Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 78745 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78745 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Dean exhales slowly, stepping forward. “Orion, you know I’m doing everything I can. But we can’t step outside the lines too far without proof. The authorities are on this too, but they’re focusing on Chester’s disappearance as a high-profile theft. They don’t realize it’s more than that.”
Maverick, a burly man with sharp eyes, speaks up. He’s ex-military and as savage as they come. There’s even been talk that he’s taken on a few mercenary jobs in the past. Although nobody’d be dumb enough to ever ask him. “I called in a few favors from old contacts in the K9 units, trying to see if they can run any new angles. Dead end so far.”
Dead end. Everything’s a dead end. The phrase echoes in my mind like a death sentence. I press my fingertips to my temples, trying to keep the pounding headache at bay. Three days. Three days she’s been gone, three days I’ve been replaying every moment in my head—her last known location, the zoo, the note, the hunch that she’d found out about Heath. All of it swirling, fracturing into a thousand cursed puzzle pieces.
The overhead fluorescent buzz fills the silence for a moment. Then Dean’s phone vibrates on the table. He checks it, grimaces, and sets it aside. “Just more social media chatter about Chester. Nothing useful.”
Riggs looks at me, sympathy in his eyes. “It’s not your fault, man.”
I fix him with a glare that probably looks murderous. “The hell it isn’t. I’m the one who said I—” My throat tightens, and I can’t bring myself to say it out loud. That I didn’t have feelings for her. That she was just a job. She heard those words, and it drove her straight into the lion’s den.
I spin away, pacing toward the monitors, the tension coiled in my muscles begging for release. “I should never have lied. If I’d just told the truth… maybe she would’ve stayed safe.”
Gunner stands, his chair scraping the floor. “None of us thought this would escalate so fast. That zoo infiltration by Heath, the note—everyone assumed we had time to maneuver.”
“Yeah, well, we assumed wrong,” I snap, raking a hand over my face. A rush of guilt floods me. It’s not their fault, I think, forcing my voice to calm. “Sorry, Gunner. I’m just—”
He holds up a hand. “I get it, man. We all do.”
My phone buzzes in my jacket pocket. Quickly, I fish it out, hoping for a miracle. The screen reads Ranger. My chest loosens slightly at the sight of his name. Ranger’s part of the team, and always a good guy to have at your back in a crisis. I nod at Dean and walk a few steps away, pressing the phone to my ear. The men’s eyes follow me.
“Ranger?” I greet in a low voice.
“Hey, buddy,” he says, his tone cautious. “I got your message. You’re sure you want me to handle Jeb? I don’t know anything about birds except how to eat ‘em.”
A ghost of a smile crosses my face. “He’ll be fine. Just don’t let him out of your sight. He might try to snatch your playing cards or something.” For a moment, I remember Jeb’s antics, how Briar used to laugh whenever he showed off. My chest constricts. “I’m heading out of town, Ranger. We got a few leads from the Russian informants—nothing solid, but I can’t just sit around. I’ll be gone a few days, maybe more. I need someone I trust to look after Jeb until I get back. Your job just wrapped, right?”
“Yeah, Tory’s safe. So, I’m back to work and ready to help,” Ranger says, sincerity in his voice. “Anything you need.”
“Thanks, man. I’ll drop him off soon. I appreciate it.”
We hang up, and I slide the phone back into my pocket. When I turn, Dean is standing there, arms still folded. He nods at me to rejoin the group. I take a measured breath, crossing back to the table.
“You heading out?” Dean asks.
I nod. “I can’t sit here and wait for the Russians to slip up. We’ve got a few leads suggesting a possible safehouse outside the city, near the Magnolia Ridge area. Or maybe deeper into the industrial district near the port. Either way, I’m going.”
Riggs frowns. “You sure you don’t want backup?”
The corners of my mouth tighten. “Don’t worry, I’ll have a team if I need it. For now, it’s just recon. I need to keep a low profile—less chance of spooking them if I’m alone.”
Maverick taps a pen against the table. “Couldn’t you let the local authorities handle that?”
I send him a sharp look. “You know as well as I do that local cops can’t handle Bratva. By the time they get the green light, Jason and Heath might move Briar again. Or worse.”
Silence falls, each of us wrestling with the grim possibilities. Dean breaks it by clearing his throat. “All right. I’ll coordinate from here. I’ll keep the rest of the BRAVO team on standby in case you need backup.”