And it could only be one thing.
His nightmare of McGill getting to Kat came true.
They were still a half hour away from the warehouse. On a good day with light traffic.
There was no way he was waiting a thirty-minute drive to find out what the fuck happened.
“Let’s get to our vehicles ASAP,” Mercy grumbled as they hoofed it across the tarmac.
Steel hit Call and was greeted with Diesel’s signature grunt.
“ETA in thirty. Talk to me,” Steel barked into the phone, trying to keep from sprinting to the two vehicles they’d left in short-term parking.
“Gotta keep your shit together,” D warned him.
For fuck’s sake, that just made him even more wired. “Tell me!” he exploded.
Mercy yelled, “Keep your shit together,” over his shoulder but was now almost at a jog himself.
Everyone else picked up the pace, too.
“You were supposed to be on it, D. What happened?”
“Fucker set fire to the house.”
“Fuck! Is she okay?”
“Fire was a distraction, got Slade outta the house an’ her alone.”
“Jesus fuck. Is she okay?”
Now all six of them were jogging toward the parking area.
“D, is she okay?” he shouted into the phone.
“Don’t fuckin’ know. The fucker tased Slade, injected him with something to knock him out, stole his fuckin’ cut. Slade’s got no fuckin’ clue what happened after that.”
His fist tightening around his phone, Steel almost stumbled as he got the urge to shut his eyes and scream. He forced them to remain open and began to run even faster. “Double-time,” he shouted to the rest of them. “He got her?” he asked D.
“Yeah, he got her.”
“How long ago?”
“Maybe three hours from what we can figure. Slade’s thinkin’ the fucker used his cut to trick her.”
“Any signs of a struggle?”
“No.”
Steel was about to lose his shit. “What’s he driving?”
“Stole a vehicle from the compound so he could get out of the gate. Thinkin’ he climbed the wall to get in.”
Which meant they needed to install razor wire along the top of the wall. Fucking motherfucker.
“Whose vehicle?”
“Yours.”
Steel almost fell to his knees. “Thank fuck!” he yelled to the sky. “I’ve got an EVTS on it. We can track them.”
“Got no fuckin’ clue what the fuck that is,” D barked into the phone.
“We’re on our way. We can track it once we get there.”
“Fuck that,” Walker yelled out as he arrived at Mercy’s Terradyne RPV. “I’ve got my laptop. We’re tracking it now.”
“No point in heading to the warehouse if we can get a bead on them now. Just wasting time,” Mercy seconded.
“You hear that?” Steel asked.
Diesel grunted his answer. “Keep me updated.”
Steel quickly got into Mercy’s SUV on steroids, sitting on pins and needles in the back seat next to Walker.
Mercy yelled out, “Follow us,” to Brick who was climbing into his just as obnoxious Rezvani Tank. Crazy motherfuckers.
Ryder rode with Brick, while Hunter rode shotgun with Mercy.
“Three hours’ head start,” Steel said to no one in particular, his knee bouncing a mile a minute. “Three fucking hours. So fucking glad I sprang for that tracking system on my Jeep.”
“You’re normally such a cheap fuck,” Hunter said. “Aren’t you glad you weren’t this time?”
Steel ignored him and watched Walker do his thing, his fingers flying over the laptop’s keyboard. “You got the identifying info for your vehicle?”
Steel pulled up an app on his cell phone where he kept all his important info.
Walker just gave him a look and shook his head.
“What?”
“I could hack your phone and get all that shit from you.”
“But you won’t.”
“I won’t. Doesn’t mean anybody else won’t.”
He handed Walker his phone. “Just find her.”
Walker grabbed it, found the Jeep’s identification number he needed and went to work, hacking into the system’s site.
It was a long fucking ten minutes until he lifted his head and grinned. “Got the fucker.”
“Where?” Steel leaned over and looked at the coordinates that had been pulled up. “Can we shut the vehicle down?”
“No,” Mercy chimed in from the driver’s seat. “We shut that vehicle down and he’ll find another that we can’t track. Is he moving?”
“Yeah,” Walker answered.
Mercy started his RPV and pulled out. “Where we going?”
“West. He’s almost through Ohio already.”
“Guess we’re heading west. He has to stop sometime,” Hunter said.
“I fucking swear we’re going to be stopping for gas every fifteen minutes for these ridiculous tanks you and Brick have,” Steel growled.
“Oh, yours is much better on fuel?” Mercy asked, his silver eyes hitting Steel’s in the rearview mirror.
Steel’s lips flattened out. “Better than this.”
“Do we want to rent a faster, more fuel-efficient vehicle while we’re here at the airport?” Hunter asked.
“Do we want to waste the time and BS of dealing with a rental car company?” Walker asked.
“Fuck no,” Mercy grumbled and jammed his foot on the gas pedal.
“That fucker Paranzino have a helicopter?” Steel asked.
“No,” Mercy grunted.
“Does any of us know anyone with a chopper? I still got my pilot’s license,” Walker stated. “Fuck it, I’d still fly it even if it was expired. That’s not something that I’ll ever forget how to do.”
“Like riding a fucking bike,” Mercy said.
“With rotor blades,” Walker added.
“A helicopter would be way faster. Who do we know?” Steel asked. “Anyone with access to one nearby?” Steel’s head twisted toward Walker. “But how are we going to track the fucker while we’re in it? Will you have service?”
“Can use a hotspot on my phone.”
“That’ll work?” Steel asked him. If they lost the signal, they’d lose McGill and Kat. They couldn’t risk that.
“Hopefully.”
Walker’s answer wasn’t good enough. “Hopefully is not what I want to fucking hear. Fuck!” Steel shouted.
“While you assholes figure it out, I’ll just keep driving.”
“I’m sure he’ll stop at a motel or something. Do you have any idea why he’s headed west?” Walker asked.
“Home to LA is my only guess,” Steel said.
“That’s a hell of a drive, which means he’ll definitely need to stop for breaks,” Hunter concluded.
“And we won’t stop,” Mercy announced.
“Fuck no,” Steel whispered. He raised his voice. “But my concern is what he’ll do to Kat once he does.”
No one said anything for a few moments after that.
Hunter faced the windshield when he muttered, “Just gotta get her back in one piece.”
Just like that. That easy. “One piece. Yeah, right.” Steel shook his head and blew out a breath. “How long did it take Jazz to be put back together? How long did Kelsea fucking deal with the shit done to her? How about Diamond?”
“We can get law enforcement involved,” Hunter suggested, turning around again in the front passenger seat to look at Steel. “Put out a BOLO. Let them track the Jeep at the same time we do.”
“Brother, did you want them involved when Leo was taken by Taz?” Steel asked Hunter, then turned to Walker. “Did you want them involved when Ellie was snagged by the cartel?”
Neither said a word.
“How about you, Mercy? Did you want us to handle that fucknut who took Rissa or did you want to hand him over to the cops?”
Steel jerked his chin up. “Cops get him, he’s gonna live. I get him, he won’t. He’ll never do this shit again. To Kat. To anyone.”
“So, we’re chasing him,” Walker concluded.
“We’re fucking chasing him,” Steel confirmed. “A chopper’s a great idea but we’re three hours behind him and it’ll take longer to find one.”
“Copy that,” Mercy said up front.
Walker turned his laptop to show Steel a map with his vehicle’s signal. “Not three hours behind, maybe two. And if Brick and Mercy can get their beasts moving faster, we can shorten that window.”
“Let’s hope that fucker’s going the speed limit, afraid of getting pulled over,” Hunter said to the windshield.
“Let’s hope that we don’t get fucking pulled over ourselves,” Steel added. “That’ll delay us.”
Steel could already feel his fingers wrapped around McGill’s neck. But the reality was they were about two hours behind, which meant her stalker could do what he wanted to her in that time before Steel and his team could arrive.
He only hoped his taste for revenge turned out to be sweet and not bitter.
Because if something happened to her because of his decisions, he’d never forgive himself.
And she probably wouldn’t forgive him, either.
Kat slowed her breathing as the vehicle rolled to a stop.
“Where are we?”
No answer.
“I need to go to the bathroom,” she insisted.
“You can’t.”
“Do you want me to piss my pants? Is this how you’re going to treat the mother of your future children?” Asshole.
Again, nothing.
She wished she could see him. This Henry. That’s what he told her his name was, even though she hadn’t asked. She’d rather know where they were and where they were going.
Of course, that he hadn’t shared.
“I’m hungry, too. I need food. I need water. I need to relieve myself.”
“I need you to be quiet, Katheryn.”
Oh no. Fuck that. “No, Henry. You took my freedom from me. I’m not going to be quiet. Sorry, but I’m not going to suffer in silence. If you don’t like it, too bad.”
She grimaced as she heard the emergency brake get pulled.
“I can’t let you out of the Jeep.”
Jeep? Were they in Steel’s vehicle?
“Why not?”
“Because I’d have to remove the pillowcase and ties. Otherwise, it’ll draw attention.”
Kat wanted to scream, “You think?”
She didn’t.
“How about you remove them, and I promise to cooperate. I just need a quick bathroom break and then to eat something. Please.”
“I’m not stupid, Katheryn.”
“Are you going to keep me bound and blindfolded for the rest of my life? How am I going to raise our children like that?” She was struggling to hide her impatience with him and losing that battle.
“Once I get you home and you see how well you have it, it’ll be unnecessary.”
Which proved he was stupid.
No, maybe not stupid, but delusional. Definitely delusional.
“I’m already resigned to the fact that we’re meant to be together, Henry. You and me. Forever. True love.”
“Now you’re mocking me.”
Fuck.
“I just wanted you to give me a chance, to see what we have together. How good it could be.”
His whininess grated on her nerves. “I can’t see that with a pillowcase over my head!” she yelled, then desperately reined in her temper.
Getting angry would do her no good and only agitate him.
“I’m sorry, Henry, I didn’t mean to lose my patience. But, please, I need to relieve myself before I make an embarrassing mess.”
“Katheryn, you’ll have to promise me that you’ll behave yourself.”
“I promise.” I promise to kick your fucking ass when you let me go, she added silently.
“I’ll gas up the Jeep, grab drinks and food in the store and then find out where their restroom is. If it’s not on the outside of the building, I’ll have to take you somewhere else. I can’t risk you talking to anyone inside.”
Damn it. “Okay, Henry. I appreciate it.”
Ten minutes later, Henry was back in the vehicle with what sounded like plastic bags.
And he drove the fuck away!
“Henry...”
“I’ll find you somewhere else. It’s too risky here.”
Kat was not a crier, but tears stung her eyes. She had hoped to get an opportunity to get free of Henry.
She hated feeling helpless!
“Henry, soon, yes?”
“Yes, Katheryn, soon. I promise.”
He broke his promise and drove for way longer than Kat had hoped. By the time he stopped again, her bladder was screaming and so were her thoughts.
“We’ll stop for the night. Since it’s dark, I can get you inside the motel room without anyone seeing you and we’ll leave before dawn. I need some rest and you do, too. I’ll uncover your head so you can eat and drink, and we can talk.”
Great. Just what she wanted, a meal and conversation with her stalker.
He got out of the vehicle and was back quickly, so she assumed he had stopped in a motel office to register and get a room key.
More good news.
Then he drove again, most likely to the farthest room.
“We’ll have privacy here,” he said as he parked the Jeep and shut it off. “The motel is empty, and we have the room farthest from the office. It’s perfect.”
Kat disagreed.
She groaned when Henry finally helped her off the uncomfortable backseat of the Jeep and onto her feet. It felt good to finally be upright again, but she was stiff as hell.
She had no idea how she was going to walk since her feet were still bound. “Henry, I can’t move since I’m tied up.”
In truth, the last place she wanted to go was inside a room with her stalker, who had masturbated on her things.
That didn’t bode well for her. Especially since he wanted her to have his children. And the only way for her to get pregnant was...
She squeezed her eyes shut, trying not to imagine what that would entail.
At least with Henry.
A shudder went through her and her heart began to race.
She needed to convince him to untie her, then she could get the upper hand. As long as he didn’t have that damn taser.
Which, of course, he did when he jammed it into her back like a gun before pulling off her “hood.”
It was true, it was dark. The motel lot badly lit. But from what she could see, it was some fleabag motel that probably rented rooms by the hour. If they were lucky to get customers. She couldn’t see much past the motel, but it looked like it was surrounded by fields and alongside a quiet road.
None of that was to her benefit.
But she’d worry about that once she got free. She needed to take Henry out and get Steel’s keys.
Henry tossed the pillowcase into the Jeep and slammed the door shut.
“You have to untie my feet so I can walk, Henry.”
“If I untie your feet, you’ll kick me like you tried to do back at that house. I’ve watched all of your competitions, Katheryn. I know how capable you are.”
More fucktacular news.
“Then how are you getting me inside?”
Kat gasped as Henry drove his shoulder into her painfully empty stomach and somehow—though, a bit wobbly—threw her over his shoulder. She didn’t think the painfully thin man had that kind of strength.
He made his way to the door, used the key, almost dropping her in the process, and shoved the door open.
The smell that hit her as he made his way into the room and over to the bed, singed her nose and made her want to gag.
; With a grunt and a groan, he dropped her onto the bed. He went back to close and lock the door, draw the curtains and turn on the dingy overhead light.
The room was old, outdated and disgusting.
Perfect movie location for a kidnapping or murder scene.
Only this wasn’t a movie. “Really? This is the best you can do for your future spouse?” Her eyes narrowed on him, annoyed.
Frustration filled his face as he looked around. “It’s the best I can do for now. I’m sorry you have to deal with this, but you forced my hand. You kept moving. I had to do something.”
“You could’ve left me alone,” she suggested.
His pale blue eyes landed on her. “You’re mine, Katheryn. No one else’s but mine. It’s bad enough that you let him touch you. Soil you. He took what was meant to be mine. Why?”
Suddenly Kat saw the man switch from a calm psycho to a manic one. He dragged his fingernails over his cheeks and then he began pulling at his hair, his face twisting. “Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?”
Each “why” became louder and louder until he was screaming and Kat was wincing.
Had he snapped?
“Why did you let him do that to you?”
Kat attempted to swallow but her throat was too dry. She wouldn’t have an answer that was acceptable to him, anyway.
“I need to use the rest room, Henry. I can’t wait any longer,” she forced out in a low, what she hoped, calming tone. “Henry, please, I’m in pain.”
“I’m so disappointed in you. Now you need to be scrubbed clean before I give you my seed.”
Kat’s mouth opened and then snapped shut. She couldn’t even begin to fathom how disturbing those words were. What did he mean? Was she safe for tonight? Was he going to drag her into the bathroom and scrub her skin raw, then rape her?
He gave her one more wide-eyed, crazed look, then opened the door, slamming it behind him after stepping outside. He was back in under a minute, a satchel in his hand.
He dug in it, pulling out the taser and a large knife.
Jesus. She was going to die in this rat trap.
“Henry...” she started.
“Stay still. I’ll free you so you can relieve yourself, but I’ll be by your side with the taser. If you try anything, I’ll zap you again and give you another shot of ketamine. And I don’t want to have to do that. Please don’t make me do that, Katheryn.”
Ketamine.
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