Page 66 of Unhinged Cravings
Standing quickly, I stared at him. “You didn’t hire a guy with a shaved head and a snake tattoo on his cheek? Been here at least a week?”
“No,” he said, the word drawn out as realization struck us both.
“What about the suave looking one? Looks like he could model. Green eyes, blonde hair, has a hole in his hand where I put a knife through it the other day.”
“No.”
“Fuck.” I ran through the office, past him, pulling my gun out. “Check the house and the grounds. I need to check on Ava.” My heart hammered so hard it was like a throbbing pain. Instinct screamed that she wouldn’t be there as I took the stairs two at a time.
The bed was empty, the room silent. I crashed through the bathroom, finding it just as empty. Running down the stairs, I looked in all the rooms, scanning the beach for her. Every empty space caused the pain in my chest to swell. Pack came in the frontdoor as I ran into the foyer, dragging another of my men with him.
“Tell him,” he demanded, shoving him toward me.
“I thought it was you, boss.”
My gun was at his head before he could blink. “Choose your next words wisely.”
His throat bobbed, but he kept his fear in check. It was a requirement of my men. Fear was your death sentence. “Your car left. One of our men was driving. It looked like you were in the back on your phone. The windows are dark, so I just assumed.”
My fist hit his jaw, splitting his lip. “You don’t assume,” I growled. “When did they leave?”
Hesitation told me I wouldn’t like his answer. “A few minutes after your guest.”
“That’s a good twenty minutes,” Pack said.
I roared, slamming the butt of my gun into the man’s head where he collapsed, blood pooling where the force had split his skin.
“Don’t kill him, Cade. We need every body we have if we’re going to find her.”
“I want the roads checked, the airport. Check everywhere.”
“We won’t find them, and you know it.”
I bunched the collar of his shirt in my fists. “I will, and if they hurt her, they’ll find out why I’m considered the most unhinged boss in all the provinces.”
“That’s the man I know. Call your brother, Cade. Get it over with. We need him and his men if we’re going to win this war and get her back.”
Letting him go, I stepped back, my heel hitting the unconscious man.
“I’m going after her.”
“Think about it, Cade. That’s exactly what they want. This is a trap. Henley wanted us to spot him. He’s making the plays and if you run after him, you’re playing right into his hands.” Histhought mirrored my own, that Henley had purposely exposed himself. “They taunted you all this time. Now they’re playing with you, making sure you know they were close enough to kill you. This is their end game and taking Ava ensures you’ll lose your shit and run to your death and if you don’t, your brother kills you for losing Ava. A war between the two strongest families.”
“A war.” I remembered Ava lingering on that word like she was thinking the word meant more. “Greyson has Brinks and Raines on his side. By default, they have Donelli and Strint. All of whom think I’ve been targeting them. They kill Ava and guarantee everyone turns on me.” I calmed my urge to run after her, forcing myself to be strategic. Henley thought by taking my most important belonging, that I would do exactly what I had intended—go after her without thinking it through. He knew I ran into danger. That I wasn’t a patient man. “A war with me as the target. Every family they’ve been taunting and…shit, deliberately fucking up, so it looks like I’m growing weak. All of them coming to my door to kill me.”
I was fucked, as was Ava.
“It’s more likely they’ll sell her,” he said, his tone heavy. “And make it seem like you sold her off.”
The thought gutted me. “Even more reason for everyone to come after me.”
“But there’s one thing they don’t know.”
I met his eyes. “That Greyson Tides is my little brother.” Only my closest, most loyal men knew that truth.
“Call him, tell him the truth. There’s no more game to get him here and talk to him. No more stringing Ava in front of him to control him and force him to cooperate. It’s time to tell him everything.”
“Get out of here and take this guy with you. I want every man we can spare searching the roads for them.” But I knew where they’d taken her. To the warehouse Rudy had shown me. Sendingmy men out gave the appearance of desperation and would make Henley believe I was falling into his trap. Rushing to my death.
