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“But there’s probably more than one entrance and exit,” she offered suddenly. “What if they came through another way?”
The overwhelming concern I had for Bianca had clouded my senses. The Jeep had been lost because they came onto the property from another road. I would have to remember to reward Vivian for her help.
“I need you to cause a diversion,” I told her, rushing along the gate.
“You can count on me!” Vivian chirped, a grin spreading across her face.
She had probably hoped for this moment ever since she’d escaped Jesse’s clutches.
I barely turned around the corner when I heard a howl that made my blood curdle, and she didn’t let up for a second. Sooner or later, someone was going to come and investigate the cause of her distress, and when they did, Vivian would reel in the entire stray pack. It allowed me enough time to break through the gate on the back end and find where Bianca was being hidden.
Despite its shabbiness, the compound was vast. But this also meant that Jesse didn’t have it secured everywhere.
I forced myself to think about where Jesse would put her—assuming that he hadn’t already killed her. But I could feel her in my soul, calling out to me. She was very much alive, and she needed my help.
“Hold on, Doe Eyes. I’m coming for you,” I growled, lurching over the gate in a single bound.
An old guard jerked his head up in surprise, but as he reached for his weapon, I merely stood, waiting.
“Y-you’re Atlas!” he squeaked.
I was glad I didn’t need to identify myself.
“Where is Bianca Barrett?”
“Who?”
“The twin brought in earlier.”
His face lit up in understanding, but he shook his graying head.
“I d-don’t know,” he stuttered. “I-I haven’t seen her!”
“Wager a guess,” I told him, sidling forward, back arched to attack.
His hands closed tightly around his semi-automatic rifle, but he was smart enough not to use it. He had clearly been around long enough to understand that the bullets wouldn’t hurt me, and the last thing he wanted to do was enrage an immortal who would bear a grudge against his descendants for eternity.
“I-I’m not much of a gambling man,” the old-timer whimpered, tears filling his eyes.
“That’s not the right thing to say to the owner of a gambling empire,” I told him curtly.
He paled to a near opaque and mumbled something incoherent.
“Where is Bianca?!” I thundered, causing him to tremble.
The gun fell out of his hands, to the ground, and large tears began to fall down his cheeks.
“I really don’t know!” he sobbed.
“Where would Jesse take her?”
“The main house?” he whispered.
It was as good a place as any to start. I eyed him contemplatively, deciding what to do with him. He was old and broken already. Whatever the fates had in store for him was already worse than whatever I could do to him at that moment.
One day, I would take down Jesse’s entire entourage and deal with each and every one of them, particularly those who’d had a hand in Bianca’s kidnapping.
“I-I’m sorry, Atlas,” the old man whispered.
