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“You sure this is theaddress?” I asked for the third time, checking the GPS on my phone.
Twitchy looked at me like I was an idiot. “Yes. Stop fucking asking.”
That final confirmation seemed to take root, and I nodded, feeling the Reaper accept it as well. All anxiety and doubt fled as I stared straight ahead, counting down the minutes until I saw Stefanie again.
There was nothing left but resolve. My jaw clenched as I glanced in Twitchy’s direction, noting she was driving slightly over the speed limit but not quite as fast as I’d like. I bit my lip to keep from saying something nasty about her driving. She would only get pissed, and then we would snip at one another like we’d been doing for the last hour.
“Don’t look at me like that. We draw attention and get pulled over, and what happens to your girl? The auction has already begun.”
A growl I couldn’t stop rose up and out of my chest, rumbling the interior of the SUV I’d taken from the Crossroads hours earlier. There was no time to explain to Grim, Rael, or anyone else in the club what I was doing or why. The second Twitchy got confirmation about the auction, she texted from her hotel room, and I picked her up.
We’d been on our way toward Vegas five minutes later as she went over the plan.
“Stop all that growling. It’s distracting.”
A mild snort was the only reply I could give. My Reaper found her amusing and attractive but nothing beyond that observation which was good because he needed to love Stefanie like I did.
“You ready for this?”
“Fuck yeah.”
“Good. It’s not gonna be a walk in the park, Shadow. We might die today.”
“As long as I save Stefanie, I don’t care. She’s all that matters. You hear me?”
Twitchy gave me a funny look. “You don’t want to live happily ever-fucking-after?”
“Of course, I do. I’m just saying if shit goes down and it’s a matter of helping her or me, you help Stefanie. Don’t hesitate.”
“Got it.”
My Reaper didn’t like any of the scenarios popping in my head or the options I’d just given Twitchy. His opinion mattered, but it wasn’t as important as saving the girl I loved. When I found her, I wasn’t letting her go unless fate decided my life was forfeit. Not much I could do in that instance.
The truth was, I kind of felt like this was a suicide mission. I needed vengeance and blood and suffering from those who kidnapped her. If she were harmed in any way, I wouldn’t be able to control myself or my Reaper. I sensed his resolve was as brutally hardened as my own.
Death was inevitable today.
My enemies were about to find out exactly why I ruled the shadows. There was nothing left to say—no other choice to make. Finding Stefanie was all that mattered. Even if she wasn’t at that auction, she was out there, and I’d search until my last breath.
I would never give up. Never relent. Never stop hunting. If I had just one Christmas wish, I’d ask to spend eternity with my pretty pageant girl. I needed to see her smile one more time and feel the softness of her lips. One last kiss, and I could die a happy man.
“You’re going dark. I can feel it,” Twitchy observed, tossing a glance in my direction.
“That’s the only way I’ll get through this without killing everyone there.”
Her laugh caught me off guard, and I flipped her off.
“Oh, stop. You’re so adorable. Stefanie is a lucky girl. Wish I had a guy who loved me that much.”
“You will.”
Her expression softened. “Yeah, maybe.”
“I still don’t understand why the kidnappers wanted me to think Stefanie was dead. It has to be more Russians, right? The same ones involved in the trafficking ring?”
“I don’t know about that, Shadow. I haven’t been able to pinpoint or confirm any details with my contacts. I still don’t know their identities. My gut is telling me we need to be careful. It’s likely not a Russian since no one knows the details.”
“I fucking hate this,” I complained, bouncing my knee up and down. “GPS says five minutes. Just five fucking minutes before I see her again. Do you have any idea how hard it’s going to be not to snatch Stefanie the second I find her?”
