CHAPTER8
Ashton
Ryan and Lake were sent to the station and questioned for hours before I was hauled in like some common criminal. They thought that because of the drama at the café this morning—shit, yesterday morning?—that I might have had something to do with it. And because Hadley is an Adair, the authorities also have close eyes on her family, watching to ensure they don’t exact revenge.
They are known for that kind of behavior, after all, and right now, I couldn’t be more fucking grateful for it. Hadley needs laws to be broken. She needs action, not waiting for fucking subpoenas and warrants. Which is what is holding the police up because the boutique owner had faulty surveillance, and shop owners around her weren’t being cooperative. Likely because they know who did it.
“Ashton?” Hadley’s mom's voice pulls me from my thoughts. I had wanted to go home, do some research of my own on who this Riina is, what he’s accused of. Ryan and Castiel wouldn’t let me. Now I’m in Hadley’s room, surrounded by all her belongings, the things she loves, and I can’t imagine a world without her in it.
“I’ve made breakfast.” Talia's eyes are beyond sad; they’re petrified with the knowledge of what her daughter is facing. Because of this woman's unique beauty, Hadley embodies it too. She’s a mirror image of her mother, and that is likely why Riina targeted my girl.
“Sure.” I’ve been sitting on Hadley’s bed since I was shown to her room. Not moving, not sleeping. Beyond frustrated and feeling deadly. I could never understand why her family did the things they do until now.
Talia steps forward and grabs my hand when I don’t move. Forced to follow her or drag her to the ground, I get to my feet. The house is eerily quiet for the number of people here now. All her uncles, their wives, nearly all of her cousins, except a small handful. And they’re ready to tear the city apart to find Hadley.
“Good. You’re up,” King says as we walk into what used to be a dining room and now looks like a command center.
“He never slept,” Castiel says, and I can tell he hasn’t either.
“Tell him,” King demands of his son, Holden.
“Denise was cleared of the kidnapping.” I didn’t really think she did it. “However, she’s the one who turned Hadley’s image over to Riina.”
“What?” I hiss the word.
“She’s been watching you for a few weeks. I’ve got messages between her and one of Riina’s top guys going back to the night you met Hadley.” The red spots overtaking my vision are a signal of my soon-to-explode rage.
“That fucking bitch. I’ll kill her myself.”
“It gets worse,” Holden continues on. “It appears her husband has been looking into your properties and sending payments to a state inspector. He’s trying to get you shut down.” That doesn’t shock me nearly as much.
“I’ve been dealing with that shit since my first club. I have more money, more power, and the law on my side. He doesn’t worry me.” The man nods. His confirmation that Edward is coming after me again doesn’t even enter my mind as a concern. Denise does.
“Where is Denise now?” I ask. Not long after Hadley called last night, the connection was cut off, and Ryan lost the tracker on her. So even though she was coherent enough to give us a lead, there’s no guarantee she’s still in the same place. She could be anywhere at this point. On the other hand, tracking Denise might help.
“Her phone puts her at home. You think the husband knows what she’s done?” I want to say no.
“I don’t fucking know. Can we get them? Here?” My gaze lifts to Castiel. It’s his daughter, too, so we are in this fuck show together.
“Hendrix, Bishop, Carver, bring them both here,” the older man orders, and a sick smile plays across Carver’s lips. The man may have a family, but his reputation remains as strong as ever.
“Alright, Ashton, Riina is our territory, but Denise and Edward are yours. What property do they own west of here? Somewhere that Denise would think to send Riina because everything he owns is in Miami; he has no connections here,” Holden asks.
Striding to where the guy is sitting at the computer, he hands the laptop over when I reach for it. “If Denise gave them somewhere to hide, it’ll be a property that Edward isn’t directly associated with.”
“So, how will you know?” Luther asks.
“I may just be a businessman, but it doesn’t mean I haven’t got my hands in a few pools. To stay on top, you need to know who’s circling the bottom and everywhere in-between. Silva and I pushed Edward out of the nightclub business when I was barely twenty-three. He’s been buying and selling old warehouses to drug dealers ever since.”
“Shell corporations.” Daniel’s smirk can be heard.
“His first wife’s name was Rhonda; he normally sticks with companies in the R family. Last Ryan checked, six were confirmed,” I mutter as I search county records and property listings. “If he’s gone to Louisiana, it might be harder for me to track.”
“But not impossible,” Ryan says, and when I meet his stare, I can tell he’s got an idea.
I’m a suit and tie kind of guy. I’m not violent unless I have to be, and I’ve never in my life killed a person. However, I get the feeling that’s about to change because Hadley’s life is on the line, and there is nothing I won’t do for her.
A thought hits me. “How smart is this Riina guy? Would he return to his home turf rather than risk unchartered territory?”
“He’s beaten three murder raps, mostly because he pays people to kill witnesses. He was also caught for those. So, I’d say not very,” King muses. “What are you thinking?”
“They were heading west until Hadley called. If that were you, would you continue on the same path, or would you double back to familiar surroundings?”
“I’d come home,” King confirms.
“What’s Riina’s closest property?” He might want to have home-field advantage, but with someone as high profile as Hadley, I’d bet he'd go with closer proximity instead. There aren’t many people who will cross King Adair and his family, and I’m counting on that.
“Searching,” Daniel says as Dimitri enters the room with Talia, a grim look on his face and horror mirrored on hers.
“What happened?” Castiel rushes to her side.
Dimitri hands him her phone, and I can tell by his ashen hue that it’s about Hadley. Rushing over, I take the device from his hand and hit play.
Hadley sits on a chair in a torn dress, a note demanding money pinned to her chest. What happens next is minus sound, and yet, I can hear her scream as a masked man extinguishes a cigar on her exposed shoulder.
My rage boils over, and just as I’m about to toss the phone against the wall, Ryan grabs it from my hand. I can see his mouth moving, but I don’t hear his words. All I see is Hadley’s burned flesh. All I hear is her cry of pain.
“Call the bank,” I demand. “Liquidate everything.” I will gladly give it all up to get her back.
“That’s not what he wants,” Atticus says solemnly. “It’s a ploy. To throw us off track. He’s going to give us a drop zone to distract us so he can get out.”
That can only mean one thing. “You think she’s close by.” He nods.
An hour later, Carver is dragging Denise through Castiel’s house while Hendrix carries an unconscious Edward over his shoulder. We’re about to get answers.
* * *