“This is a warehouse in Portland. They were small-time, but they’ve been branching out all over the place, running drugs, mostly meth. They had me and my dad delivering it. I mean, who’s going to pull a cop over?” He laughed bitterly.

“Okay, well, that sucks,” I said. I couldn’t find anything appropriately sympathetic to say to him. I was all out of caring thoughts for the moment. Right now I was running on adrenaline and rage with a small sprinkle of fear over the top to keep me alert.

We continued walking, then he held his arm out to stop me. I froze at his back. I stood on my tiptoes to see over his shoulder. Jeff bumped into me as he took a step back.

“They’re right there. Blocking the way out. Turn around. Hurry,” he hissed. I blinked at the dark when I turned around. I felt Jeff close to my back. He took my hand again and tugged me back the way we’d come.

“Is there another way out?” I whispered. There had to be. In my quick peek around the corner before turning around, I had seen a regular door, not a garage door or a sliding door or something a car could drive through.

“Yes, there are dock doors. Let’s hurry,” he whispered back and tugged on my hand. I hurried after him.

27

Luke

Six hours ago, Dylan had burst out of Violet’s back hallway with tears streaming down his face and panic in his eyes, asking me to find his mother.

He was a smart boy; before he’d come to me, he had run back to look out the back door and see what kind of car they put Lily in, as well as part of the license plate.

I promised him that I would find her and bring her back. There was nothing I wouldn’t do to keep that promise.

I called Liam. Cade. Ben. Between the five of us, we managed to track her here.

We were in Portland. In front of a warehouse.

A lot could happen in six hours.

I was good at burying my fears. Hell, after all the years I’d spent in the Rangers, I thought I’d become incapable of feeling fear anymore.

I was wrong.

Someone had taken Lily, and I was terrified. My heart was with her. My chest felt empty. Dread coursed through my veins like ice water. I had let myself slip back into my old thought patterns. Years and years of training had taken over until I had only one objective. But the fear wouldn’t stop creeping into my thoughts and throwing me off. I was glad Liam was here to help me retain my focus.

“Any more intel?” I barked at Cade. He shook his head.

“No, just what we already know.” I watched Ben get out of his SUV just as a few more cruisers arrived.