Page 51 of Ruthless Deliverance

Dad—I want to believe him. He’s my father.

But they both can’t be telling the truth. One is lying and I don’t know which one. After inching down the lattice work, my feet land on the ground, my hands fumbling with my key fob.

Glancing around, I’m searching the area as I hurry to my car, watching the front door to make sure neither of them come out before I can make it to the vehicle. But I crash into a solid body and hands move over my waist and mouth as I struggle against a strong hold. But it’s not just one person. Another is in front of me, stepping out of the shadows. Beau. No. Struggling, I glimpse over my shoulder enough to see Felix. Luna’s brother. Why are they here? And what do they plan on doing?

“Dennis’s kid. Never saw that coming.” Beau laughs as his hand rises, then strikes me in the stomach. Pain radiates through my core as I hunch forward the little bit Felix will allow. I struggle against his surprisingly strong hold as Beau leans over, his revolting face in mine. “Let’s keep that between us, because Dad wanted you unharmed. For now.”

Felix keeps a hold on me as Beau pulls something out of his pocket. A syringe. Holy shit.

Biting down on Felix’s hand, I rear back, jamming my elbow violently to catch him somewhere—anywhere—that will hurt enough for his grip to loosen. Before I can move, Beau lifts his hand, the metal of a pistol flashing. “Control the bitch.”

Felix’s harsh grip is back on me as I struggle. Keeping watch on the gun in Beau’s hand, I don’t miss his other hand as it comes at me. Fuck is all I can think before there’s a sharp pain in my neck. He gets in my face, a burning sensation radiates around the jab site. I already feel the waves of dizziness hauling me under as Beau snares, “I can’t wait to break your fuckin’ nose. But don’t worry, I’ll fix the damage I cause. Right before I break it again.” He spits, warm saliva spewing over my eyes as they drift closed.

46

CREED

My bedroom door swings open, and Dad rushes in. “We need to go.”

I’m on my feet, grabbing my keys because I know from his state of panic, there’s no time to hesitate. “Go where?”

His frantic movements stop as he looks to me. “Philip’s. Something’s happened. Dennis showed up. And now Dani is missing.”

I take the stairs two at a time and drop in the driver’s seat of my car as Dad hops into the passenger seat. “Philip saw someone putting her into a vehicle when Dennis went to leave. Philip managed to stop him from leaving, but he didn’t get a good look at the vehicle or where it went.”

A million thoughts form in my head. And none of them good. “We should’ve told her the truth.”

“There’s no reason to worry about that now. She’ll be okay. We’ll make sure of it. Her father has to know who took her. And we’ll get to the bottom of it.”

“Yes. I will.” It feels like an eternity but is no more than five minutes until I pull into the driveway and barge into the house. Finding Philip has handcuffed Dennis to a chair, the bastard has the nerve to give me a smug-ass expression. Immediately, I move towards him, but Philip shoves me back. “Where the fuck is she?” I holler.

“So, he was right?”

“Who?” Philip asks, doing his best to remain between me and Dennis.

“Beau. He warned me of two undercovers, said you were too deep in her pussy to see that she was a threat. Little did he know I already knew, being that it’s my daughter. Should’ve known she’d end up a slut like her mother.”

Charging forward, Dad attempts to block me and says the words that cause me to stop dead in my tracks. “This won’t help her, son.”

“No, it won’t,” Philip says, producing a pistol. Aiming it directly at Dennis, he says, “Tell me where she is.”

Silence. The bastard isn’t scared. Fear. He doesn’t know fear. But I do now. If we’re too late … If something happens to her—

I can’t let it. And in this moment, I know I’d do anything it takes to make sure I get to her. Because losing her, that’s my fear. Swinging my arm, my knuckles crash against his mouth repeatedly until arms grab me and Philip hauls me back as I yell, “Tell me where she is.”

The sadistic bastard laughs, blood dripping out of his mouth. “Aw. Someone has a little crush.”

Fuck this. Reaching over, I grip the pistol, my hand holding the cold steel as it points to Dennis’s head. His smile still in place. Lowering my arm, I wait until it’s aimed at his thigh before my finger squeezes, firing a shot.

The smile is gone. Horror replacing it as he struggles to reach his wound. “You fuckin’ shot me.”

“Creed, don’t. That’s enough,” Dad says, while Philip says something along the same lines of that bullshit. But I’m not listening to either of them. He knows where she is, and he will tell me. If something happens to her. If I’m too late. No. I can’t lose her. Fear. I feel it. And it’s consuming me.

Moving to him, I shove the gun into his crotch. “The next shot will be your dick if you don’t tell me where she is.” The horror on his face is evident, but he remains silent for two seconds two long as I shove the barrel harder against him. “You have three seconds, two—”

“The Den,” Dennis screams like a little bitch.

“If you’re lying to me, I won’t be so patient the next time I ask.”