Page 53 of His Kidnapped Irish Mafia Virgin

My stomach tightened. “Paddy.”

He looked at me, and I knew before he said a word that this call was different.

“Another witness saw the Corolla at the highway on-ramp,” he said. “They saw three people inside. One man,” he said carefully. “And two women.”

The hallway seemed to tilt around me.

“Three,” I repeated.

Paddy nodded. For a moment, I couldn’t hear anything except the sound of my own heartbeat. The image formed in my mind with brutal clarity: Nora injured, her mother beside her, and Victor Hale driving them away while I stood in this house surrounded by evidence that should’ve led me here sooner. I gripped the edge of the table so hard my knuckles turned white.

“Where were they heading?” I asked.

“Still eastbound,” Paddy said. “But the witness believes they were moving fast enough to reach the interstate within minutes.”

I straightened slowly and gritted my teeth. Victor Hale had taken Nora, and now I finally had a trail worth following.

I stared at the map on the tablet, my eyes tracing every road that branched east from the interstate.

Victor had a head start, but not enough of one to disappear completely. The Corolla was old, and that should be a disadvantage.

“Show me every possible route,” I said.

Michael slid another tablet toward me, highlighting the roads that connected to the interstate. “If he keeps eastbound, he can reach the county line in less than an hour,” he explained. “After that, there are three major exits he could take without attracting attention.”

I studied the map with ruthless focus. “Split the convoy,” I ordered. “Diggs, take the northern route and cover every exit between here and the county line. Michael, take the southern highway and check every gas station, motel, and rest stop. Paddy, you’re with me.”

Paddy nodded immediately. “Cars are ready.”

“Load everything,” I said. “Weapons, radios, medical kits, and spare fuel. I don’t want to stop for anything once we’re on the road.”

The house exploded into motion again. Men rushed outside, trunks slammed shut, radios crackled with updates, and the sound of engines starting filled the night. I remained at the table for one final second, my gaze fixed on the bloodstain.

Nora was alive. I knew it with a certainty that burned through my chest. I grabbed my jacket and headed for the door. The cold air hit me the moment I stepped outside.

Diggs checked the magazine of his weapon before sliding it into place. Michael loaded a medical kit into the backseat of his car. Paddy opened the driver’s door, but I took the keys from his hand before he could climb in.

“I’m driving,” I said.

He didn’t argue. I slid into the seat and started the engine. The car roared to life beneath me, vibrating with the same fury that pulsed through my veins. Diggs and Michael pulled their vehicles into position behind us, forming a convoy that stretched across the darkened street. I gripped the steering wheel and looked one last time at the house behind me, then pressed my foot against the accelerator.

The tires screamed against the wet pavement as we tore out of the driveway and onto the highway, chasing the faint trail of a beat-up Corolla and the woman I loved.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Nora

Pain woke me before I opened my eyes. At first, it was only a dull ache somewhere in my body. Then it became sharper, spreading through my arm, which made breathing difficult. I tried to move, but my body felt heavy and weak, as if I’d been asleep for a very long time.

I opened my eyes slowly. The light above me was dim and blurry. I could see a cracked ceiling and rough walls around me, but I didn’t understand where I was. My head hurt, and the room spun for a moment.

I closed my eyes again and took a slow breath. When I opened them, the room became clearer. I was lying on a narrow mattress covered with a thin blanket. The air smelled of dust and damp wood. A single lightbulb hung from the ceiling, giving off a weak yellow glow.

This wasn’t my apartment. This wasn’t Liam’s house.

Damn, where the hell am I?

I looked down at my arm and saw a thick bandage wrapped around it. The bandage was tied roughly, and small spots of blood had soaked through the cloth. My arm throbbed with pain every time my heart beat.