Page 18 of Witness Protection

“Vlad, she’s already gone.”

“Oh, shit. I’m sorry. He knew things, Hawk. Knew where she was. The guy’s good.”

He hung up. There was no sense talking with him. Vlad had failed him, led him away from his ward to save his own ass. The only person he could trust was himself.

He rushed down to the lobby, grabbing the man behind the counter by the collar, nearly pulling him over the granite barrier. The gasps around him brought back some of his sensibilities, and he released him. “I need to see security footage of the lobby. Do you have cameras in the elevators? Hallways?”

“Sir, if you’re not with the police department, I can’t help you.”

Hawk clenched his teeth, his jaw twitching. There were too many people staring. He’d have to break into the security room himself or call in a few favors. He had to find Sophia before it was too late.

He winked at the man. “Sorry about the shirt, eh?”

It was night now, and darkness was his friend. But he needed a lead. She could be anywhere. When he started to think of the things that bastard could be doing to his sweet Sophia, he nearly retched, pushing the images away before they drove him crazy. When he got to the front of the hotel, he ordered his car from the valet and waited, his mind in a million directions.

His cell went off.

“Sophia?”

“It’s Vlad. I’m on a public line. I got the license plate, not that it’ll help. There was a pizza box on the backseat. Bruno’s Pizzeria.”

“Get another cell then text me the number.” He hung up. Hawk was too pissed off with Vlad to talk now. The license plate wasn’t going to get him anyway. A professional would have a dozen fake plates on hand.

The pizza—that was a different story.

If he could track that bastard, he’d make him pay for touching Sophia. Bring a shitstorm of pain to his front door.

He sat in his car once the valet brought it to him, searching up Bruno’s Pizzeria on his phone. The location wasn’t what he expected. It was in a rundown part of the city known for its high crime and drug infestation. It was under the Morenov umbrella. They had a lot of informants in that area because junkies were always ready to spill for quick money.

Hawk drove out to the seedy part of the city. It would be a cesspool at his time of night, all the criminals coming out to play. He only had one thing on his mind.

Bruno’s Pizzeria was a beacon in the darkness, several patrons inside. The first “R” was burnt out on the sign, but the place looked better than most businesses on the street. He sat in his car, watching the people inside through the large glass windows.

After nearly half an hour of observation, he exited his vehicle and went inside the pizzeria. The scent made his stomach rumble, and sounds were everywhere—orders and shouting from the kitchen, several conversations from customers, and the game on the television. No one took notice of him, which was always good in his job.

A teen boy behind the counter met eyes with him. “I’m looking for my friend. He was in here recently. Poor bastard got a bad cut to his cheek. Have you seen him around?”

“You mean Cayden?”

“Yeah, Cayden. We were supposed to meet up.”

“Sorry, haven’t seen him in a few days.”

He nodded, keeping casual. “You wouldn’t know where he lives, would you?”

The kid shrugged. “No clue. Maybe he’ll be in soon. You can have a seat, if you like.”

“Thanks.”

Shit. At least he had a name—Cayden. Hawk rolled the word over his tongue, memorizing every syllable. It belonged to the man he planned to gut like a fish.

He noticed a woman looking at him from the corner table. Hawk approached her, pulling out a chair. She was easy to read, a local whore, no doubt.

“You know Cayden?” she asked.

“Old friend of mine. He never told me he had a hot girl like you hidden away.” The woman blushed. Judging by the track marks on her arms, she was a hardcore user. He pulled out his wallet from his back pocket and slapped a fifty on the table. “Do me a favor and let me know where he lives. He probably forgot we were supposed to meet up.”

She eyed the cash.

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