Page 121 of Wicked Devotion
The screams aren’t what gives me so much hope that I find the strength to move and sneak up on Randy, though. It’s Sam’s voice. Loud and clear, and so full of hatred he barely sounds human.
“Get the fuck away from my wife,” he bellows, and Randy seems to be in such a shock it takes him a while to pull me away from the door, but not before I can bang against the blacked-out glass pane.
“Help,” I scream, trying to push his hand away from my mouth. “Sam, I’m right here. Help me, please!”
44
LOGAN
Night falls over the barren land as we park our cars half a mile away from our actual destination. Minutes feel like hours while we wait for Cady to give us the signal that Randy has arrived at the run-down factory that functions as their current hideout, and as much as I would love to tear him to shreds before he even steps a foot inside, we can’t risk it. I could never forgive myself if a rash action would activate some kind of dead man’s switch, killing our girls while we are so fucking close to getting them back.
I try to focus on the rhythm of Max’s breathing next to me, wondering if Sanders is up to date by now. We didn’t bother to inform him, and when Rockwell wanted to talk to Cantrell, his call went straight to voicemail. Not that their opinions would have mattered either way.
This isn’t a job. It’s personal, an answer to the 203 declaring war by touching our girls. A war that will end with a clear winner.
Letting out a deep breath, Max turns to look at me. “C’mon,” he says, and I nod as he reaches for the handle.
“Think they’ll fire our asses?” I ask when Max and I join Rockwell and the others.
“I don’t give a shit,” Max says, patting Charlie’s shoulder before he leans against the SUV the other three came here in.
Rockwell just shakes his head, busy checking his guns and tucking a knife into the holster around his thigh before he speaks up.
“They won’t. What would we have to do with a conflict between gangs? As far as I am concerned, we were never here.”
“So, no arrests?” Charlie tries hard to hide the uneasiness in his voice, but it doesn’t take a mastermind to figure out he is more than uncomfortable with the whole situation.
I told him to stay with Cady. Five times. Additionally to the others, who also tried to talk some sense into the boy. Charlie didn’t want to listen. Part of me is proud, because him coming with us shows how much we all mean to him, that he is willing to risk his life for this little family of ours, but there’s this disgusting feeling, deep inside my stomach, and I just can’t seem to shake it.
“No arrests,” Sam says, handing out black balaclavas to all of us. “We kill on sight.”
“And we are going to do it fucking quietly,” I add. “We need to get as many of them before they even realize we’re in their rat’s nest.”
With shaky hands, Charlie spreads the floor plan of the abandoned factory out in the trunk. Our entry points are already highlighted, along with areas Cady deemed especially crowded and thus dangerous.
Once this is over, we need to get her a thank you basket so big she won’t be able to carry it on her own,because that girl is not only a genius but also unethical enough to get a job done fast and efficiently. She kept trying to track the gray sedan, created a map I didn’t even try to understand, and after two days without sleeping, she had the options narroweddown to three abandoned buildings in equally deserted areas. And then, in the early hours of the morning, she woke all of us up with a squeal. When I asked her how she found them, she only mumbled something about a recon satellite, in the exact same tone I use when I don’t want people to press the issue.
Deep in his own thoughts, Max stares down at the balaclava in his hands until I take it from him.
“Let me do it, sunshine,” I murmur, pulling the fabric over his head. Green eyes meet mine, full of so much fear it feels like a single shared look is enough to have my heart in a chokehold. It’s a fear I know Max would never express.
Max is strong. Stoic, target-oriented, no matter the situation, so when I see tears welling up in the eyes of the person who has always been my fucking rock, I’m more scared than I had even been in my life.
“Everything is going to be okay.” I say the words like a magic spell that’s going to become true if I just repeat it for long enough. “We’ll bring her back. We’ll make them suffer for what they did to her.”
I pull Max closer, his forehead resting against mine. Behind his chest, his heart thumps so hard as if it wants to jump out and fuse with mine. I wish it was possible, just so I could keep it safe.
“What if she’s–”
“No, Max. Don’t even think about it.”
Next to us, Sam clears his throat, and I reluctantly let go of Max, taking his hand in mine.
“We should go through the entry strategy one last time,” Sam says, tapping against the plastic lining of the trunk.
He steps aside, and after Rockwell gives Charlie a reassuring nod, the poor boy gets himself together just enough to sum up our plan.
“Logan and Max, you’ll go in through the emergency exit.Captain Rockwell, Sam, and I will enter through the former loading area before we split up.”
