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I should have reached out.
I should have let go of my ego and trusted others to help or if I wouldn’t have been so caught up in my own emotions I could’ve been thinking clearly.
“Are you just going to stare at me or are you going to pull out your phone and track her location?” My anger seeps through the air, even though I’m not in any position to be acting like a dick.
“Mighty tough words for a man who put my best friend in this position,” she murmurs while pulling out her phone. She’s acting calm, but I see the rapid way her chest rises along with the trembling of her fingers she’s trying to hide. She loves Tara. She’s obviously scared something happened to her, just like the rest of us.
I don’t really give a shit what she calls me or thinks of me right now as long as she finds my girl. While she types away on her phone, I look at the hopeful but pained expressions on the faces of the two guys I consider close enough to be my brothers. They may not be brothers by blood, but that’s what they are to me. They are my family; it’s just taken me time to value that, but they are the closest people in my life besides my mother. We always had each other’s backs, until I fucked up.
I hurt my family, and I need to fix it before it’s too late. Before I have no one else, if it’s not already at that point.
“Okay.” She lets out a breath she must have been holding. “I’ve got her location.”
“Where is she?” Reilly asks impatiently.
Lya’s brows crinkle as she stares down at the screen. Her eyes lift to mine with a haze of confusion as she flips the phone around to face me. My eyes catch on the glowing red dot at a very familiar location. “She’s at your law office.”
My office? What the hell?
“Why the fuck would he take her there?” Rush grunts.
I don’t care why. I just care that we’ve found her. Now I need to get her back.
Without thinking, I run for the garage door and grab my keys off the hook. Turning back to the others, I look Rush in the eyes and gesture toward Reilly. “Don’t let that idiot drive.” That’s all I get out before I’m flying out the door to find the woman I love. I’m not sure when my feelings changed, but I fucking know I’m dying without her by my side. If this has taught me one thing, it’s that I know she means more to me than I ever expected and I’m going to breathe that love into her every fucking day until I die if she’ll let me.
I’ve never felt this way before. She’s my first thought when I wake up and the last when I fall asleep at night. Well, when I can actually get to sleep, which isn’t often anymore. I’ve felt something deeper for her longer than I was willing to admit to myself. I can say that over and over again in my head, but I can’t prove it until I have her back and she’s in my arms.
“Marnix! Wait. You can’t just go off by yourself like a damn fool ready to die,” Lya shouts after me.
Letting out a frustrated sigh, I grip the car door handle until my knuckles are white. “This is my fault. I put her in this position, so I will get her back.”
“Nix, wait for us. Come on, man, this could be a trap. You need to think rationally right now.” Rush tries to reason with me, but I’m not having it.
If it is a trap, then it should be me who goes. I deserve whatever happens to me. I have to get there in case she’s in trouble. I’ll protect her until my dying breath.
“If that’s what it takes to have her safe again, I’ll risk it all. If you’re so worried, get in the car and let's go.” I slide in my Veneno and leave like a bat out of hell, ignoring whatever else they’re saying.
The others quickly follow behind me with their arms flailing around like they are arguing about something. Reilly is likely trying to argue that he’s not as drunk as he is. It’s probably dangerous to go alone, but I know they’ll be right behind me when it comes down to it.
In the back of my mind, there’s no doubt that this is some kind of trap. Why would he willingly put her somewhere I can easily find her. Unless she’s there because she’s dea— nope, I will not think like that. Ican’tthink like that. I’ll drive myself crazy if I do. I’m sure Rush and Reilly are already doing the same, so I have to keep a strong head on my shoulders.
She’s going to be okay. I’m going to get her away from him and back to safety. Back with us, where she belongs.
My tires squeal as I enter the parking lot in record time. Before I can even make it inside, Rush, Reilly, and Lya are pulling up behind me. Reilly gets out of the car smoothly. The adrenaline is probably sobering him up, especially with how close we are to getting Tara back.
“Do you have security cameras?” Lya asks, pulling out her phone as we approach the front door. “I can pull up the feeds to see if there’s anything suspicious before we stupidly go in without a plan.” While she’s talking, she pulls a knife out of a secret pocket in the back of her workout pants.
I didn’t even think of bringing a weapon, but both Lya and Rush clearly did. Rush pulls his Glock 22 from his hip, along with an extra one he hands me. He foolishly gives Reilly a knife but also looks at him with concern like he’ll somehow injure one of us with it. There’s that chance, but I would rather him be armed than without it.
“Yeah, there are cameras on every floor. I’m not even sure where to start. Does the tracker give you her exact location?”God, please say yes.
“No, it typically would, but with all the levels of the building, it’s hard to pinpoint her exact location. I think we should start on the main floor, wherever you spend most of your time,” Lya announces while miraculously pulling up the camera feed without asking for any information. “What floor is your office on?”
“The top floor,” I grunt, while we walk through the main doors to the elevator. My mouth goes dry as the metal doors close.Please be okay.Tension crackles in the confined space, with each of us feeling on edge. The anger wafting off everyone is palpable and likely to erupt if we don’t get on the floor fast. The silence is slowly starting to make me crack.
“I don’t see any movement on the floor but be alert. If Zayan is who you say he is, I’m sure he’s not waiting around like a rookie. He’ll be ready, armed, and dangerous.”
The elevator ride feels like a fucking eternity. My heart jackhammers inside my chest while everyone is eerily quiet in anticipation. The higher we go, the more suffocating the space feels. The ding rings through the air, slicing through the straining nerves.
