Chapter 32

Ridingto the house has my temple throbbing and my heart pounding. We've put all our eggs into one basket and I'm praying we're right. If not, I'm right back at square one and I doubt knocking on every door in town searching for him will go over well.

The train of headlights in my mirror has me subtly nodding and a small smile crossing my lips. While I'd prefer to not be in this situation at all, I'm glad I have my brothers at my back.

Every possible outcome of tonight rushes through my mind like a movie on fast-forward. There's, however, only one outcome I will accept, and that's Iggie being safe and back to a normal life. Well, as normal as it can be after being kidnapped.

This is it. We"re a block away and going on foot the rest of the way to the house. As I park along the curb, I tap the brakes and turn the key, shutting off the engine. I exit my truck and wait for my brothers to do the same. Once we're gathered by my cage, I reiterate the plan and take the lead.

When we're two houses down, I halt and raise my fist, signaling everyone to stop. I face my men and blow out a breath. "This is it. All evidence leads us to believe Iggie is inside. If he's not, we're about to traumatize two ladies. Not the worst we've done, but still, if that's the case, let Pistol and I handle it. Remember the plan and if you find Iggie, I'm told immediately."

Zero and Rubble move to the side of the house where there's a sliding glass door. They're not to make entry, just stand sentient in case anyone is inside and tries to make a break for it.

Viper, Pistol, and I head up to the front door while Zombie and Tex cover the yard so no one can sneak past us.

Pulling my gun from the inside of my cut, I point it toward the door and motion for Viper to kick it down.

My enforcer lifts his leg and slams the bottom of his boot against the door, directly under the doorknob. The second kick sends the door flying open and hitting the wall behind it, the frame and trim splintering from the force.

Pistol moves inside first, and I follow behind. "Viper, go up."

With careful steps, Viper creeps up the stairs, while Pistol steps over the small gate blocking the stairs to our right, and begins his descent to the basement. I move further into the house. The first door on the left is a bathroom… and it's empty.

Moving through an archway, I see the living room, kitchen, and what looks like a home office are all connected with an open floor plan. The whole lower level is clear. The kitchen counter has two places set up with candles and a box of condoms. The food is cold and hardened. At least a day old, if not more. It looks like someone was planning for a good night, but it was interrupted.

"Basement was clear. A lot of drawings that said Nancy hearts Iggie. And I found these." Pistol holds out a hand and his fingers are wrapped around more pictures from that night in the alley. A night that seems like forever ago.

I grit my teeth and can feel my heart rate pick up. "They are definitely who took him and who our rats were working with. But where are they?"

The creak of the stairs has me jerking my head in that direction. Viper looks pissed as he strides over to us. "Upstairs is clear. For sure, this is the place, though. One room looks like a ten-year-old girl lives in it. It's all pink ruffles and dolphins. The only thing that told me a child didn't really live in it was the pictures of Iggie everywhere. And the printout of how to force an erection."

"I'll fucking kill her if she touches him," I hiss.

"Let's go see if the guys saw anything." Pistol claps me on the back and I crack my knuckles as I follow him to the sliding door where Zero and Rubble are waiting.

Rubble steps aside and lets us leave the house. "No one was in or out but you guys. The cars are still here, though. I called Hawk, and he ran the plates. One car is Susan's and the other is Doug's. He said Nancy doesn't have a car registered in her name, so they have to be here somewhere. Right?"

"You'd think. But maybe they had someone pick them up? I don't know." I lean against the siding of the house.

The atmosphere is tense, the air thick with anticipation. My guys are standing in a circle, their expressions a mixture of determination and apprehension.

"Alright, listen up. We've cleared this house, but there's still no sign of him. I've got a feeling there's more to this than meets the eye."

Their nods of agreement display their unwavering resolve, even in the face of uncertainty.

Stepping forward, Pistol's voice resonates with a low and urgent tone. "Steel's right. We can't leave any inch of this place untouched. Did anyone check the garage?" With a gesture, he draws attention to the detached garage adjacent to the house.

I lead the way, my heart hammering against my chest. It looks dark and the cars are in the drive so they can't use it to park. I motion for my brothers to follow me cautiously, the crunch of our footsteps resonating through the quiet winter night.

Upon closer inspection, the garage is dark because someone has covered the windows. Gathering my resolve, I grip the doorknob and twist, feeling the resistance before the door opens. Stepping into the garage, a wave of stale air greets us, mingling with the scent of piss and something more sinister.

Then, suddenly, there it is—a body, lying motionless on the cold concrete floor. My stomach churns with unease as I observe the gaping hole in the back of the guy's head. It's not Iggie, so that's good, but who the hell is it? And why are they dead on the garage floor?

It hits me like a ton of bricks, leaving me breathless. One of the vehicles in the driveway is registered to Doug, Iggie's dad. This must be him.

"Who the hell are you?" a voice cuts through the silence, her tone laced with malice. She's a stout woman with glasses, her gray curly hair framing her face. I am completely oblivious to her presence. Looking behind her, I see Ignatius tied to a chair with some cunt straddling his lap… his naked lap.

As I squeeze the bottom of my cut, a wave of fury courses through me, causing my jaw to clench tightly. We found my man, but this is exactly what I was worried about and is far more horrifying than I could have imagined.

"You shouldn't be here!" the strawberry blonde, dead woman walking, screeches, clambering from Iggie's lap.

His eyes meet mine. I can see the unshed tears pooling in his eyes, on the brink of spilling over.

"He is mine!" I demand, my voice a low growl. "And you two crazy bitches are gonna pay for what you've done."

Both women stare at me before laughing. "He's Nancy's!" the older one snaps. "She's loved him for years. You were supposed to be taken care of. Frank assured me that he and Arthur would take care of you and that other little bitch who dared touch my daughter's lover."

"Frank and Arthur are dead. And you're going to join them. No one takes from Hell's Mayhem and lives. You took what is mine and hurt him. That can't be tolerated." My voice drips with fury.

My blood is boiling at the sight of Iggie, bound and helpless. Without any hesitation, I swiftly retrieve my gun from inside my jacket and fire a shot, hitting Susan in the shoulder. She lets out a piercing scream as she collapses to the ground, clutching her injured shoulder.

"Tie her up. I want her in the shed for later." I signal to the guys behind me, my eyes blazing with determination.

The garage erupts into chaos, the sounds of Nancy screaming. "You filthy convict! You shot my mom!" In a frenzied rush, she sprints toward me, her arms flailing wildly. I swiftly withdraw the blade from my boot, and in an instant, she inadvertently impales herself on it.

Her breath catches, and she stares up at me, blood seeping from her wound and trickling out of her mouth.

"Don't worry, it's just your belly. We'll patch you up so you can die the right way." I pull my knife from her gut, and Viper catches her before she can fall.

"I'll put her with Mommy dearest and get them to the shed."

Looking at Iggie, I cross the room to him and cup his face. "Are you okay?" It's a stupid question and I don't know why I ask, but it just came out.

"I don't know," he whispers, his voice barely audible.

"You will be. I'll do whatever I have to do to make sure of it. I got you, baby." I cut the zip ties that bind his hands behind the chair.

When I'm back in front of him, he rubs his wrists, I'm sure they're sore from being restrained, and then wraps his arms around my neck.

"Can you get them to leave?" He flicks his eyes at the men remaining in the garage. "I'd like to get dressed."

His arms fall from my body and I spin around. "Get out!" With a nod of understanding, the guys quickly exit through the same door we came in. Grabbing my phone from my cut, I send a text to Trucker and pocket it again.