Bend Me, Daddy
191

A few minutes and one phone call to Tristan later, and I had a general direction of where he was headed with my girl. Although traffic cameras weren't always our friends, they did come in handy at times like these. "Enzo." Luca stopped me from leaving with a hand on my arm. "Are you sure you don't want me to come with you? Or a few of the men?" "No. This son of a bitch is mine. I'll call you when I have her." "Check in with me before then and keep me updated, alright?"

I nodded and walked out of the office and out of the club, checking the clip in my gun before sliding it back into its shoulder holster. In the SUV, I opened the glove box and pulled out the backup weapon I'd taken with me to the abandoned truck. I also had a knife strapped to my right calf. If I had my way about it, I wouldn't be needing any of these weapons. I'd rather kill him with my bare hands.

This motherfucker would not be leaving our meeting alive.

With Tristan coming over the Bluetooth, we tracked the bastard. He was heading south toward San Antonio, and I broke out into a cold sweat with every mile that went by. There were reasons women were taken to San Antonio, and none of them were good.

We lost him when he hit the city limits, and I pulled over at a gas station. He had a good three hour start on me, but there was no sense in driving around aimlessly when I had no fucking idea where he went.

I fought down the feelings of panic that threatened to overwhelm me.

"Enzo? You still there?" Tristan's voice came over the car's Bluetooth. "I'm here."

"Where's here?"

"I pulled over at a gas station just inside San Antonio." My sunglasses sat beside me on the seat, and I rubbed my eyes with the thumb and forefinger of my right hand. "She can't be gone, Tris." I said it so quietly, I didn't know if he heard me. "She's not," he told me. "We'll replace her. Stay where you are and let me make a few phone calls."

"Thank you." I ended the call and shut off the car. Tristan was calling his contacts in the area and putting out the word that we were looking for the high-tech mogul who'd taken my girl. If he was smart, which he must be to have gotten where he was in the world, he would've changed cars somewhere along the way. However, he was also way too cocky and probably thought he could get away with whatever the hell he wanted to. So, the chances were about fifty-fifty he was still in the same vehicle.

While I waited, I checked my weapons again just to give myself something to do, my mind replaying Sera the way I'd last seen her just that morning. She'd smiled at me just before she got out of the SUV. It was timid, but it had been real, and it'd made my heart race.

I wondered if I'd ever have the chance to get to know her the way I wanted to. Or get to lavish her with gifts. I wanted to talk to her about stupid shit like what television show was better, and serious stuff like what her life was like as a young girl growing up with her father. I wondered if she'd ever been in love, and then had to stop thinking about that because it made me want to rip apart the unknown boy she may or may not have known.

I wondered if she'd ever accept being with me, or if it would be a constant battle when I told her I wasn't giving her up.

My cell rang as I was watching a couple of underage kids try to get someone to buy them something they couldn't buy themselves. Probably beer. "What did you replace out?"

"Derek Jonak's car was spotted on a dead-end road in Wheatley Heights two hours ago."

I closed my eyes. "Motherfucker." Bad things went on in that east side neighborhood. "Do you have an address?"

Tristan gave it to me, along with the information that the car was no longer there. I punched it into my GPS, thanked him for his help, and hung up.

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It took me another twenty-seven minutes to get to the east side with traffic. I drove by the house first, turned around in the circle at the end of the road and parked across the street facing out toward the main road. The house was one-story, with dirty yellow siding and thick curtains across the windows. I could see another window toward the back that had bars. The house was completely dark, and there were no vehicles in the drive.

Sliding my sunglasses onto my face, I got out of the SUV, leaving it unlocked. I wouldn't be here long. As I walked up to the front door, I unbuttoned my coat, so I'd have easy access to my weapon. I gave the door a casual knock and listened. No one answered, and I didn't hear any footsteps.

With a quick look up and down the street, I took two steps back and gave the front door a strong kick. Two more and I was inside, the doorframe hanging loose where the rotting wood had been ripped through by the lock. I pressed up against the wall and pulled out my gun.

Again, I listened, but there was only silence.

Feeling for a light switch, I flipped it on and the living area I stood in was flooded with light. It was empty except for an upside-down bucket and an empty Dos Equis box. Kicking the door closed behind me, I began to make my way through the house room by room, flicking on lights as I went. Adrenaline raced through my veins, sharpening my senses as I crept quietly across the floor. I kept my gun aimed directly in front of me, even though I had no intention of shooting anyone unless I had to. No. I wanted to smash in faces. Rip out intestines. Tear apart any motherfucker stupid enough to mess with what was mine.

But all I found were more empty rooms.

Letting my arms fall to my side, I kept my weapon palmed just in case, and walked into the back bedroom. The one that had the bars on the windows. There was a bare mattress on the floor with a dirty pillow and no blankets. I began to leave, but stopped. Something propelled me across the room. I

stared down at that mattress, then bent over and picked up the pillow. Bringing it to my face, I inhaled.

The scent of coconuts and tropical flowers hit my nose.

Pain slammed through the middle of the chest, and I hugged the filthy thing to me for a second, telling myself this was good. It meant she was still alive.

I don't know how long I stood there holding that pillow, but when I was able, I dropped it back onto the mattress and called Tristan.

"What did you replace?"

"An empty house. But she was here, Tris."

He didn't ask me how I knew. "That's good."

"I need to know who owns this house and what they use it for. There's no furniture other than a mattress in the back bedroom, which is barred, so no one can get out unless they go out the front door. It's not someone's home. It's a drop-off point."

"I'm on it." He paused. "This might take a while, Enz. Why don't you come back to the lake house?"

He was right. There was no use staying here. I had no idea where Sera was now or where they could've taken her. All I'd be doing by staying here was making myself a target. "I'm on my way." Hang on, baby girl. I'm coming to get you.