Page 23 of Charging Dodge

“It’s not just her,” Rebel says, gesturing toward the hanging man. “He claims they are after something the kids have. He says they’ve been tracking them for weeks, waiting for a chance to snatch them up and get back whatever it is they supposedly stole.”

I feel the blood turning to ice in my veins. “What exactly did they steal?”

Rebel shrugs, his eyes hard. “He doesn't know. Or at least, that’s what he claims. According to him, he’s just the muscle hired to do the snatch and grab. But he did drop a name. It isn't a big one yet, but it’s a lead we can pull on.”

“What’s the name?” I ask through a clenched jaw.

Rebel leans in, his expression turning lethal. “Goes by the name Vance. He’s a fixer out of the city. He doesn't hold the leash, but he keeps the pressure on guys like this to get results.”

I lock eyes with the man swaying in the murky, gray gloom, my fists clenching until my fingers ache. Vance. The name tastes like poison in my mouth. I’ve heard whispers of that snake before. He’s a rat who slithers through the cracks, always handling the dirty work for people with too much money and not enough morals.

“Is he coming for them himself?” I ask, keeping my focus locked on the captive.

Rebel shakes his head. “Doesn't seem like it. He’s just the middleman. The orders come from higher up, but this guy claims Vance is the only one who knows the final destination for the kids.”

I step closer to the hanging man, my voice dropping to a low, dangerous growl. “You hear that? You’re going to give me everything you know about this Vance, or I’m going to make sure you never see the outside of this place again.”

The man whimpers, his eyes wide and pleading. “I’ll talk. Just don't hurt me anymore.”

“Start talking,” I snap, my patience hanging by a thread. “Tell me exactly where to find him, and tell me everything else you know about this job.”

“Man, if I tell you everything, they’ll kill me,” the guy pleads.

I grab his chin and force him to look me in the eye. I don't give a damn about his future. “They aren't going to get to you,” I growl. “I'm the one holding the cards here. You give me a name and a location, or I promise you that I'll be the last thing you ever see.”

He gulps, his eyes darting toward the heavy door as if he expects a rescue. “Fine,” he gasps out. “He's at that broken down, abandoned place near the intersection of the main roads in Warner. He's meeting someone at midnight and I’m supposed to deliver the family to them there. That's all I know. I swear on my life.”

I loosen my grip and step back, wiping my palm on my jeans. He's shaking so hard now that his boots scrape against the concrete floor.

“Rebel,” I call out without turning around.

“Yeah, Pres?”

“Get the guys ready,” I order, my blood running cold with anticipation. “We're going to pay Mr. Vance a visit, and I want to make sure he's ready for us.”

Rebel grins, a dark, dangerous look. “You got it.”

I scan the room and lock eyes with the man I’m looking for, who is casually leaning against the steel slats of the wall, scraping underneath his fingernails with the tip of his blade. “Cobra, I need you to recon the location and lock down the logistics so we aren’t heading into this blind,” I order him. “Because there are multiple abandoned buildings surrounding that intersection in town, I want an exact layout of the route I’ll be taking.”

Looks like we’ll be taking a small road trip tonight so we can pay Mr. Vance and his associate a visit.

“What do we do with him?” Rebel asks, aiming his thumb over his shoulder at the strung up piece of shit.

“Finish him,” I order, walking out toward my bike. Tonight requires full preparation because nothing is set in stone, and a successful outcome is far from certain. Before this night is over, I will extract the information I require, one way or another. Once Adalynn is completely out of harm's way, I intend to make her mine. It is time for me to stop playing it safe and take a chance again. Betting my heart on her is a massive gamble, but she’s earned it. She’s already demonstrated that she bears no resemblance to my ex, and it is unjust to force her to pay for that woman's sins.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Adalynn

When Dodge made it back from his errand, he did so with a scowl on his face.

I watch him from the kitchen island, my hands gripping the edge of the granite so hard my knuckles crack. He doesn't look at me at first. He just stalks across the living room, stripping off his leather riding jacket and tossing it onto the recliner like it weighs a hundred pounds. The air around him practically buzzes with a dark, restless energy that makes the hair on my arms stand up. He looks like a man who just came back from a war zone, and I’m terrified of what he’s bringing home with him.

“Dodge,” I say, my voice sounding smaller than I want it to. He stops, his back to me, his shoulders rising and falling with heavy breaths. I push off the counter and walk toward him, stopping just outside his reach. “What happened at the warehouse? What did that man say?”

He turns around slowly, and the look in his eyes almost knocks me back. There’s a cold, hard anger there that isn't directed at me, but it’s sharp enough to cut. He rubs a hand over his face, his fingers catching on the stubble of his jaw. He looks at the hallway leading to the bedrooms, checking for the kids, before he finally meets my eyes. He doesn't want them hearing this, and honestly, I’m not sure I want to hear it either, but the silence is worse than the truth.

“He talked,” Dodge explains, his voice a low, gravelly rasp. He takes a step toward me, his presence filling up the room until it feels like there’s no air left. “The son of a bitch is a contract player. He’s been following you since you left your last town. He was just the muscle, Adalynn. Just a guy paid to watch and wait for a chance to grab you and the kids.”