Page 7 of Tangled Deceit
I glare at him, his words a frustrating truth that I want to deny. But I know he's right. I can't continue like this. I sigh in reluctant concession. “Just give it to me,” I grumble.
I fucking hate medication. Even more so that I’m dependent on this boost to keep me going, but I can’t stop until I get Olivia back.
She deserves at least this much from me. If I’d just let her go that day at the hotel... If I hadn't let my selfish desires cloud my judgment... She wouldn't be in this nightmare. It's a guilt that eats away at me, and it’s foreign to my emotions.
But I couldn’t ignore the draw to her, nor the soul-deep innocence and light that radiated from her even when she was terrified. I needed that in my life more than I needed my next breath. And I still do.
The only saving grace is that those closest to me have understood. Jaxon, Damon, and even Markus, who prefers to keep to the shadows, haven’t slept for long since my Raven was taken, helping me with anything I demand of them.
Our home is in shambles, but Justine has been put in charge of repairs and delegating those I approve of to mend the broken windows, shattered walls, and other reminders of the siege the compound endured. Most importantly, a new security system has been put in place. I paid triple the amount and had it done yesterday. I need to know that when I bring Olivia home she’s going to be safe. Any other outcome is unacceptable.
While she should have been fine in my apartment with the steel shutters and electricity-filled door, she wasn’t. I want to make sure that nobody can ever get into the house again to put us in the same position.
“Back to Roe, or toward the north side of the city?” Damon asks as I jab the needle into my thigh, the sensation more familiar than I care to admit.
“Considering I just stabbed myself so I can keep going,” I reply with a wry smile, trying to ignore the racing of my heart and the slight difficulty in breathing while the cocktail of pharmaceuticals works its way through me. “North side of town, and then we can call it a night.”
It’s nearing two in the morning. I’ve at least tried to have them back to the house by sunrise these last two days, only for us to head out a few hours later.
Jaxon holds his phone, his fingers dancing over the screen as he speaks. “The next group is called Blood Runners.”
Seriously? What is wrong with people? That’s a terrible fucking name unless they literally run blood, which is highly unlikely.
“There are at least a dozen in the crew,” Jaxon continues, reading from his phone. “Raymond is the leader, and he’s been in the game of hookers and drugs for the last ten years, taking over for his uncle named…Craig Ventelli.”
Ventelli… The name sounds familiar, but I can’t place him. Maybe someone my father did business with? Wouldn’t surprise me. Even though he tried to hide his darker dealings from me, I’ve never been oblivious to those around me.
Well, except for Vin. Though, that wasn’t so much obliviousness. It was overconfidence. I didn’t think there was a chance in hell that a member of my team who had been around as long as Vin would turn against me.
It’s a mistake I don’t intend to repeat.
Jaxon continues to go on about the warehouse they do their business in and the number of women they might have there, along with the various kinds of drugs that they dabble in—cocaine being their bread and butter.
I’ve never understood how someone could thrive making money on a product likely to ruin the lives of not only the person buying, but anyone else around them. I might not have qualms about murder that’s almost always deserved, but drugs disgust me. Needlessly taking lives with a substance that can’t often be controlled, or worse, likely using the addictive drug to control the women they whore out… The thought makes me eager to get to this warehouse and teach these lowlifes a lesson or two.
By the time we arrive at our destination, my heart rate has slowed to a manageable level, and I’ve reloaded each of my mags before double checking that my go-to knife is tucked securely in its sheath behind my back.
The warehouse, as we approach, is a desolate structure, its decrepit appearance a metaphor for the corrupted souls dwelling within. Gripping my weapons, I step out of the SUV, flanked by the unwavering support of Damon and Jaxon. The night air is a frigid embrace, a stark contrast to the intensity burning within me.
My foot slams against the rusted door, the metallic clang resonating in the stillness. A twinge of pain courses through my body, a reminder of the wound I carry. Yet, the influx of adrenaline, a companion familiar and intoxicating, surges through me, subduing the ache.
The frame of the door is compromised, and we push through it, knocking the busted lock to the ground as we do. It’s not as if anyone will be able to use this building by the time we’ve finished our business here.
The inside is cast in a murky illumination, emanating from hanging overhead lights. The air hangs heavy with the musty scent of decay, as if the building itself has already thrown in the towel on its own existence.
The tables beneath the lights are topped with computers and papers, surrounded by chairs that only a handful of men fill. Behind them are partitioned spaces constructed from plywood and curtains and shrouded in darkness where I assume they sort their drugs or make their women work.
A group of five men start to scatter, but the building is too sparse to hide quickly enough. Bullets start to fly before they can duck or even pull out their own guns.
Three go down within seconds, and the other two stand frozen with their hands up. “Hey, man. We just work here. Take whatever you want.”
His smoker’s voice instantly grates on my last nerve, and I put a bullet through the center of his forehead before turning my attention to the remaining man.
He shakes where he stands but doesn’t make a move or speak as I stalk closer, pistol still drawn. “How many more are here?”
Dark blue eyes meet mine, and he speaks with assurance. “Sixteen women, four visitors, and another eight men upstairs that are probably on their way down here right now.”
His confidence allows a flicker of hope to sputter inside my chest that maybe this will be where I find answers that lead me closer to Olivia.