Chapter 27

Ledger

It's late when I finally find myself drifting off to sleep. After we had sex, we each got ready for bed and Posey's been wrapped in my arms most of the night.

I came inside her.

Stupid.

I should have asked the feds to pick me up a box of condoms. Like they would have. I laugh silently to myself as I think about that.

Before long, I'm closing my eyes, thinking back to Posey asking me to come inside her. Wanting me to.

Of course I want to as well, because I know I'm clean.

Posey wants kids, and I want her. I think about my friends, Dev with a baby, and Roman with one on the way. I let my mind wander to me having my own baby with Posey.

It's hard to picture at first, but then the image becomes so crystal clear, and I let sleep consume me.

When I wake up, there"s a flurry of flashing lights, and I jolt upright. Posey"s screams pierce through the chaos, and I"m momentarily blinded by a bright light shining directly in my face.

"What the fuck?" I stammer, my heart racing as I struggle to gain my bearings in the disorienting scene.

I instinctively wave my hand in front of the blinding light, only to realize it"s the tactical beam of a gun aimed straight at me. The cold metal of the gun feels like a weight pressing against my senses as I frantically assess the situation.

Posey, held at gunpoint near the entry door of our small hotel room, looks terrified, her eyes pleading for help.

"Let her go," I demand, adrenaline surging through my veins as I attempt to rise from the bed.

"Not so fast," a deep voice interrupts, sending a chill down my spine.

It"s Bane. I"d recognize his voice anywhere, dripping with arrogance and malice.

"Do you honestly think I"d let you get away with taking my girl away from me?" he taunts, his tone laced with menace.

The gun trained on me lowers slightly, allowing me a clear view of Bane"s sneering face. His casual demeanor belies the danger he poses, his words chilling to the bone.

"Pity she"s no longer a virgin," he remarks callously, his words like a punch to the gut. "They always do make more money. Oh well, money is money."

My blood boils with rage at his cold disregard for Posey"s safety and dignity. Before I can react, two men appear beside me, yanking me forcefully from the bed. A sharp blow to my jaw sends shockwaves of pain radiating through my skull.

What happened to the agents guarding the door? My mind races with unanswered questions as panic threatens to overwhelm me.

Posey"s anguished screams echo in the room as the men drag her away, leaving me alone with my assailants. Bane disappears just as swiftly, leaving behind a chilling command to have me killed before they leave.

As the door slams shut, trapping me in a nightmare, I"m left with only two options—fight or die.

Fuck it.

Instead of hesitating, I react instinctively, driven by a primal urge to fight back. As they attempt to haul me upright, I unleash a flurry of desperate moves. I slam my forehead into the guy on my left, eliciting a pained yelp as he staggers back, clutching his bleeding nose.

With adrenaline coursing through my veins, I pivot and stomp on the foot of the asshole beside me, his grunt of pain drowned out by the chaos of the struggle. Using the momentum, I drive the heel of my palm into his nose, feeling the satisfying crunch of bone beneath my hand.

And I don"t stop there.

With a fierce determination, I unleash a barrage of strikes, each blow fueled by a potent mix of fear and fury. One of the men crumples to the ground, knocked unconscious by the force of my assault, while the other puts up a feeble attempt at fighting back.

I seize the opportunity, grasping the gun from the unconscious man"s holster with trembling hands. Holding it steady, I aim it at the remaining man, his bravado crumbling in the face of the deadly threat.

With my heart pounding in my chest, I snatch my phone from the side table, fingers trembling as I dial Chloe"s number. "Chloe, get a hold of your cousin. We were attacked. They"ve got Posey," I relay the details, my voice tight with urgency.

Chloe"s response is swift and decisive. "On it," she says before abruptly ending the call, leaving me to wait in tense silence.

I quickly change into my jeans and black t-shirt, every second feeling like an eternity as I brace for the arrival of Vin and his team. I've still got the gun pointed at both men, and when the Feds finally burst through the door, I waste no time in recounting the whole ordeal.

"We"ve got a leak," Vin murmurs into his phone, his expression bleak as he coordinates with unseen allies. I hand over the gun, my hands still trembling, as the agents take the two men into custody.

As they"re led away, I catch a glimpse of one of their faces, a familiar figure from the club. It confirms what I already suspected—these men are Bane"s lackeys.

As soon as Vin"s off the phone, I step closer to him, a knot of anxiety tightening in my chest. "What do we do now?" I demand, my voice edged with gravity.

"We have men scouring the city to find her," Vin replies, his tone strained with frustration.

"What about the tails you had on Bane?" I press, desperate for any shred of hope.

Vin blows out an exasperated breath, his expression dire. "Yeah, they"re part of the security breach. I"ll be honest with you, Ledger. We"ve got a mess going on."

I run a hand through my hair in frustration, feeling a surge of helplessness wash over me. "I need to find her," I insist, my voice hoarse with emotion.

Vin places a reassuring hand on my shoulder, his gaze steady. "We will. I can promise you that," he says firmly.

"Don"t make promises unless you can keep them," I retort, my frustration boiling over.

"I have my best woman working on it," Vin says, nodding toward the entrance as a woman with long dark hair enters the room.

"Vin, we"ve got a lead down by the docks," the woman announces, her voice brisk and efficient.

Vin wraps an arm around her, pressing a quick kiss to her cheek, and my eyebrows shoot up in surprise.

"This is Agent Addison Mills, my wife," Vin introduces her, his expression softening as he looks at her with obvious affection.

Makes sense now.

I nod at Addison as she takes the lead, her brisk pace matching the urgency of the situation.

"We're going to take you to the station. Let you get cleaned up…" Vin"s words trail off as I shake my head vehemently in refusal. The thought of wasting even a moment on anything other than finding Posey feels like a betrayal.

"I don"t think so," I assert firmly, my resolve unyielding.

Vin exhales audibly, his frustration palpable. I can see the conflict in his eyes—he doesn"t want to argue with me, but he knows I won"t budge unless it"s to save Posey.

Addison arches a brow, her expression a mix of impatience and determination. "Let"s just go. We can"t waste time," she insists, her voice cutting through the tension.

Vin exchanges a glance with her before turning back to me. "You heard her. Let"s go," he says, his tone gentle yet firm.

I follow them out of the hotel room, my heart pounding in my chest like a drumbeat of desperation. With each step, the weight of the situation settles heavily on my shoulders.

Now that I have Posey, I can"t afford to lose her. Every second counts, and I"ll do whatever it takes to bring her back safe and sound.