It was now going to become a fortress—Fort Motherfucking MacNamara—and I was now General Jack, holding this bitch down.

It is two in the morning when my eyes finally get the better of me and begin to grow heavy. My sleep doesn’t last long because my phone blares, waking me up at four with Johnny onthe line, informing me that the contractors are on their way here. Damn—I guess when you threaten a motherfucker, shit gets done fast. “I’ll be ready to meet with them in thirty minutes.”

I’m quickly showered, dressed, and shaved, running on almost no sleep, but now isn’t the time to slow down. My family is suffering, and everything we built is hanging in the balance. More importantly, my little brother is missing.

“Mr. MacNamara, I was informed that you need this project done yesterday, so my team can work on it, but it will still take two weeks. What your man said you’re asking for requires measurements, modifications, and intricate coding.” He looks nervous, as if what he said is going to get him shot where he stands, but as a businessman, I understand there are only so many things you can do with labor, and curing metal with other hardening agents to a stone wall takes time. It can’t just be done in a day. Not to mention all the wiring that goes into opening the sliding gates. The project won’t be small.

“I understand. Make it happen in that time, and you’ll be paid double.” What I want is insane on such short notice and should take months of planning, but that’s why I have the best come all the way out here for it.

“Yes, sir.” He nods vigorously with a smile. “We’ll get to work right now.” He turns and goes straight to his work truck where I can see a younger version of himself sitting in the passenger seat. A son—someone to follow in his footsteps. I’m thirty-six, and I haven’t considered that in my life.

“Boss, do you need some coffee or something?” Johnny asks. The growing concern in his voice would normally set me off because there isn’t room for weakness in my position, but this is John we’re talking about. Everyone knows that he is important to me.

“Thanks, Johnny. Let’s go inside and make a game plan before I head to the hospital to pick up my father.”

Connor comes into my office an hour after I sent Johnny on a mission. It’s only eight in the morning. “Damn, did you even sleep?”

“Two damn hours,” I grumble, tossing back the rest of my coffee in a large gulp because I have no time to waste and I need a serious pickup.

My phone goes off. “It’s the hospital.” I put the phone on speaker and hold it out so we can both hear the person on the other end.

“May I speak with Jack MacNamara, Jr.?” a woman asks with a tense formality that reeks of professionalism and annoyance.

“Jack MacNamara speaking.”

“Hello, I’m Nurse Flanagan. I’m calling about your father.”

“Is he dead?”

“No, no. He’s improving quite rapidly. Although I must inform you that he has become belligerent and wishes to be released now.”

“I apologize for his behavior and will try to get him under control.”

“We understand the circumstances, given his son’s disappearance. However, if he doesn’t behave, we will have to sedate him.” It would be hilarious if I wasn’t already wanting to shoot someone in the head.

“We understand. Please don’t do that. Inform him that I will be there shortly to pick him up,” I say. I fucking needanswers, and he’s the best person to give them right now. I want John back like yesterday.

“Thank you, sir.” He clicks the button, and we both run out of my office toward the front door.

****

When we enter my father’s room, the asshole has the nerve to cop an attitude like the ungrateful bastard he is. “Took you long enough to get here. We need to get out of this place and find him now. Where have you been?” my father asks me, his face all fucked up. He’s holding his side, and I’m glad about it. Giddy, in fact. He deserves the pain he gets for letting this happen to my brother. It’s his job to protect my brother at all costs, and he fucking failed.

“Where the fuck was I?” I question, snarling and leaning in as Connor presses a hand to my chest to hold me back. “Why didn’t you shoot the bastards before they got a hold of him? Why didn’t you toss John in one of the safe rooms before it was too late?”

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