Reckoning (Wolfes of Manhattan 5)

“We’ll fix it,” I said. “We have to.”

“Damn right we’ll fix it. And if we can’t? I’m hightailing it to Canada or Mexico with Lacey. Or that private island our esteemed father allegedly owns.”

A light burned brightly above me. The island. Of course!

“Rock,” I said, “we have to find that place. I’m betting that place holds the key to what’s going on here.”

“Easier said than done, bro, when none of us is allowed to leave the state of New York.”

“Who the fuck cares? Our old man got away with way more than that. Surely we can grease enough palms to get the hell out of here and solve this mystery. And if we get there and we don’t solve it? We fucking don’t look back.”

“Brother, it sounds good to me.”

“You two are forgetting one thing.”

Rock and I both jerked our head toward the bedroom door. Lacey stood there, her eyes sunken and weary, wearing one of the hotel’s white fluffy robes.

“Baby, what are you doing up?” Rock asked.

“I told you I couldn’t sleep. That bath may have relaxed my body, but my mind is going a mile a minute. I fear it won’t stop until this ordeal is over, whichever way it turns out.”

“It will only turn out one way,” Rock said, “with you free and clear.”

“And if it doesn’t?” she asked softly.

“Then what Rock said. We bail. We fucking bail.” I balled my hands into fists.

She shook her head slowly. “Your father’s will makes all those stipulations. Rock has to stay here as CEO. None of the major assets are liquid. You’d be walking away from a fortune.”

“I don’t care,” I said. “I only care about Zee.”

Lacey gasped. “What’s wrong with Zee?”

“She’s missing, baby,” Rock said. “Reid has his SEAL looking for her. He’ll have her within an hour if she left on her own.”

I glanced at my watch. “His hour’s almost up.” My insides ached. My Zee. If they touched one blond hair on that gorgeous head of hers—

Lacey walked into Rock’s welcoming arms. “That poor girl.”

“Damn it!” I wanted to grab clumps of my own hair and pull them out. Pent-up energy swirled through me with no place to go. “Damn it!” I yelled again.

“We’ll find her,” Rock said.

“What if someone… If they…” God, I couldn’t say the words. “After all she’s been through.”

“We’ve been playing Mr. Nice Guy long enough,” Rock said. “Have Leif and Buck bring Father Jim to me. I’ll fucking kill him with my bare hands.”

Lacey scoffed softly. “Then we’ll both spend our lives in prison. That’s not the answer, Rock.”

“She’s right,” I said. “It’s the island. It has to be. Riley’s been there. She’ll help us.”

“Riley’s been through enough,” Rock said.

“She’ll do it. She’ll do it for Zee.”

“She will,” Rock agreed, “but do we want to put her through that?”

“The woman I love is missing! I’m ready to do whatever it takes, brother. I mean whatever it takes.”

Rock nodded, rubbing Lacey’s back in lazy circles. “I understand, but she’s a newlywed, and—”

“So am I!”

Lacey pulled away from Rock then. “I agree with Reid, honey. Riley will want to help. She and Matt can have the biggest honeymoon in the world when this is all said and done. Besides, you and I never had a proper honeymoon either. Nor did Roy and Charlie.”

“She’s got a point, Rock,” I said.

“You’re right. You’re right. I’m just very protective of Riley. I couldn’t save her the first time, and now… Now, I can’t even save my own wife!”

Lacey kissed his cheek. “We’re all doing the best we can. Someone’s getting paid off at the DA’s office. No way would I have been arrested on anything as circumstantial as some stolen scarves and business cards if this were going by the book.”

“It’s Morgan,” I said. “He’s dirty. I feel it.”

“I feel it too,” Rock agreed. “And behind it all is Father Jim.”

“You and I need to pay him a visit,” I said. “Along with Leif and Buck.”

“Rock…” Lacey began.

“He’s right, baby, and you know it. They’re not playing by the rules, so we can’t either. It’s time.”

Finally, Lacey nodded.

“Good enough,” I said. “We get Riley. We find that island. And in the meantime, we get the information out of Nieves and we pummel Father Jim.”

Rock’s facial muscles went rigid. “I get the first shot.”

“Are you kidding me? He tormented my wife.”

“I’m going to play the older brother card. Besides, how many biker brawls have you been in?”

He had a point, but, “As angry as I am, I can match you punch for punch any day. You weren’t around, Rock, but I learned to fight as well as any biker. I had to, or our father would have killed me.”

Yeah, Derek Wolfe would have killed me. He and I were different, I’d told myself over and over

Now, I wasn’t so sure.