26. Chapter 26

She looks between me and Kacey, hesitating for a moment before she sighs. "Jason was the one who sent me the tip telling us where to find the Black Wolves. I can't seem to find it now, but I swear the message came from him. Until we picked them up, we didn't even know that the Black Wolves were Phoenix, Beckett and Maverick."

My stomach drops and suddenly my heart feels like it's in my throat. She's right, it doesn't make sense, but now all I can think about is that they are alone in an apartment that Jason supplied us.

"He always hated them and made his feelings very clear to me how much he hated them. It seemed odd when he randomly gave me a tip about a group we had been investigating. But when I realized who the Black Wolves were, that part made sense. I didn't know he was working with you this whole time, though. It doesn't make sense that he would hand over their location when everyone knew you loved them."

My hands are shaking as I pull out my phone and dial Nix's burner. The call rings, and rings, but he doesn't answer. I try Beck's and get the same result. By the time I try Rick I'm about to enter full panic mode.

Kacey is now beside me, his gun and Jessica now forgotten in the face of my frantic movements. "Ash, what's wrong?" he asks.

"I'm trying to call them but they"re not answering," I croak out, my voice shaking.

He puts his hand over mine as I go to try Nix's phone again. "I'll try them from mine, you call Elsa, see if she can help," he suggests and I give a jerky nod.

"What's wrong Ash?" Jessica asks and I shoot a look her way.

"Jason is the one that supplied the apartment we are hiding in, he knew the guys were with me," I answer and then turn wide eyes to Kacey just as he gives a frustrated huff and hangs up from a call attempt. "And he supplied their burner phones."

Kacey understands the implications immediately, not bothering to try calling again. He pulls out the keys to the SUV and physically gets me walking as I dial Elsa.

"I'm coming with you," Jessica calls out.

"Then hurry the fuck up and don't interfere," he snaps at her.

"I swear—," Elsa starts the moment she answers the call, but I interrupt.

"Elsa," I say and she instantly goes quiet.

"What do you need, boss?" She asks, her tone serious, and gratitude floods me. It doesn"t matter what she has going on, she is there when I need her.

"We have been trying to call the guys but they aren't answering and we think they are in danger," I rush out. Panic is still clawing at my chest as I pull open the door to the SUV.

Kacey has already started the engine when Jessica catches up and wrenches open the back door. She jumps in, slamming the door and telling Kacey to floor it. If I were thinking clearly, I might reflect on her willingness to believe us and jump to assist us.

"What's one of the numbers," I barely register Elsa's question through the phone but Kacey must also hear it, he unlocks his phone while driving and hands it over with the contacts already open.

I read out the number and I can hear the click of her typing on her computer through the phone. She hums before saying, "Give me one of the others."

I spit out the numbers, my hands trembling with anxiety while Kacey maneuvers through traffic like a man possessed.

Elsa quickly updates me: "There"s something blocking incoming calls, but I can track their location."

"Please do," I reply urgently, my breaths coming in shaky gasps. I brace myself against the dashboard, feeling queasy from both panic and Kacey"s aggressive driving.

"I found them. They"re not at the apartment," Elsa reports, but her next words send a chill down my spine. "They"re at the building where the uncles" offices are."

"They were supposed to wait until morning," I blurt out, my mind racing with dread.

"I don"t want to stress you more, boss, but there are reports of shots fired at that location," Elsa adds, her words like a dagger to my heart. I struggle to maintain my composure, the weight of the situation bearing down on me.

"Is there any way you can see inside or even get a message to them at all?" I manage to force the words out, my voice trembling with emotion. The silence that follows feels interminable, my anxiety mounting with each passing second.

"I can do something even better," Elsa finally responds, her voice carrying a note of determination. "They have VoIP set up through a Cisco phone system. It still has the phone remote set up from when it was installed."

"Speak English, Elsa," I snap.

"Give me just a moment, and I"ll be able to connect you to them. It will be like talking to them through your phone but on loudspeaker on their end, through all the landlines in the office."