Ice backed her against the counter, taking her face between his hands. His mouth landed on hers with a demanding passion, which didn’t ease until her arms circled his neck, and she was clinging to his broad shoulders.
He lifted his head. “That’s my cake.”
“It’s yours. I’ll make him a carrot cake for his next birthday.”
Chapter 26
Ice pushed the button on the private elevator to take him to Desmond’s office.
“Any idea why he wanted to see you?” Jackal asked.
“No. He just called and said to get over here.” Ice frowned.
“Lucky you weren’t on your way to Grace’s tonight.”
“I’m not seeing her until tomorrow. Her mom goes back tomorrow, and she wanted to take Grace shopping and to a late lunch today. They still must be at it because I called her an hour ago and no one answered,” Ice mimicked Oceane’s voice.
The woman hated his guts, and she made no bones about it. She probably didn’t even want to go shopping. She simply didn’t want to see his face the last day of her stay. Grace had even made him promise to keep his recruits away until after she left.
After the elevator doors opened to Desmond’s office directly in front of them, Ice knocked, seeing the secretary had already left for the day.
“Come in.”
As soon as he saw Desmond’s face, he knew it was going to be bad news.
Ice closed the door after Jackal entered.
“So, what’s so important you needed to see me?”
“Justin’s disappeared. He’s been staying with my aunt at an old family residence. When she woke up this morning, he was gone. She thinks he took off last night. She said he went to bed early.”
“And you’re just now telling us?” Ice snapped.
“Ice”—Jackal drew Ice’s attention—“Church got out two days ago.”
“Yo-Yo’s probably taken off to meet him somewhere,” Ice said, thinking out loud. “Call Raft and ask where Church is. If we’re fucking lucky, we can grab Yo-Yo when he tries to meet up with Church. If they’re already together, we’ll have to wait and keep an eye on them until Yo-Yo is alone.”
“You have a man on Church?” Desmond asked as Jackal made the call.
“Hell, yes. He hates me, and I don’t trust that fucker.”
Jackal held the phone away from his ear. “He’s not answering.”
“Damn. When’s the last time anyone heard from him?”
“Last night. He called to check in with me. I’ll call the clubhouse and see if anyone else has talked to him.”
Ice paced Desmond’s office while Jackal made the call. When Jackal shook his head as he talked on the phone, a sick feeling came to Ice’s stomach. He stopped pacing, looking at Desmond.
“Did you tell Yo-Yo anything about me?”
“Of course not. What’s to tell…?” Desmond’s face whitened before he could finish the sentence. “He asked if you ever saw the woman you took hostage. I didn’t tell him yes or no, but I thought it was strange he asked.”
Ice took his phone from his pocket, pushing Grace’s number. It went straight to voicemail.
Ice took off running, slinging Desmond’s door open and pushing the elevator button.
Jackal caught up with him. “As soon as we get off the elevator, call the brothers and tell them to haul ass to Grace’s. Then call Alec Gamble and tell him we think Church’s going for Grace. Maybe he has some men who can get there quicker than we can.”
The elevator opened and they rushed in, pushing the button.
Ice’s mind ran through the worst scenarios possible. He had let Grace come to the clubhouse; as a result, anyone watching the place could have seen them together and told Church. Ice hoped he was wrong, although he had a terrible feeling he was right, that Church had taken Grace and her mother.
It took Ice and Jackal less than three hours to reach Stephenville. The brothers were still trying to catch up to them at breakneck speeds. Ice didn’t even know if Alec had men in Stephenville, and they didn’t want to stop to call him back.
They parked their bikes a block away from Grace’s house, going through several backyards to reach it. Ice had taken the back and Jackal the front, setting their phones on vibrate so they wouldn’t lose touch with each other.
He had already checked his voicemail and received a message from Alec that he didn’t have any men in town, but they were on their way.
Ice cautiously approached Grace’s house, seeing it was dark inside. His throat tightened at how scared she had to be. Ice went to the side of the house, trying to look in the windows, but he couldn’t see anything with the curtain blocking his view.
He moved up closer to the front of the house, looking through another window, which was the spare room Grace’s mother was sleeping in. The curtains were open, and Ice could see the room was empty.
He moved to the front side of the house where the garage was, motioning for Jackal to stay where he was. Ice took his knife from his boot and worked it into the garage door lock, carefully snapping it and releasing the mechanism.
Ice quietly raised the door, sliding underneath on his stomach. Inside was a car he had never seen before. His fear was only heightened by the lack of her alarm system blaring from his entry.
He went back to the garage door, motioning for Jackal. Then he went around the car and pulled his gun out from behind his back as he walked toward the door that led into the house. Grace always kept it carefully locked, but Ice was hoping Church and Yo-Yo weren’t as careful.
Jackal had his gun out as he took the other side of the door, both men looking at each other silently. Ice reached out slowly, opening the door a small amount, worried Grace’s two pets would alert Church and Yo-Yo. It opened into the laundry room, which led to a small hallway that had the entrance to the kitchen on one side and the living room on the other.
Ice slid his body in the small space of the opened door, and then Jackal came in behind him. As both men paused to listen, hearing voices from the living room, Daisy came walking into the room, wagging her tail. He would be shit out of luck if Bear came in; the dog always barked when it saw him. Ice petted the dog as he edged toward the doorway.
He looked out, seeing Grace’s mother tied up to the lone chair. He didn’t see Church or Yo-Yo, which meant they were in the dining room or Grace’s bedroom. He already knew they weren’t in the kitchen since Jackal was pressed to his back, facing it.
“Get me another beer, Yo-Yo.”
Ice and Jackal both froze at Church’s voice from the dining room.
“Make her get it. She isn’t going anywhere with my gun pointed at her mom,” Yo-Yo snapped back.
“She’s busy right now,” Church laughed.
They heard the scrape of a chair then Jackal moved away, farther into the kitchen, keeping to the inside wall so that, when Yo-Yo entered the kitchen from the other side, he wouldn’t see Jackal until it was too late. Ice waited a second to give Jackal time to get in place. As soon as he saw Jackal round the corner to make his move, Ice moved stealthily into the living room, seeing Oceane’s eyes following him.
Ice cast a quick glance toward the front door and saw Bear lying still against the wall. Ice was going to kill the motherfucker for murdering his dog.
He lifted his head. “That’s my cake.”
“It’s yours. I’ll make him a carrot cake for his next birthday.”
Chapter 26
Ice pushed the button on the private elevator to take him to Desmond’s office.
“Any idea why he wanted to see you?” Jackal asked.
“No. He just called and said to get over here.” Ice frowned.
“Lucky you weren’t on your way to Grace’s tonight.”
“I’m not seeing her until tomorrow. Her mom goes back tomorrow, and she wanted to take Grace shopping and to a late lunch today. They still must be at it because I called her an hour ago and no one answered,” Ice mimicked Oceane’s voice.
The woman hated his guts, and she made no bones about it. She probably didn’t even want to go shopping. She simply didn’t want to see his face the last day of her stay. Grace had even made him promise to keep his recruits away until after she left.
After the elevator doors opened to Desmond’s office directly in front of them, Ice knocked, seeing the secretary had already left for the day.
“Come in.”
As soon as he saw Desmond’s face, he knew it was going to be bad news.
Ice closed the door after Jackal entered.
“So, what’s so important you needed to see me?”
“Justin’s disappeared. He’s been staying with my aunt at an old family residence. When she woke up this morning, he was gone. She thinks he took off last night. She said he went to bed early.”
“And you’re just now telling us?” Ice snapped.
“Ice”—Jackal drew Ice’s attention—“Church got out two days ago.”
“Yo-Yo’s probably taken off to meet him somewhere,” Ice said, thinking out loud. “Call Raft and ask where Church is. If we’re fucking lucky, we can grab Yo-Yo when he tries to meet up with Church. If they’re already together, we’ll have to wait and keep an eye on them until Yo-Yo is alone.”
“You have a man on Church?” Desmond asked as Jackal made the call.
“Hell, yes. He hates me, and I don’t trust that fucker.”
Jackal held the phone away from his ear. “He’s not answering.”
“Damn. When’s the last time anyone heard from him?”
“Last night. He called to check in with me. I’ll call the clubhouse and see if anyone else has talked to him.”
Ice paced Desmond’s office while Jackal made the call. When Jackal shook his head as he talked on the phone, a sick feeling came to Ice’s stomach. He stopped pacing, looking at Desmond.
“Did you tell Yo-Yo anything about me?”
“Of course not. What’s to tell…?” Desmond’s face whitened before he could finish the sentence. “He asked if you ever saw the woman you took hostage. I didn’t tell him yes or no, but I thought it was strange he asked.”
Ice took his phone from his pocket, pushing Grace’s number. It went straight to voicemail.
Ice took off running, slinging Desmond’s door open and pushing the elevator button.
Jackal caught up with him. “As soon as we get off the elevator, call the brothers and tell them to haul ass to Grace’s. Then call Alec Gamble and tell him we think Church’s going for Grace. Maybe he has some men who can get there quicker than we can.”
The elevator opened and they rushed in, pushing the button.
Ice’s mind ran through the worst scenarios possible. He had let Grace come to the clubhouse; as a result, anyone watching the place could have seen them together and told Church. Ice hoped he was wrong, although he had a terrible feeling he was right, that Church had taken Grace and her mother.
It took Ice and Jackal less than three hours to reach Stephenville. The brothers were still trying to catch up to them at breakneck speeds. Ice didn’t even know if Alec had men in Stephenville, and they didn’t want to stop to call him back.
They parked their bikes a block away from Grace’s house, going through several backyards to reach it. Ice had taken the back and Jackal the front, setting their phones on vibrate so they wouldn’t lose touch with each other.
He had already checked his voicemail and received a message from Alec that he didn’t have any men in town, but they were on their way.
Ice cautiously approached Grace’s house, seeing it was dark inside. His throat tightened at how scared she had to be. Ice went to the side of the house, trying to look in the windows, but he couldn’t see anything with the curtain blocking his view.
He moved up closer to the front of the house, looking through another window, which was the spare room Grace’s mother was sleeping in. The curtains were open, and Ice could see the room was empty.
He moved to the front side of the house where the garage was, motioning for Jackal to stay where he was. Ice took his knife from his boot and worked it into the garage door lock, carefully snapping it and releasing the mechanism.
Ice quietly raised the door, sliding underneath on his stomach. Inside was a car he had never seen before. His fear was only heightened by the lack of her alarm system blaring from his entry.
He went back to the garage door, motioning for Jackal. Then he went around the car and pulled his gun out from behind his back as he walked toward the door that led into the house. Grace always kept it carefully locked, but Ice was hoping Church and Yo-Yo weren’t as careful.
Jackal had his gun out as he took the other side of the door, both men looking at each other silently. Ice reached out slowly, opening the door a small amount, worried Grace’s two pets would alert Church and Yo-Yo. It opened into the laundry room, which led to a small hallway that had the entrance to the kitchen on one side and the living room on the other.
Ice slid his body in the small space of the opened door, and then Jackal came in behind him. As both men paused to listen, hearing voices from the living room, Daisy came walking into the room, wagging her tail. He would be shit out of luck if Bear came in; the dog always barked when it saw him. Ice petted the dog as he edged toward the doorway.
He looked out, seeing Grace’s mother tied up to the lone chair. He didn’t see Church or Yo-Yo, which meant they were in the dining room or Grace’s bedroom. He already knew they weren’t in the kitchen since Jackal was pressed to his back, facing it.
“Get me another beer, Yo-Yo.”
Ice and Jackal both froze at Church’s voice from the dining room.
“Make her get it. She isn’t going anywhere with my gun pointed at her mom,” Yo-Yo snapped back.
“She’s busy right now,” Church laughed.
They heard the scrape of a chair then Jackal moved away, farther into the kitchen, keeping to the inside wall so that, when Yo-Yo entered the kitchen from the other side, he wouldn’t see Jackal until it was too late. Ice waited a second to give Jackal time to get in place. As soon as he saw Jackal round the corner to make his move, Ice moved stealthily into the living room, seeing Oceane’s eyes following him.
Ice cast a quick glance toward the front door and saw Bear lying still against the wall. Ice was going to kill the motherfucker for murdering his dog.
