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I clench my jaw and take a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. "Like I said, I'll call you when I have something. Until then, just trust me."
"I can't trust you if you're not telling me the truth," Barnes says. "Look, Maddox, I'm not trying to screw you over here. I just need to know what's going on. If you've got nothing, I'll call in some backup and we'll start turning over every rock in the city until we find her."
"No!" I say, my voice sharp and panicked. "You can't do that, Barnes. You'll tip them off, and then we'll never find her."
There's a long pause over the line, and I can hear Barnes considering his options. I know he's right to be suspicious of me, but I also know that I'm the only one who can find Kendra. I've got a connection to her that no one else does.
And when I find her, we're getting the hell out of Solstice Bay.
But first, I need to get Barnes off my back.
"I'll call you when I have something," I repeat, trying to sound more steady. "Just give me a little more time."
Barnes sighs heavily. "Fine. But don't make me regret this, Maddox. If you're not making progress soon, I'll have to bring in more resources."
"I know," I say, feeling the weight of his words. I know what that means; he's going to bring in backup if I don't get my shit together. "I won't let you down."
I hang up the phone and toss it onto the table, taking another drag of my cigarette and trying to calm my racing heart. I need to get Kendra out of here before it's too late. But how do I do that when she won't even talk to me?
I glance out the window, watching as the shadows grow longer and the night settles in. It's getting late, and I know that--if Carson does what I think he will--a van should be on the way soon. So I pack up my shit, turn off the safety on my pistol, and I head downstairs with my hands in my pockets.
When the Enclave arrives, I'll be ready.
And I'll take Kendra Morrison for myself.
12
Carter
IheadbacktoEve's Apple that night with a van and backup.
We'll take the van out to the docks, then we'll load up in a boat from there--with more Enclave guys waiting to help. Among them are Jade and Olivia, the two friends who have made it clear for months that I had to go and get Kendra.
They're going to kill me if I don't bring her back safe.
And that's looking more and more unlikely as we catch sight of an increasing number of ACB patrols around the neighborhood on the drive.
I glance over at the two men who've agreed to come with me--Jade's beta mate, Fallon, and Olivia's toughest alpha, Mercer. I can tell Fallon is getting anxious as we drive down an alley, his hands tight on the steering wheel.
"Are you seeing this?" he says.
I frown. "Yeah...area's crawling with ACB agents."
Mercer leans forward. "They're up to something, right?"
I nod, feeling the weight of the situation settling heavily on my shoulders. Kendra is waiting at Eve's Apple, scared and vulnerable, and it's up to us to bring her back safely.
And she should just be another girl--Zane has basically claimed her, and I'm not exactly on the market for a mate--but this is personal for me.
Because I don't know what it means...but I really fucking like her.
She's spunky.
"You sure we can trust your guy in the ACB?" Fallon asks.
I shake my head. "Not for a second--but I don't think he would sell Kendra out. He wants her for himself, not for the ACB."
"Why?"
