Page 30 of Dirty Little Vow
Tyler
“I’ll drive,” Dash says as we step outside the bar, the night cloaking the city but not my anger or fear for Bella. We’ve searched everywhere for Bella to no avail and the very idea that she is gone and I will never see her again, is gutting me.
“I’ll drive,” Dash announces. “I’ve got a stockpile of weapons in my trunk.”
And that statement right there is just one reason I didn’t want to call Dash. His first reaction to everything is to punch his way out of it, or in this case, shoot his way out of it, and it’s not always the right answer. At least, not until we have Bella back. Then, as far as I’m concerned, someone is paying for this and paying dearly. “You weren’t invited to the meeting, and I’m already packing.”
“They know you won’t come alone. They know you’ll bring me. Let’s go.”
He starts walking, and now I’m the one catching his arm and I do so with a hard, firm grip, only releasing him when he rotates to face me. “We’re killing valuable time,” he snaps.
“How do we know you coming along won’t trigger them?” I challenge. “The very fact that you’re ex-FBI could set them off.”
There’s a tic in his jaw. “If they were worried about who or what I am, they wouldn’t have touched Bella. And how do we know they won’t just kill you when you get there?” He doesn’t wait for an answer. “You’re in love with my sister. They know it. They’ll damn sure use that against you.”
“She’s your blood, Dash.” I inhale and exhale a heavy breath. “They have us both by the balls.”
“At least together one of us should be thinking logically at all times. Or not, and we’re fucked.”
I grunt. “I think we’re fucked.”
“Either way, I’m coming with you,” he insists.
I hesitate, but the truth is Dash and I share similar demons, and that likeness contributes to our bond, which is at times angrier than it is friendly. We both know the darkness in the other, but I’m not sure that’s a bad thing right now. I give a nod. “Where’s your car?”
“At your office.”
In unison we head in that direction and a few minutes later, we’re at the trunk of his sports car where he lifts a flap and displays an armory. “What the fuck?” I ask. “Are you secretly still working for the government?”
“I write fictional books inspired by a real assassin who as of late, appears to be obsessed with me. He’s protective. Hell, he saved Allie’s life when your father came at her, but people like him can turn on you like a light switch.”
“I haven’t given that as much thought as it deserves.”
“I live in fear for Allie to the point I’ve been losing sleep. I have to go after him, but that’s another story for another time. Right now, we need Bella back.” He shoves a knife in his boot. “They’ll find most of your weapons. If you pack enough, they won’t find them all.”
It’s sound logic I hope we don’t need. I follow his lead and I’ve just finished turning a five-thousand-dollar suit into a coat of arms when Gavin shows up, puffing air. “You cannot go to this meeting without me present. I promise you, the Allen family will have their attorney present.”
“If this was a professional meeting, they wouldn’t have kidnapped Bella,” I say. “You’re not coming, Gavin, but stay close to your phone. If I need you, I’ll call.”
“Agreed,” Dash says. “This is a family matter now.” He slams the trunk shut. “We got this.”
Dash and I share a look and then once again, turn in unison and walk toward the doors of the vehicle, him to the driver’s seat, me to the passenger seat—it is his car, after all. Not to mention, I’m so on edge, my nerves jumping about beneath my skin and crawling around everywhere, to the point I’m liable to run someone off the road if they get in the way right now.
I climb inside and Gavin is at my door arguing with me. I shut the door and shut him up. Dash joins me and does the same. I glance at my watch. “We need to move. We have twenty minutes.”
“Do we know where we’re going? I assume you do since you’ve been digging around in these people’s lives.”
I shoot him a bullet stare. “Fuck you, Dash. I was trying to protect Bella.”
“Don’t be sensitive. I didn’t say you weren’t.”
I hit his navigation control and speak the address. “Drive,” I snap, as if his GPS were him.
He shifts into reverse, pulls us out of the spot, and drives.
The silence is not comfortable.
I did dig into the Allen family’s lives, but they were being held over my head. A gauntlet about to fall and not just on me, but also Bella which drives my thoughts to a very bad place. Maybe my father has taunted me to go after the Allen family knowing full well it would backfire. And it has. On Bella.