Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 130512 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 653(@200wpm)___ 522(@250wpm)___ 435(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 130512 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 653(@200wpm)___ 522(@250wpm)___ 435(@300wpm)
“Did you check her phone?” I was going to lose my shit on my daughter real soon. She’d been grounded for two days. She’d violated it both days. If she’d left without her phone, she was on my last nerve.
“It says… That’s weird.”
“It’s not in the house?” I asked.
“No. I think it’s with her, but I don’t know this address.”
Zeke was starting to stir, finally. “Text me the address. I have to finish something up, then I’ll go get her.”
“Okay.”
I frowned, hearing an edge in her voice. “What is it?”
She sighed. “I—I just don’t know if I should be worried, annoyed, or ready to murder her. This week’s been a lot. She’s grieving, and she’s doing it in her way, but this is the second time she’s slipped out without telling us.”
Well, fuck. “Third time.”
“What?”
I coughed, now seeing Zeke’s eyes open. “She snuck out last night too.”
“What?” she clipped out. “How do you know this? When did you know this?”
“She came to the office earlier today and came clean, but only because she had to explain something she needed to ask me about.”
“What did she need to ask you about?”
I turned away and lowered my voice. “Let’s talk about this when I get home. When we’re done here, I’ll get her.”
“How long is that going to be?” There was still an edge to her voice.
I winced. My wife was not happy, and I wasn’t sure if waiting for our homecoming would calm her down or work her up.
Zeke was sitting up now, and he had a hand to his head, grimacing in pain.
Logan returned after walking Taylor back outside. She’d not been happy with us. I saw him process the situation in one second. An indifferent mask fell into place, and he moved around to sit across from Zeke, a mocking smirk on his face. I knew my brother. He was still hoping for some fun to be had. Our weird torture earlier hadn’t been enough to quench his thirst for destruction.
“I don’t know,” I told Sam. “Just…” I let out a breath. “Go to sleep if you can. We’ll tackle this tomorrow.”
“Fine,” she bit out before ending the call. She didn’t say goodbye.
I frowned at the phone.
“She’s pissed?” Logan asked.
I pocketed the phone, approaching him with a grim look.
He flinched. “Sorry.”
“Thinking your doghouse isn’t too far from mine.”
He snorted before leaning forward in his seat. He cocked his head to the side. “How’s your head?” His voice rose. “Does it hurt? I’m hoping it hurts. Along with your stomach, you crazy motherfucker.”
Zeke winced, leaning away from Logan’s intensity. “Jesus. Lower your voice. I’m in pain here. What happened?”
Logan shook his head. “Don’t play fucking dumb.” His restlessness was back. He was pissed, and he was about to unleash on Zeke Allen.
I leaned back against the wall, getting comfortable.
Zeke looked around the room, but his eyes never strayed far from me. An unfocused and blank expression filled his gaze every time he saw me, as if he was making sure I wasn’t an apparition. He blinked a few times, then rubbed his eyes.
When he saw the discarded ski-masks on the ground, some of the confusion left him. “What the fuck?” he ground out. His eyes hardened. “You guys did that shit to me? What the fuck?”
If he hadn’t been in so much pain, I would’ve been waiting for him to swing at us.
Logan shoved to his feet and began pacing. “Oh, fuck off, you piece of shit.” He rotated back and leaned down in Zeke’s face. “You’re hacking? Are you serious? Hacking? Do you know whose shit you were hacking into? Did you stop to research the fucking maniac whose private accounts you accessed? Whose family’s accounts you accessed? A killing maniac who would have no problem letting you continue to impale yourself on a fucking knife. They would have no problem nabbing your wife and kids and using them as collateral against you. You’re fucking stupid.”
Zeke tried leaning away from Logan, but he was stuck.
“You want to know how we know? Because Kai Bennett came and told Mason himself.”
Zeke froze, his eyes shooting my way. “He did?” His face drained of color again.
I studied my brother, checking to see if he was legit losing his cool or what he was doing. He started pacing again, his jaw tense. Okay. It was my turn. Logan was truly pissed at this guy.
I spoke up, raising my chin. “He came to the office today.”
Unlike Logan, I was going to make sure everything I said to him hit home. I waited until those words registered. He blinked again, losing a bit more color.
“My daughter had come to see me at the office,” I continued. “My daughter. She was there. We were leaving, and he waited for her to leave first in her car. Once she cleared the gate, his SUVs drove in and circled me. Another one got between Maddy’s vehicle and mine. Pinned me in. Mighty nice of him. Letting my daughter leave.” I gritted my teeth. “Don’t you think? You brought that here. You brought that to my daughter. Different guy, different family and my kid might not be alive. You getting that?”