The smallest fraction of relief eased inside me. The only thing I wanted was to put Dare behind bars, where he belonged.
As for me, I’d struck a deal. I was giving them the safehouse location, and they were going to raid while I was there loading the car Tuesday night.
I’d be arrested, too, but I’d get off on a technicality.
My immunity for setting this up.
Ezra looked at his phone when a text went off. A small smile tugged at the edge of his mouth.
“Who is it?” I asked.
“Olivia. She said she just helped her grandma make dinner for us, and it’s Sunday and it’s family day and I’d better hurry up and get home.”
His little girl was adorable. A year older than Evelyn. I figured she’d taken the role of mothering since her own mother had been killed a couple years ago.
And I realized as Ezra stood, all massive muscle and hulking height, ghosts forever writhing deep in his eyes, that I was fucking lucky.
Dakota was safe and we were going to make sure we put this threat away permanently so Dare couldn’t hurt anyone ever again.
Ezra hadn’t gotten that chance.
His wife had been stolen from him, and he’d never even had a warning.
“You should get back to them.”
“Yeah.” He reached out and squeezed my shoulder. “This is for the best right now, Ryder. Let her be and let’s get this behind us and then you two can figure out your shit.”
I gave him a tight nod. “Okay.”
“Give him a little shit for the attack, play it that you didn’t see it coming.”
“Already did.”
Ezra cracked a smile. “Don’t need to coach you, do I?”
I scoffed. “I’ve had to survive this life for years.”
Air puffed from his nose. “See you Tuesday, brother.”
A promise came with it.
A wedge of hope slashed through the turmoil.
I was finally going to get my life back. I just prayed it wasn’t too late to get Dakota back, too.
Ezra dipped out, and I blew out a sigh, snagged my keys from the table, and jogged out of the shop. I locked the door behind me before I hopped into my car, deciding to head home, the way I would any other night.
I was halfway there when a call rang through the Bluetooth.
Rage blistered my insides when I saw Dare’s name lighting the screen.
“What?” It wasn’t like his calls weren’t always met with animosity. I was all about keeping it consistent.
Except a wail echoed through the background. A wail that stabbed through my heart. A wail I would recognize anywhere.
Kayden.
Dare tsked. “It seems my son doesn’t like me very much.”
Ice froze over my soul, and a bolt of fury cracked through the middle of it.
There was shuffling in the background, and the gagged whimper that curled through the line tore me in two.
“Dakota doesn’t like me much, either, though she liked me plenty the night she let me fuck her in my truck.”
Bile erupted in my throat. “You fucking bastard. I will kill you.”
He tsked again. “I don’t think you’re in the position to be making threats, now, are you? Be at my office in one hour, and you get to choose which one lives. Come alone, or neither of them do.”
Without saying anything else, the line went dead.
Terror ricocheted, pumping my blood into chaos.
My mind twisted through what he’d said. What he’d implied.
He’d fathered Kayden, which meant he’d known all along. Had planned to use them as bait. As pawns for whenever the time arose.
And it wouldn’t matter if Kayden’s blood did run through his veins.
He had no fealty or morality.
He’d gladly hurt Kayden if it won him what he wanted.
My sight turned red, and my knuckles blanched white as I held onto the steering wheel. I made a U in the middle of the road, the tires squealing as my car fishtailed. The second it righted, I gunned it and flew in the other direction.
I hit the desolate two-lane road that I’d taken so many times. Each time I felt like I was cutting out a piece of myself. Leaving it behind. But this time, I was getting it back.
The only things that mattered.
I wavered, contemplating, every scenario curling through my thoughts. I finally tapped the button and dialed Ezra.
“Miss me already?” He tossed out the razzing.
Only I croaked around the terror and fury that clotted my throat. “He has them.”
Silence resounded for a beat before Ezra heaved out a sound of horror that he attempted to quell. “Stay calm, Ryder.”