The seats of the nondescript brown sedan were stiff, the steering wheel too thin, and the engine sounded like a dying animal rather than the roar of power I preferred. It was a necessary sacrifice, though. Azalea sat next to me in the passenger seat, her fingers and attention sliding smoothly between her phone and a laptop screen.
“Anything yet?” I asked, scanning the sidewalks as the car crept slowly down the street.
“Nothing. But as soon as they know, we’ll know.”
I barely registered Azalea’s response as Olivia emerged from her apartment building. The mere sight of her caused a tightness in my chest I didn’t dare think about.
Her soft mass of curly black hair bounced with each step, and her curvaceous body swayed hypnotically, igniting a now familiar possessive fire within me. It took every bit of my self-control to keep from shutting off the car and running over to her.
Instead, I watched. Olivia strolled down the street and into the bookstore she loved, disappearing from sight all too quickly. I slid the car into a parking space across the street.
I pulled out my phone and dialed Benjamin, needing to make sure everything was else was running smoothly. My free hand clenched the steering wheel as I waited for him to answer.
“Talk to me,” I said when he picked up.
“Everything’s going according to plan. All teams are reporting in every hour on the hour, just like you ordered,” Benjamin replied, his tone efficient. “Got a couple senior employees who are pissed about being left in the dark, but I managed to calm them down.”
“Good,” I muttered. “Anything else I need to know?” I asked, scanning the street for any potential threats.
“Nothing yet. I’ll let you know. Watch your back out there,” he said before hanging up.
I always do.
My attention shifted back and forth between the front of the bookstore, the street, and Azalea next to me. I could barely see the two screens, but she seemed to be running some kind of code on her computer and there was a set of 4 video feeds on her phone.
“What’s happening, Azalea?”
She shrugged. “Not much. I’m trying to get into some financial records and running a facial recognition algorithm on some camera footage for the last few days. Nothing standing out as useful yet, but I’ll find what we need.”
“I know.” What I didn’t say out loud was, you better. This desperate plan we came up with hinged on too many things I couldn’t control, and it was making me crazy.
“Motherfucker,” I cursed as I turned my attention back to the street and spotted Brynn striding confidently into the bookstore where Olivia had gone. My grip tightened around the steering wheel until my knuckles turned white.
Azalea looked up. “Uh-oh.”
“Get me the security camera feeds from inside the bookstore,” I commanded, my voice tight with impatience. “Now.”
Azalea’s fingers danced across her phone, then transitioned to the laptop. Her eyes narrowed in concentration. “Trying, but… there don’t seem to be any cameras inside,” she replied, frustration lacing her words. “Nope. Nothing in there. I got a few wireless feeds from the back, but everything is outside.”
“Fuck. Keep trying. Hack a phone camera if you have to. I need to see what’s going on in there,” I said tersely, deciding on a backup plan. I couldn’t just sit here blind and useless.
I stepped out of the car, scanning the area for any signs of surveillance or potential vantage points. If there were no cameras, I’d have to get creative. My muscles tensed as I moved stealthily along the pavement, keeping low and sticking to the shadows.
A glimmer of hope flared within me as I spotted a back entrance to the bookstore. It wasn’t much, but it was better than nothing. I turned to tell Azalea I was going to head inside when I caught sight of a familiar face down the block.
“Enzo?” Disbelief twisted my gut as I recognized one of my employees who was supposed to be missing or dead. What the fuck was he doing here? And more importantly, how the hell was he still alive?
He was barely recognizable. His usually clean-shaven face was covered in a patchy, unkempt beard. His face was dirty, or maybe bloody. It was impossible to tell at this distance. He looked, frankly, like shit. The sight of him filled me with a mix of rage and relief. I had to know what happened to him and why he was here. If he was alive all this time, why hadn’t he reported in? Where had he been since his entire crew disappeared?
All great questions only Enzo himself could answer.
“Enzo!” I called out to him again, not caring about being discreet anymore. Something was dreadfully wrong, and whatever it was, had to be connected to this meeting between Olivia and Brynn. No way Enzo just happened to wander down this street at this exact time. His gaze met mine for a brief moment, but then slid past me, as if I was a stranger. He kept walking.
“Enzo!” I shouted once more as I watched him disappear around a corner. I sprinted after him, feet pounding against the pavement, heart hammering in my chest.
I caught up to him in an alleyway, grabbing his arm and yanking him back. He stumbled into me, gasping for air, his eyes wild with fear. I took in his battered appearance: the bruises blooming across his face, the dried blood on his lip, the torn clothes hanging off his thin frame.
“Enzo, it’s me. You’re safe.”
“Marcus,” he rasped, voice strained with pain. “I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.”
“Talk,” I demanded, my grip tightening on his arm. “What happened to you? And where the fuck have you been?”
“Dead,” he croaked, tears welling in his eyes. “My crew… they’re all dead. I—I don’t know why they spared me.”
“Who?” I shouted, my anger boiling over.
“I don’t know their names,” Enzo said, swallowing hard. “But I gave them information, Marcus. About your organization. They tortured me, and I broke. I told them every single thing I knew.”
“None of that matters now,” I said, forcing myself to stay calm. “We need to get you somewhere safe. Shit’s going down, and I can’t risk losing anyone else.”
As if on cue, a loud commotion erupted nearby, drawing our attention back towards the car. My pulse raced as I dragged Enzo along with me, rushing to find out what was going on. With each step we took, there was more chaotic noise. Shouting, crashing, screaming, slamming.
“Fuck!” I cursed as we reached the car, only to find Azalea missing. The doors were wide open, the tires slashed. No sign of her anywhere.
Panic clawed at my insides, threatening to consume me.
“What’s going on, boss?” Enzo could barely stand. The brief run had consumed what little energy he had left.
“I don’t know. I just left Azalea in this car, now she’s gone. Stay here,” I ordered Enzo, my voice a harsh whisper as the sound of screeching tires and blaring horns echoed through the street.
A van sped down the wrong way, the driver’s twisted face visible for a split second before disappearing in a cloud of exhaust and chaos. The clamor of frantic voices filled the air, drowning out all other sounds.
I ran back towards the bookstore, my heart pounding in my chest like a jackhammer. An explosive mix of panic, anger, and determination fueled each step. My breath came in ragged gasps, mingling with the taste of adrenaline and fear. The bright sun above seemed to mock me with its warmth as I fought against the icy dread that threatened to overtake me.
As I burst through the door, the ringing of the bell above felt like a gunshot in my ears. The patrons inside stared at me, their faces a mixture of shock and horror. Their eyes darted between me and something they had just witnessed – something unknown and terrifying.
“Olivia!” I shouted, my voice breaking the heavy silence that hung over the room. “Brynn!”
There was no answer, only the echo of my own desperate plea bouncing back at me. I scanned the room, my heart sinking with each empty corner and unoccupied table.
“Where are they?” I demanded, grabbing the arm of a trembling woman near the entrance. Her wide eyes met mine, and for a moment, she seemed unable to speak. I shook her gently, willing her to give me the answers I needed. “What happened?”
“The two? The women? Th… they were taken,” she stammered, her voice barely audible. “They fought, but it happened so fast. So fast. We couldn’t… no one could do anything.”
“Who took them?” I growled, my grip tightening on her arm. She winced in pain, but I couldn’t bring myself to care. All that mattered was finding Olivia, and making the bastards who took them pay.
“Men… in masks. Two, two of them,” she replied, her voice trembling. “They dragged them out of here and shoved them into that van.”
“Which way did they go?” I demanded, my mind racing as I tried to map out a plan of action.
“Th-that way,” she pointed shakily down the street, her finger quivering like a broken compass needle.
“Thank you,” I said, releasing her arm and sprinting back outside. My chest tightened, each breath feeling like a knife to my lungs, but I couldn’t afford to slow down. Not now. Not when their lives were on the line.
“Enzo!” I shouted, spotting him near the car. “Get in! We’re going after them!”
“Marcus, are you sure–” he began, but I cut him off with a glare.
“Every second we waste is another chance for those fuckers to hurt Olivia,” I spat, my anger boiling over. “Now get in the fucking car!”
As Enzo scrambled into the passenger seat, I slipped behind the wheel and slammed my foot on the gas. The engine roared to life, echoing my fury as we raced through the streets, following the path of destruction left by the van.