Page 69 of Skid
Me:Hold off until I survey the situation. Devlin says it’s under control, but I worry his need for revenge may be greater than what’s best for Grace.
Gunner:I can’t believe I’m about to say this but trust the madman. If I’m wrong, I’ll kick my own ass, but I think he has control of whatever he’s walking you into.
Me:I fucking hope so or I’ll kill him myself.
Gunner:Keep in touch.
“How can you be sure your friend is going to help us? No disrespect, but you two don’t have many friends, and I don’t know whatever bullshit you have going on to cause Grace pain,” I asked as we began our dissent into Atlanta.
“Because the only reason he’s alive and living the life he has is because of James,” Devlin explained, and his brother snapped his green eyes to him, glaring a hole in the side of his head.
Devlin shook off the silent threat, and I could feel the tension rolling off them both. Whoever was with Grace must be more to them than a friend, and I’m starting to think I may need to have Gunner send the boys. That way, when this shitshow goes sideways, I can get Grace safely away from whatever war these two idiots may start.
The plane landed, and we taxied to a private hanger along the far side of the runway. An SUV was waiting for us, and Devlin got behind the wheel as I climbed into the passenger’s seat and James set up in the back with his laptop open. I could hear him clicking away on the keyboard as Devlin followed the GPS instructions to Grace’s location.
The closer we got, the more my nerves grew. I feared she would shut down before she gave me a chance to explain, and I worried she might never forgive me. I would grovel, and I’ve never begged for anything, just to have another chance with her. To make things right and to have the life I promised her. She’s my old lady, and I want her by my side.
The silence in the car was pissing me off, and as we crept through traffic on the interstate, I turned to the back seat and looked at James. He lifted his eyes to me, and I turned my attention to Devlin in the driver’s seat. He glanced at me as he drove, and I cleared my throat.
“I vowed a life for a life to you all those years ago for saving Jacob, and I’d like to think we’re friends.” Devlin nodded, and I looked at James, whose eyes had softened to a degree. “I love Grace. If I can get her to listen to me and she can find a way to forgive me, I’m done with all this secret shit. I need to be able to give her the life she deserves, and I can’t do that if I’m always in the dark, looking for boogeymen and bad guys.” James raised his eyebrows with a smile, and I continued. “You two provided me with more than I could have ever asked for, and you ensured my family’s future. For that, I say thank you. But after today, I’m out. I want to make Grace my old lady, and I plan to spend every day of the rest of my life with her on the back of my bike, giving her wings to fly.”
“Well, damn. Dalton grew up,” James remarked, and Devlin cut his eyes to me as he switched lanes.
“I can’t think of a better way to spend your life than with a good woman’s love. I’d never ask you to stay in the dark, Dalton. Grace makes you happy, and I’d never stand in the way of that.” His remark choked me up a little, and I swallowed the emotion as we got off the interstate.
The area around us was wealthy from all indications, and the houses were bigger the further we drove. After a few minutes, large gates and tall fences became the normal as James closed his laptop before leaning between the two front seats.
“There’s no way Callahan Cyber would be half as good as it is today if it wasn’t for you. You’ve been the closest confidant Devlin and I’ve had over the years, and with the help of your brothers, you’ve protected our families like they were your own. There’s nothing more I want than to see you happy,” James explained as Devlin pulled the vehicle into a driveway and stopped at a guarded building. “And you’re part owner in the company, so it’s not like you need to work anyways.”
I cut my eyes to a laughing Devlin as James sat back with a satisfied smile on his face. What the fuck is he talking about? Shelving that question, I turned my attention to the driver’s open window as a guard with a sidearm walked up to the SUV.
“Are you gentlemen lost?” he asked, and Devlin’s lips lifted in a smirk.
“Tell Rhys, Devlin Callahan is calling in his favor.”
The guard walked to the small building and picked up a phone. He looked at us while he spoke into the receiver, and I wanted to jump out to make him open the gate. Grace was close, and the longer he took, the shorter my fuse became. I was about to yell through the window when the guard nodded and hung up the phone. He walked back and leaned into the window.
“Drive through and park in front of the main house. Someone will meet you.”
Turning, he pressed a button, and Devlin drove through the opening gate. Looking around, I saw the winding driveway was surrounded by thick groves of trees. A house grew larger the closer we got, and when I saw the mansion in front of me, I looked at Devlin.
“How do you know this Rhys fella?”
He put the car in park and turned off the ignition as he spoke. “A few years ago, I helped locate his sister. She was a part of that trafficking case we helped the government with. Her brother had been looking for her, and it was the software the three of us designed that helped locate her. He owes us a favor.”
A large man with black hair and dark brown eyes stepped out of the opening door, and when he crossed his arms over his chest, I asked, “Are you sure he knows he owes you a favor?”
James chuckled menacingly as he opened the door. “He does now.”
The three of us got out of the car as Rhys walked down the stairs and stopped in front of us. His eyes were cold and dead, and I wondered how the fuck Grace ended up here with him. Who was she to him?
“I was wondering how long it would take you to show up at my doorstep,” he said, and his eyes cut to me.
I stood tall with my arms crossed over my chest, ready and willing to fight this huge man if it meant I could get to Grace. He tilted his head to the side, and I saw a brief glimpse of Grace in the movement. Stepping up to me, Devlin and James watched from the side as he pressed closer to me. I clenched my fists and flared my nostrils as I exhaled, waiting to throw down.
“I’ve got one question for you, Dalton, and honesty is best with me.” He raised his eyebrows, and I mimicked him, waiting for his question. “Are you in any way connected to what Grace found on that drive last night?”
I closed my eyes briefly and prayed I didn’t strangle him. Opening my eyes, I stepped closer until our noses almost touched as I barked. “The only thing I’m guilty of is not telling her the whole truth when I met her, but to answer your question. No, I’m in no way connected to that vile shit, other than to try and find the nasty fuckers who hurt those two girls so I can kill them. Now where the fuck is Grace?”
