Page 74 of Deserving Maddie

Adams disconnected the call as Ray stopped himself from picking up the phone and throwing it across the room.

"I'll let my team know to keep an eye out for someone trying to make contact with Wraith." Agent Franklin stepped out of the room to make the call.

Gabe looked at Ray with wide eyes. "Who was that guy and why does he hate you so much?"

"He's my wife's father," Panther answered for him. "He's mad that Ray helped me find her when she was supposed to marry a bad man and then exposed him for all the bad things he was doing."

"So, basically, he's pissed you did the right thing."

It wasn't a question. Gabe was stating a fact, and if his mother was in the room, she would've corrected him for his language. But that seemed trivial considering the current situation.

"Yeah, that sums it up." Wes nodded.

"Then he deserves what happened to him."

For a teenager, Gabe was pretty smart. Ray wasn't sure if that was because of who his father had been, or the excellent job his mother was doing raising him. Either way, he was glad he didn't have to sugarcoat things.

"I got a location," Arlo announced.

"Good. Let's go get Maddie back."

Maddie listened to her kidnapper gloat to Ray. She had nearly cried with relief when she heard Ray's voice over the line. She knew without a doubt that he would do everything he could to come find her. She just needed to hold on a little longer.

"The ball is in your boyfriend's court. We'll see if he can follow the directions I give him because your life is now in his hands. Can you trust him?"

Yes, she could. It was her kidnapper who underestimated Ray's love and the lengths he and his team would go to for those they cared about. Hell was about to rain down and she wasn't at all sorry this man was about to be in the middle of it.

Chapter 34

Raystrappedonavest, and no one bothered to argue with him. His teammates knew that he was just as qualified for the field because they made sure of it. They insisted he trained weekly and now more than ever he was grateful for it.

"Ray, you stay with me," Apollo ordered. "You're my shadow until further notice."

He could only nod through the lump in his throat.

They had informed Shantae before leaving the building of their current situation. Panther's wife had apologized profusely for putting Maddie in danger, even though they all knew it wasn't her fault. Her father had disowned her after the Zion incident and everyone assumed he would never have contact with her again. There was no way for any of them to know he would come back looking for revenge.

I should've known. I made it my personal mission to see that he lost his Senate seat after what he planned to do to Shantae.

Ray couldn't stop beating himself up. If he had only just let it go, accepted that Adams was out of Shantae's life for good, then none of this would be happening.

"Get out of your head, or stay back." Falcon snapped him back to the present. "Those are your only two choices right now."

"I'm out of it." He shook out his arms and rolled his neck. "That was the last thought. Promise."

"It better be. I don't send in my team members if I don't think they can keep their shit together."

"My shit is completely together."

Falcon assessed him. Ray needed to be able to go into that abandoned warehouse where Maddie was being held captive and see with his own eyes that she was okay. Zack was sitting in a sniper's perch across the street and had reported as much, but he needed the confirmation.

"Okay. We move in five. Zack can't see any weapons but we treat it as if he does. There's no backup as far as we know but, again, we treat it as such."

"Got it."

It was strange being on this side of the action. He was used to being the one relaying information through their comms but today that was Arlo and Hollywood. His teammate had offered to switch with him knowing how important it was for Maddie to see him first.

"Agent Franklin checked in. Wraith and his crew are still holed up at the clubhouse. No sign of them leaving anytime soon." Arlo's voice came over the mic in his ear.

---