Chapter 40

Dominick

Cam's place is a picture of order, and I'm not surprised in the least. Sure, his professional life has taken over most of the apartment, but every single item or paper has its proper place.

"Spill, Cam. I don't want to wait."

He nods, not as intimidated as others may have been. As he walks over to a stack of files near his laptop on the desk, Cam speaks over his shoulder.

"I got something that wasn't helpful until now when I was digging stuff up about the Cobras."

I'm quick to join him, and I can feel Jay and Luke right on my heels.

"The Cobras have a habit of typing up loose ends and dumping them in abandoned or under-construction warehouses. They're an easy drop point, and the rough conditions usually destroy a lot of potential evidence."

Fear, immediately followed by rage, speeds through my veins like a drug.

"Cam." I glare at him when he turns around. "Tell me you didn't just call Chloe a body."

He swallows, finally noticing the anger I'm doing nothing to contain, and holds up his hands in surrender.

"No. But they think she will be."

Standing still feels like helping Chloe stay kidnapped, and I have to pace around the room. I can't stop myself from endlessly shaking my head, and my jaw clenches so hard it's painful.

"Tell me you have a point."

I know I'm fucking growling at the guy by now, but I can't be bothered enough to care.

That bastard has Chloe. He's got her somewhere, and he's going to… I swear to fucking God, if he lays one finger on her, I'll rip his damn lungs out .

"I do."

Cam circles around the desk and pulls a folder along with him, setting it down on the coffee table and spreading it wide.

The papers arch across the desk, and Luke and Jay stand on the other side, studying the contents.

"These are the latest crime locations that have been associated with the Crimson Cobras. Not all of them are confirmed, but there's a pretty clear calling card associated with all of them."

The maps and case reports that sit fanned across the glass surface tell a story of bodies and demolished labs in dingy warehouses scattered around town.

"They like to be able to work for an extended time." Cam keeps his voice even, but I hear the tremble of worry no one else would.

He doesn't like this. Chloe getting snatched is a damn ticking time bomb.

Images of her being tortured pound through my brain as effective as any fist, and I have to shut my eyes to steady myself.

I clench my hands, clearing my throat so I don't scream at Cam, who's only trying to help.

"Where have they been recently? What area of town?"

"They're not likely to hit a location twice." Jay frowns, his brow furrowed.

"No," Luke interjects for me, "but they might hit up a neighboring building."

As he nods, I return the gesture, glad he caught my drift.

Cam grips his chin, rubbing his fingers against the light stubble he's sporting. It's strange for such a tight-laced guy, but I think he's been a bit distracted.

"Okay, fair enough. Hmm." He points down to the southeast part of town, down by the waterfront, where there are several shipping and receiving yards. "They dumped someone here. And there was another crime scene with no body discovered here."

I consider the locales, scanning the surrounding businesses and industrial areas.

"Here." I point to a site I was once considering for the new lakeside restaurant. "This area is just decrepit factories that went out of business during the recession."

Jay angles the map toward himself and hums. "You considered this for the restaurant. It's being torn down to make way for apartment buildings now."

Luke claps Cam on the shoulder with an evil smirk. "Docks are a damn good place to dump bodies. Yeah?"

Cam nods. "Yeah. They've been known to do it quite a bit. At least allegedly, since it's damn hard to prove a crime when the body is missing. Large bodies of water are great for that."

It's all I need.

"Let's go."

Jay halts me with a hand on the chest. "You sure? It's just a hunch."

I don't hesitate. "Yes."

"All right." He nods at the others. "Do you have anything in the trunk, Luke?"

Always forward-thinking, Jay beats me to the punch. I don't like the idea of going in there exposed, either.

"Not as much as I'd like, but I have two. I do have a host of black sweaters, though."

I quirk a brow, wondering how it's possible that Luke only has two pieces in his car but several shirts suitable for stealth.

"How?"

"I was giving them to the crew at Rhinestone to keep warm on breaks."

I remember the go-go dance outfits he has them all wearing and nod as I roll my eyes.

"Of course."

We all head to the door, ready to get back in the car and head down to the docks.

When my hand grips the doorknob, I squeeze harder than necessary, focusing on the way the edges bite into my palm.

"Nothing happens to her." I look over my shoulder, holding each of their eyes for a turn. "You see us both in trouble? You get Chloe out. Got it?"

There's a pregnant pause when I can feel my brothers, blood and not, tense up. I don't let any of them off the hook, staring daggers into them until I see a nod from each.

"Good."