And with that, he turned the blade and carved it down my cheek, eliciting a sharp gasp of pain from me that I was unable to suppress. I felt blood trickle down my face and neck as I forced myself to hold his gaze, knowing there was nothing I could do, nothing I could say to change his mind. The only power I held was my dignity, and I was going to grab hold with both hands.
He grabbed my hair, yanking my head back so I was forced to look up into his glaring gaze. “Now you get to think about what I’m going to do when I come back,” he taunted. “You get to sit with that pain and worry all night. Sweet dreams,” he crooned before releasing me and striding from the room.
It was only when he was gone that I let a quiet sob escape. Despite wanting to cling to hope, the reality began to sink in that the life I’d thought I’d have the privilege to lead with the man I loved may never be.
Chapter 22
RUSTON
“We have no fucking time!” I roared, throwing the nearest object, a coffee mug, across the room, sending it crashing into the wall.
I couldn’t lose her. I wouldn’t.
From the moment Lincoln had called five hours before to share Grace was gone, the entire club had been doing everything in our power to find her. Now, with the live feed having been sent by an untraceable address an hour earlier, showing my girl slumped over, I’d been holding on to my sanity by a thread.
Then he’d touched her. He’d cut her. He’dkissedher.
My woman was hurting and in danger.
Pike would pay with his life.
The Knights had joined the search the minute I’d called, forcing myself to take the spare moment to brief them. I’d asked them to remain in Hawthorne—a nearly impossible task for Cole, but I’d reasoned we didn’t know where Grace was. She could be closer to Nevada, and all I cared about was getting to my woman as soon as possible.
Tank had tracked the barista to her home once we’d identified her from the security camera, only to find her dead. Clearly Pike hadn’t wanted any loose ends.
Now, Tank and I had taken up station in the control room as Cason typed furiously on the keyboards, doing everything he could to find her virtually. Ryland and Lincoln were out tracking down known associates of Pike’s, trying to glean any information they could, by force when needed.
“We have to think like him,” I muttered, pacing the floor. “He wants revenge, but he also wants to make a statement. Where would he go to make that happen?”
“He’s also pathetic as fuck,” Tank added. “He’s been rejected by his own men. He’s feeling small and needs something to make him feel powerful.”
When Sunny and Reid appeared in the doorway, asking if they could help, my first instinct was to send them away. Then I realized we needed all the help we could get.
“Take a look at the video.” I nodded toward the live feed of Grace, tied to the chair in a nearly empty room, knowing the image would be seared in my brain for the rest of my days.
Both boys stepped forward with matching expressions of horror when they saw Grace on the screen.
“Look at the room. Are there any details that are familiar?” Tank commanded, knowing it was a task I was incapable of.
All I could see was her, from the moment I’d first set eyes on her.
After a moment that felt like an eternity, the boys shared a look before Sunny turned to me with more confidence than I’d ever seen in him. “We need Gage.”
I nodded to Tank, who immediately strode off, returning just moments later with a confused-looking Gage.
“Look at the video. What do you see?” Sunny prompted as I barely suppressed my impatience.
Gage leaned in, studying the video with a critical eye before cautious realization dawned. “Holy shit, I think that’s my sister’s old apartment. He’s tried to make it look different and has those sheets hung up to cover most of it, but that crack in the window behind Grace… I’d been on her to get her landlord to fix it.”
I spun him to face me, holding on to his shoulders. “You sure?” I demanded.
“Not a hundred percent,” he admitted. “But I’m good with detail, and I think that’s where they are.”
“He’s being modest. Gage notices everything. Always has,” Sunny interjected firmly.
“Get me the address,” Cason ordered, fingers flying over the keys when Gage rattled it off. “It’s in line with our thinking,” he muttered as he pulled up a map on the screen. “Alice rejected him. This could be his way of getting back at her at the same time he gets back at us.” He turned to me. “Place isn’t far, right here in town.”
I nodded, ready to explore any and all leads that led to Grace.
