45. Ryder

"Let's check on Eva first," Oliver says as we bundle into Theo's car. "We haven't seen her in days, and I'd feel better if we made certain she was alright."

I nod in agreement, the stress from our confrontation with the DeLuccis still weighing on my shoulders, fatigue filling my body.

Even so, thoughts of Eva consume me, needing to ensure that she's safe and sound tucked away in the apartment above the nightclub.

The building is empty when we reach it, hours of operation long since closed and the midday shift crew not yet there. The city feels eerily silent at this time of morning, and we climb the stairs, each step bringing a new level of exhaustion to my bones.

But despite the weariness, there's a flicker of excitement at the idea of seeing Eva again after so many days apart. I can't wait to wrap my arms around her and hold her close, breathing in her floral scent.

As we reach the top of the landing, however, the sight that greets us sends a surge of adrenaline coursing through my veins. Seamus, Eva's assigned bodyguard, is face down on the floor, knocked out cold. The realization hits me like a physical blow—something is terribly wrong.

"Dammit." Theo's voice is edged with frustration, eyes narrowing as he takes in the scene. Oliver's jaw clenches, his expression darkening with concern.

Approaching the apartment with cautious steps, we stop and take in the sight of the door, fully kicked in, hanging off its hinges.

A muscle in Theo's jaw ticks and Oliver's hands clench into fists.

We push into the apartment, calling for Eva, but there's no sign of her. She's well and truly gone. I turn, my anger exploding out of me.

"Declan got her," I say, voicing the thought that is on all our minds. Frustration surges inside me, reaching a boiling point as I snap, kicking the wall and letting out a yell.

"We need to find her," Oliver says, his voice low. "Now!"

Taking off, we rush across town to Declan's office, determined to confront him and get Eva back immediately.

The tension is palpable as we race to get there in time. My heart hammers in my chest, a relentless drumbeat of fear and uncertainty. Images of Eva, bound and helpless, flash through my mind, fueling the urgency of our pursuit.

With each passing moment, the dread gnaws at my insides, twisting and churning with every step we take. I can feel the weight of responsibility pressing down upon me, a suffocating burden that threatens to overwhelm me.

Finally, we reach Declan"s office, our breaths coming in ragged gasps as we burst through the door. But what awaits us is a scene of utter devastation—the room is in shambles, papers scattered like confetti across the floor, furniture overturned in a chaotic frenzy.

Declan's file cabinets have been ransacked and his computer is gone, along with his laptop. Everything that might have helped us bring him down, or led us to his hiding place, is just gone.

My heart sinks as I take in the destruction before us, a sinking feeling of dread settling in the pit of my stomach. We"re too late. Whatever sinister plot Declan had in store for Eva has already been set into motion.

With a heavy sigh, I turn to my brothers, the weight of defeat crushing upon my shoulders. "He"s gone," I mutter, my voice barely above a whisper. "We"ve lost him." And as the reality of our failure sinks in, I can"t help but wonder—what horrors await Eva now that Declan has slipped through our grasp?

There's only one thing left to do now. We need Daniel's help, one last time.

We make our way through the bustling streets, urgency in our every step. Frantic, we rush into the police precinct, gathering ourselves before we go to plead for help.

Inside the station, the air is thick with tension, the low murmur of voices and the occasional clang of metal bars echoing through the corridors. The three of us walk through the front area and back to the bullpen.

As we enter, Daniel looks up from his desk, his brow furrowed in concentration. His eyes widen in surprise as he takes in our grim expressions, the gravity of our situation written plainly upon our faces.

"Ryder." He nods. "Theo, Oliver. What brings you guys out here?"

We exchange a somber glance, the weight of our unspoken fears apparent on our faces. "It"s Declan," I begin, my voice tight with emotion. "He's taken Eva."

Daniel"s expression darkens at the mention of Declan"s name, his jaw clenching with barely contained anger. "Don't you worry. I'll do whatever it takes to help you guys find her," he promises, his voice firm with resolve. He pushes away the files of the case in front of him and sets about looking into things on his computer.

We crowd around the computer, trying to rack our brains for any clue that could lead us to find her. Daniel"s desk is cluttered with case files, but right now, the only case that matters is finding her.

"Where would Declan take Eva?" Daniel asks, his brow furrowed in concentration.

I chew on my lip, struggling to think straight with worry gnawing at my insides. "He owns a dozen properties all over the city. They could be anywhere."

Oliver nods, his expression grim. "And he"s not exactly known for playing by the rules. He could have hidden her in plain sight, for all we know."

Theo chimes in, his voice tense. "But he also wouldn"t want to draw too much attention to himself. It"s got to be somewhere secluded, somewhere he can keep her out of sight."

Daniel leans back in his chair, running a hand through his hair. "What about his old safehouses? The ones we know about, and the ones we don"t?"

I shake my head, frustration bubbling up inside me. "Too risky. If he"s smart, he"s probably moved her somewhere new."

The weight of our failure presses down on me, threatening to crush me under its burden. "Dammit, we"re running out of time. We need to find her before it"s too late!"

But even as I say the words, I can"t shake the sinking feeling in my gut. Declan's always been one step ahead of us this entire time. He's practically rigged the game from the outset, and he holds all the cards.

"We can"t give up," Theo insists, his voice firm. "There has to be a clue, something we"ve overlooked."

I clench my fists, determination flooding through me. "We"ll keep searching. We have to. Eva"s counting on us."

As the conversation winds down, Daniel swivels in his chair to face his computer, fingers flying across the keyboard. We watch in silence as he accesses Declan"s files, searching for any trace of his whereabouts.

Minutes stretch into eternity as we wait with bated breath, hope mingling with apprehension. But as Daniel"s brows furrow in frustration, I feel a sinking sensation in the pit of my stomach. Maybe we"ve exhausted all our options after all.

"Hang on a minute," Daniel mutters, his eyes fixed on the screen. "I'm following a hunch. You said he owns property all over the city, but what about properties that aren't in his name? He's got a business holdings company. Maybe he purchased more under that name."

We hold our collective breaths as Daniel sifts through the data, his expression gradually shifting from concentration to surprise.

"Got something," he declares triumphantly, tapping on the keyboard with renewed fervor. "Declan owns a small cabin outside the city. He purchased it two years ago under the business holdings."

Relief floods through me like a tidal wave, mingled with a surge of adrenaline. "You think he's taken her there?" I ask, desperate to find her again.

"I'm sure of it," Daniel says, sitting back with a grim look. "It's the perfect place. Remote, unknown, difficult to access… but if he's smart, he's using her as bait to lure you guys out there, so he'd want you to be able to find it too."

Realization dawns. "Didn't Declan buy that place as a hunting cabin?" I ask. "I doubt he used it much. I think that's where he'd be taking her."

Theo's hand goes to his gun holster, touching it lightly as though thinking about putting a bullet through Declan's head. "We need to get out there right now."

"Do you want me to come?" Daniel offers, standing up from his chair.

"No." Oliver shakes his head. "You stay here. If we're wrong and he's taken her elsewhere, we need you to keep digging in case you find something."

"I can do that," Daniel promises. "Good luck."

"Eva needs us," Oliver says as we head back to the car. "I can't take this. She's out there, she needs us, and we're so far away."

"Declan used our weaknesses against us once again," Theo mutters. "He knew that we'd be distracted by the fight, so as soon as he found out, however he found out, he took the opportunity to strike."

"We'll figure this out," I assure him. "Eva is smart, and she's resourceful. She'll figure out a way to keep herself alive until we can get there. I know it."

But the adrenaline inside me pushes me forward, urging me to get to her as soon as possible. We need to get her back, to keep her safe, to make sure nothing happens to her or our baby. If Declan harms one hair on either of their heads, he's going to lose his life.

All that matters right now, though, is getting to Eva and getting her out of there alive. We can deal with Declan when the time comes, but right now, we need to save the woman we love.