“Expand.”
“Darrell turned up but Dex called him James… either he’s not who we thought he was, or he’s using an alias.” I scrub my hand down my face. “My money’s on the former. He was talking about a boss and what he wanted—”
“He’s a fuckin’ front man.”
“Yep.”
My other cell starts chiming but I silence it when I see my mom’s name. I have too much going on right now. Our case has just been blown out of the fuckin’ water and it needs all of my attention.
“We’re gonna have to bring the guys—”
“Yeah, about that…” I trail off, half worried on what I’m about to say but knowing it has to happen. “We only need to bring Evan in on it for now.”
I hear his breath over the line before he says, “Yeah, I was thinking the same. Can you get back to the compound today?”
Looking around the room, I narrow my eyes, as if it’ll have all my answers. I need to go and see Lily tonight. It’s been over a week and I’ve got to make sure she’s safe. But maybe I could check on her tomorrow? “I’ll try.”
“Good. Throw the cell away.”
“I know.”
I end the call, but as soon as I do, my other cell starts up again.
“Mom, I ain’t got time—”
“Lily,” she gasps. “They’ve got Lily.”
I stand up, the hair on my arms on end and my muscles tense. “What? I only spoke to her…” When did I last speak to her? Fuck! “Where?”
“They had her in church, she looked…” She hiccups a sob. “She looked broken, Luke. Completely shattered.”
I’m grabbing my keys and running out the door before I know it. I don’t waste time before I’m jumping in my SUV and starting the engine. “I’ll be at your house in ten.”
I drop the call and speed out of the parking lot toward my mom’s house while my brain screams at me. I should have known something was up but I’ve been so consumed with the undercover job that I left her for a week with hardly any contact.
I promised her I’d keep her safe
and now she’s in the hands of that man… wait, she said “they.” Who the fuck are they?
I hit my brakes when I make it into my mom’s driveway and as soon as I turn the engine off the front door opens.
I push out of the car before demanding, “What happened?” I don’t have time to comfort her. Lily is in danger and I need to get to her.
“I was in church,” she starts as I walk toward her and inside the house. She closes the door behind me as I start to pace the living room. “And he said he found Lily and then Jonah brought her in.” Tears stream down her face. “Oh God, Luke, she looked like… she looked like her mom did the last time I saw her. Utterly broken.”
Slamming my fist into the wall, I don’t feel an ounce of the pain. The raging bull inside is getting ready to charge.
“They’re doing something to her, something I can’t even imagine. I tried to follow her, to see where he took her, but all I could see is them walking toward her house.”
My chest rises and falls on deep breaths as I close my eyes briefly and come up with a plan.
“I’ll get her back, Mom.” Trying to silently tell her it’ll be okay, I place my hand on her shoulder before giving it a squeeze. Inside I’m second-guessing myself—something I haven’t done in a long time.
“There’s something else,” she says as I walk past her and about to open the door. “Her dad said she’s marrying Jonah on her birthday.”
My hands clench so hard I’m afraid I’ll break my own bones as I growl out, “Over my dead fuckin’ body.” Yanking the door open, I step outside and slam it behind me before getting back into my SUV.
LILY