“Frankie!” Maddie’s piercing shriek sends me scrambling back into the VIP area.
Tears stain her cheeks. “I can’t find Zara. She ran out to the bathroom a few minutes ago. She was so pale. I just went and checked. She isn’t there.”
With each step I take, my heart races faster, each beat reverberating through my entire body.
“Start looking!” I order the rest of them and storm out down the hall.
“ZARA!” I shout, barging open the doors along my path. Nothing.
“ZARA!” I repeat, heading out to the back. Maybe she needed some air. She’s been struggling the last couple of days with dizziness.
My gaze falls to the ground, and a jolt of agony pierces my chest as I spot her gun lying there.
Fuck.
Dialing Enzo’s cell, he picks up on the first ring.
“Track Zara’s phone. Send me the location.”
“Shit. Okay.”
Keller, Jax, Kai and Grayson appear by my side.
Enzo’s voice cuts in over the clicking of keys in the background. “She’s on the move. I’ll send you live updates.”
Grayson tosses me his keys to his Audi.
“Let’s go. Keller, you stay here with the girls,” I order.
“Got it, boss,” he says, his hands clenched into fists at his sides.
I look at the moving dot on my screen.
“Can you find her on the traffic cams? Who’s fucking car is it, Enzo?”
He pauses before he answers. “It belongs to an Alex Pierce.”
I don’t have time to spare; I have to get to her.
As we jump in Grayson’s car, the engine roars to life, and I put my foot down as soon as we hit the road. My heart is in my throat the entire time.
A million different visions running through my mind of losing her.
“Boss, we’ve got her. Keep your head,” Jax says from the backseat.
“I can’t. Not until I’ve got her back.”
“We will, Frankie.” Grayson chimes in.
I really fucking hope we do.
We follow the live tracker for twenty minutes, heading further into the outskirts of New York. Where the fuck is he going?
“They’ve stopped,” G says beside me.
“Where?”
About three minutes away, I glance over and he’s zooming in on the screen.
“I don’t know, maybe a warehouse? Regardless, we’re ready.” He pops open the glove box and starts handing out weapons like candy.
“Oh, fuck.” I mutter, slamming on the brakes as we enter the parking lot. All I see is Zara pointing a gun at Alex, who has his arms up, his back against the wall.
I throw open the door and run towards her.
“Zara!”
She doesn’t take her aim from Alex when she turns her head to me. I quickly scan her body, looking for marks and relief washes over me when I don’t see any.
The guys follow behind me as I unholster my pistol.
“On your fucking knees, Alex,” I command.
G steps to his side as Alex drops to the ground, a quivering mess, and presses his barrel against his head.
“Jesus fucking Christ, Zara.” I let out a breath and wrap my arms around her.
My eyes flick to the abandoned building behind us.
“Take him in there, tie him up. I’ll be there shortly,” I say to Grayson.
Kai waits with me as Grayson and Jax drag Alex into the warehouse.
As I cup Zara’s face in my hands, I can feel her pulse quickening beneath my fingertips.
“Are you okay, dolcezza?”
I glance down, spotting the handcuffs on the ground. She follows my gaze and grins.
“I used the trick you taught me.”
“Good girl.” I press a kiss to her forehead.
“Alex knows something, Frankie. He’s on the verge of breaking. He’s going on about something going down tonight and how he wants out. He said he knows where the last two girls are.”
Interesting.
“Fine work, detective.” I smirk at her.
“What do we do now?” she asks.
“You and Kai go back to the End Zone with Keller and the girls. I can’t concentrate unless I know you’re safe. We are sitting ducks here, Zara. I don’t know who owns this place, or what the bigger plan was here. I can’t risk it, not now.”
I place my hands on her stomach, reminding her of the importance of not just her safety, but for our baby as well.
Handing her the keys, she shakes her head, refusing to take them.
“I don’t want to leave you, Frankie.” She blinks back the tears and I stroke her cheek with my thumb.
“I’ll be perfectly fine. I’ll get what I need from Alex and I’ll have Enzo come and get us. I won’t be long, baby. I promise.”
Pressing a kiss on her lips, I pull her tightly to my chest. I need her protected and away from this.
“You made me proud today, baby,” I whisper.
“You found me pretty quick.”
“I told you, I’ll always find you. Now, get your ass back to the club.” My hand pats her hip as I let her free from my embrace.
“I will.” She takes her hand back with the keys, looking behind me to Kai. “I’m driving!” she calls out, looking at the RS7 Grayson owns.
“Be careful,” I warn her.
“Always.” She winks.
I stand back, watching as she pulls out of the lot, and I can breathe again. She’s safe with Kai and Keller; the End Zone is on lockdown for now. My phone buzzes in my pocket.
ENZO
I’m on my way to you. Will be 15 minutes. Your army is at the End Zone.
With the knowledge that Zara will be safe, I head into the dark warehouse.
“I suggest you start fucking talking, Alex,” I spit out as Jax is putting the rope around his neck. I look up and find Grayson tossing the end over one of the metal beams in the ceiling.
“Get him up on the crate, Jax,” G calls.
Sweat drips down Alex’s forehead. “Please, Frankie.”
I nudge my head, instructing him to listen to them. With a sigh, he steps up on the wooden pallet and G sets the length.
“Why did you take my girl from me, Alex? Of all the things you could have possibly done. Why?”
“I-I was trying to help.”
“Help?” I laugh and step towards the edge of the crate. “Help me how?”
“I was trying to keep her safe, okay?” His voice cracks as he speaks.
“Safe from who?”
He stares hard at me, following me with his eyes as I walk behind him. “You, Frankie.”
I pull back my fist and slam it into his left kidney. He screams out in agony.
