Rialto (Unbreakable Bonds 8)

Unfortunately, Ian couldn’t show him that until they got him out of the clutches of whoever had him now.

“Call Rowe and Noah. Get them and whoever else you can get ahold of to Ward Security tonight. Once I get things under control with the fire department, Hollis and I will be coming there. We are getting Max free tonight.”

They just had to figure out who had him and where he was being stashed. He prayed that they didn’t immediately kill him and dump the body.Chapter TwentyWard Security was a buzz of activity and chaos. A mix of emotions filled Ian that he had no hope of untangling until they found Max. It was a combination of the adrenaline from the fire, worry over what the damn fire had done to his restaurant, and flat-out panic over what could be happening to Max. He felt like he could crawl out of his own skin.

When he walked into the IT room, Ian was surprised to see Lucas and Snow since it was close to two o’clock in the morning. In addition to them were Rowe, Noah, Dom, Garrett, Gidget, and Quinn. They had a roomful, and once again, Ian was struck by just how much support he had in his life. Support that Max had never had. He nodded his thanks to Dom and Garrett, two of Rowe’s security agents.

“Rowe called us to come here instead of Rialto.” Lucas grabbed him and hugged him. “You smell like smoke.”

“That happens when someone sets your restaurant on fire.” He hadn’t even had time to dwell on the fact that his restaurant was so damaged, but it would hit him later. Hard.

“Is it destroyed?”

Ian shook his head. “No, but we’ll be shut down for a time. Luckily, the sprinkler systems and Hollis got a lot of the fire out fast.” His husband had probably saved Rialto. He looked at Hollis, who was still covered in soot. They hadn’t even taken the time to change clothes before rushing to Ward Security after they finished with the firemen and police.

Rowe clapped Hollis on the shoulder. “You can shower here and borrow some clothes from Noah. He has extras in the office.”

Hollis gave him a tired smile. “I will after this is all over.”

Ian looked at Gidget, who was fully dressed as if she’d never left work and looked more bright and chipper than the rest of them. “I’m sorry to have you here so late. Your little boy okay?”

“I have a neighbor who is there for emergencies, so we’re all good.” She tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear.

“Any luck tracking that van?” Ian asked.

She turned, caught her skirt in the rollers of her chair, and yanked it out. Once she was finally situated, she pointed at her screen. “I have the location where they stopped. It’s an old warehouse in the West End, known for being a drug den. Nasty place.”

“Maybe it was people Max owed money to. This Carter guy,” Ian mused as he stared at the building on Gidget’s computer screen. It looked like any abandoned warehouse he’d ever imagined, only this one had lights shining in the windows. They were still there. “We have to help him.”

“Do we know anything about this Carter Snow and Ian met?” Hollis asked.

Gidget winced and looked over at Rowe, who was scrubbing a hand through his hair.

“Gotta say, Ian, when you fucking pick them…” Rowe muttered under his breath.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Ian snapped.

But Rowe didn’t look at Ian. He kept his eyes on Hollis, who was standing next to Ian with his hand on his shoulder. “CJ Thorpe mean anything to you, former cop?”

“Son of a bitch. Are you kidding me?”

Ian twisted around to see Hollis pace away a couple of steps and then turn back. He’d shoved both hands through his hair, leaving it standing up in all directions thanks to the sweat and dirt that still covered him. His eyes were wide with what looked to be shock, and his mouth just sort of hung open.

“What? What’s going on? Who’s CJ Thorpe?” Ian demanded.

Hollis stared at him wordlessly, the emotions flitting across his face moving from shock to worry to sadness, creating a sinking feeling in Ian’s stomach.

“Thorpe is Cincinnati’s major drug mover,” Noah said into the silence that had lengthened in the room.

“He was nothing more than a brainless goon when Jagger was around, because Jagger was the major mover and shaker in the city. He took care of all his competition,” Hollis continued.

“But when Jagger was killed…” Rowe said, his voice trailing off.

“This CJ guy filled in his place,” Ian finished, his heart clenching.

“I’d heard as much from some old friends on the force,” Hollis confirmed. “And he took a page out of Jagger’s book when it came to being the city’s drug powerhouse.”