“That’s not true.”
“It is. I’ve been through some shit. I’ll admit it. But you…you have every right to be falling apart, and yet you’re the only thing keeping me together. You’re the calm. I’m the chaos.”
I forced a laugh as I watched red lights illuminate the space. Jase turned on the car and began backing up.
“It’s always been that way, Tiff. That’s why we’re best friends. We’re here for each other. We hold each other up. Who was there for me every day I was in the hospital? Who helped dress me and take care of me? Who drove all that way to see me once I was released? You made sure I was eating. You brought me dinner after work. Chaos, yes, but a beautiful one I couldn’t live without.”
Tiffany smiled, making her own cup. She walked over with our coffee just as the SUV headed down the long stretch. We watched together, silent and terrified as it headed up and disappeared from sight. For a long moment we didn’t speak. All we could do was stare. Neither of us had the skills to tap into traffic cams or cell phones. We were in the dark, and we were going to have to find a way to deal with it.
“You don’t think…I mean, do you think this could be a trap?”
“A trap?”
Tiffany shrugged, heading to the couch to sit down. She stayed on her side, glancing between me and the monitors as she continued.
“I mean, we all know how pissed this V guy was about the sites. I didn’t hear the actual conversation, but Rush and Rian talked about it a lot. V threatened us all. If you get to one, don’t you use that to your advantage? What if Rian is the trap? What if it’s meant to take them all out?”
My hand pressed against my stomach as I straightened.
“The guys are smart. Jase said they were prepared. We have to believe that.”
“This is a mob or gang or something, Kody. The man makes a living from killing people. Maybe not directly, but he oversaw the person who was going to kill you. And David wasn’t the only one. Look at all these arrests the guys are responsible for. They’ve been working with the FBI for almost a month. In that time, there’s been tons. Think about it. If the man is from Russia like his name suggests, who’s to say this isn’t global? The network he runs, it’s…untouchable. Impossible. Look at what they did to Rian. What if—”
“Stop it.” I took a drink of my coffee. “I’ve already considered the worst. It does nothing for us right now. Let’s focus on what we can control.This.” My hand waved to the monitors. “There’s not a hallway or available space we can’t explore. I say instead of worrying about the men, we start worrying about ourselves. If you are right, and this is a trap, they’re not going to stop with Jase and the twins. They’re going to come after the one person who started it all. For all we know, we’re the main targets. I don’t know about you, but I’m sick of being a prisoner within these walls. I think it’s time we start our own search.
Chapter 37
Jase
“Still there?”
Rush clicked buttons, sighing as he shifted in his seat. “Yeah. His supposed location hasn’t moved. Neither has the device. Either he took off the tracker or he’s still in that car.
I squeezed the steering wheel, pushing the SUV faster. Traffic was already picking up, and weaving in-between cars wasn’t easy with the speed I was going.
“I knew he shouldn’t have opted for the stupid bracelet. He hated that thing. He was messing with it all night while we were trying to work. I bet you anything he took it off.”
“That’s not like my brother. Especially if he knew he might be taken. He wouldn’t intentionally leave it behind.”
“Were you listening? The accident—”
“He wouldn’t leave it behind, Jase. I know my fucking brother.”
“You’re not hearing what I’m saying,” I snapped. If he took it off and wrecked the car, he might not have been able to find the damn thing in time. I’m not saying it was his fault. I’m saying it might have been impossible for him to locate the damn thing after the crash.”
“Idiot. A stupid bracelet. Dumbest decision ever.” Rush squeezed against his thigh as he continued to stare down at the screen. “I saw him take it off the other night. He’s never been one for jewelry. His watch, yes, but—” His head shot up. “His watch. Fucking shit. He’s got one of those…those smart watch things. He’s been trying to get me to wear one for years. It has a built in GPS. Jase,I need to find that.”
“Do you know the brand?”
“No.”
“We’re going to need his phone. It’ll have an app. From there we can locate him.”
Rush got silent as he turned to stare out of the window.
“What is it? You’re thinking something.”
“You don’t think. I mean, my brother he’s not—”