CHAPTER ONE

RITCHIE

THE FIRE BURNS WITHIN

R esting my head on the pillow, I held the phone to my ear. It rang three times before he answered.

“Hello?”

“Ezra, it’s Ritchie. Is Tori safe?”

There was silence on the other end of the line.

Arlis ran a hand over his hair. Why the fuck did he look nervous?

“Ritchie, did you forget? I got shot.”

My brows rose and my heart lurched in my chest. Fuck, I had a one-track mind. My woman. I didn’t even think to ask Ezra how he was doing.

“Yes, I forgot,” I replied.

“How are you doing, Ezra?”

“There’s no easy way to say this,” he sighed.

My eyes widened and my fist curled at my side. What the fuck happened?

“Ritchie, I passed out at the wheel during a high-speed chase. Tori and Asia had to handle themselves.”

“What?” I roared. I yelled so loud my voice bounced off the walls.

I knew he wasn’t to blame. The situation just dug under my skin.

“Where’s Tori?” I asked.

“She should be here. I last saw her yesterday. It’s pretty quiet today. Usually, when I wake up from one of my many naps, I hear Rémy’s singing or the girls laughing,” he sighed.

“Ask Catch. He has to know where she is. In the meantime, I’ll call Simone.”

I raised a brow. “You will, huh?”

“Ritchie, yes. Simone and I are trying to work through our rocky past. I promise my relationship with Simone won’t interfere with protecting Tori.”

“Ok. Remember you said that shit.”

“Ritchie, I have your back,” Ezra stated.

I could hear the sincerity in his voice.

“Thank you.” I stated, before disconnecting the call.

I immediately dialed Catch.

Arlis walked backward toward the door.

“Oh, no you don’t, Arlis. You know more than you’re letting on. I want to know what the hell is going on. Stay awhile.”

The phone rang several times, then went to voice mail. I wondered if Tori found the phone I bought for her. It was worth a shot calling her. Good thing I memorized her number. What could I say? I was good with numbers. I had to be when I took bets from guys at the betting houses.

Her phone rang. A recording said, “The person you called hasn’t set up the voice mail yet.”

My heart lurched in my chest. Where was my cousin? And my woman? Why would she leave? Maybe she went to the grocery store. Cooking was her thing. I remembered the gumbo she brought to my hotel room. My heart squeezed in my chest at the memory. I fucking missed my woman.

Dropping the phone at my side, I pinned Arlis with a stare. “I want to know everything that happened while I was asleep.”

He threw his hands up. “Come on, Ritchie.” He looked like he wanted nothing further to do with my situation.

My eyes narrowed. “Don’t pretend you aren’t a part of this world, Arlis. Your family might be the brokers, but I’ve seen you and Uncle Callum handle men who needed to be taught a lesson.”

He ran his fingers through his hair. “Fine.” Arlis inched closer.

“I better get you walking around, then. Just don’t lose your shit out there.”

My brows rose. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

He didn’t say another word as he guided me to my feet. A sharp pain slammed through my abdomen, leaving a stabbing sensation in its wake.

“Fuck,” I grunted as we slowly moved into the hallway.

My eyes roamed the spacious, tastefully decorated warehouse.

“Ezra’s in that room.” Arlis pointed at a door right before we approached the kitchen.

“No one’s here. What’s going on Arlis?”

“I’ll tell you what I know after we walk around two more times.”

My heart smacked my rib cage. Worry seeped into my gut.

After the painful walk, I sank onto the long wooden bench at the dining table, running my fingers through my hair. “Start talking,” I bit out.

Twenty minutes later, I pondered on my uncle’s words, ready to pull my hair out.

“So you weren’t downstairs when Tori left? But you heard Catch lose his shit?” I asked.

“Yup,” he sighed, taking a seat at my side.

My eyes squeezed shut briefly. “Ok, I’ll access Catch’s security system. We always give each other access.”

I glanced at my uncle. “Can Ezra move?”

“Yeah. He’s in a little better shape than you. I’ll give you both a special pain cocktail. It’ll help you maneuver for at least five hours with limited pain.”

“Thanks, Arlis.”

There was a beat of silence.

“For what it’s worth, I think it’s time Catch sat down with Uncle Callum.”

He tapped my shoulder lightly. “Thanks for saying that, Ritchie.”

THIRTY MINUTES LATER , Ezra and I climbed into Arlis’s rental SUV. It was best I drove, since Ezra still had limited mobility with his dominant arm.

Ezra was beside himself while we watched the rear entrance video footage. Tori and Simone left together. Catch and the others left the building shortly after.

Ezra shook his head while he loaded our weapons. “Why the fuck would Simone and Tori sneak out of the warehouse?”

I glanced at Ezra. “I’m guessing they had a lead on Man-Man.”

“Yeah, but going without the rest of the crew wasn’t smart,” he stated.

“I agree,” I responded as I tried to reach Romeo and Rémy. They didn’t answer their phones either.

“Shit, we won’t know what happened until we talk to Catch. In the meantime, let’s see what Kagan knows,” I said, pressing Kagan’s contact information.

His phone rang once before he picked up. “Ritchie, I’m so glad to talk to you. How are you feeling?”

“I’m right side up so I’m doing ok. Kagan, when was the last time you talked to Catch?”

“Late last night. He needed the cameras at an intersection wiped clean.”

My brows rose. “What the fuck for?”

“He didn’t say.”

“Kagan, I put a tracker in the new phone I bought for Tori. I need you to trace it.”

“Sure. What’s the phone number?”

I rattled off the number.

“Give me a few minutes. I’ll call you back.”

I disconnected the call.

“What did Kagan say?” Ezra asked.

“He didn’t know where Catch was. Going forward, each of us will wear trackers. I don’t ever want to be in this position again. The entire team could be-”

“Don’t say it, Ritchie,” Ezra warned.

“I’m not.” My fist hit the steering wheel.

“Fuck, I just want to know what’s going on. Hopefully, Kagan will locate Tori’s phone.”

I drove past the rubble that once was Man-Man’s dope and money spot.

If I had to kill Man-Man’s corner boys to get his attention, I’d fucking do it. My heart raced in my chest at a hundred miles a minute. Finding my woman was my only goal.

My phone rang. Leaving the phone in the center tray, I hit the speaker button.

“Give me something, Kagan,” I gritted out.

“Ritchie, she appears to be traveling on I-80 through Des Moines, Iowa.”

The tiny hairs stood on my arms and neck. “What the fuck?”

“She’d never leave Chicago. Something's seriously wrong.”

“What would make her leave Illinois?” Ezra muttered, more to himself than to me.

“Kagan, I know you have to work. I’ll get Nick to help us out.”

“I just have to take care of this dirty package Marco left for me. I’ll keep my laptop open. If she gets off the highway, I’ll let you know.”

“Thanks Kagan.”

“No problem, Ritchie.”

“One more thing, Kagan.”

“What’s up?”

“What states are on that route?”

I heard his fingers fly across the keyboard. “Nebraska, Colorado, and Utah.”

My brows lowered. “Ok, talk to you soon,” I said before ending the call.

“Ezra, call my cousin. Tell him to send a jet filled with soldiers to an airstrip in Omaha, Nebraska closest to I-80.”

“On it, Ritchie.”

I had no idea where Tori was going. But if she was driving through Iowa, hopefully, we could catch her in Nebraska or Colorado. I’d keep calling Catch in the meantime. Ezra and I would hop on the jet I kept in Chicago. We’d meet Nick’s men in Omaha. What were Ezra and I about to walk into?

I didn’t know, and I didn’t give a fuck. As long as I got my woman back safe and sound.

Tori, I’m coming, baby.