Page 104 of Marked

CHAPTER 26

Cole glanced in the sideview mirror as Nash’s SUV turned to fall in line behind them. Good. He wouldn’t wait a goddamn second to get into the building.

“Nash’s here,” he announced.

A moment later, the GPS announced that they’d reached their destination.

“That’s it there,” Dare said, pointing through the windshield at a large industrial building about a hundred feet away. He pulled to the side of the road and parked. “Best not to alert anyone.”

Cole flicked his gaze to the sky. The sun was low, but it was still light out. Which meant he needed to be mindful of being spotted. “Did you happen to check where the street cameras are?” he asked, as he pulled his gun from the waistband at the small of his back and checked the one secured at his ankle.

“There’s a few, but I’ll hack the feed and terminate the footage when we’re done. Our best exit is the rear of the warehouse. How do you want to do this?”

Cole flung open the door and got out. “I’m heading in. I’ll figure it out when I get there.” He swung his gaze to the building that was easily the largest on the street.

A whistle sounded, and Cole turned to see Brooks and Nash striding forward. Both men looked ready to kill. Brooks clapped him on the back, his stony eyes distant and troubled—a look he hadn’t shaken since Cole met him.

Nonetheless, Lexi’s brother was an asset, and although he claimed to no longer be experiencing any residual effects from the drugs that had made him next to superhuman, he’d demolish anyone they needed him to.

“What’s the plan?” Brooks asked. His gun hung low at his side, concealed between them.

“It’s a big-ass warehouse,” Cole said. “I’m going to need you three to split up and clear the building one section at a time. If you find Sophia, alert me.” He tapped his earbud.

Dare passed earbuds to Nash and Brooks.

“What about Dallas?” asked Nash, glancing around the quiet street.

“He’s on an errand for me. He’s got a different plan. Just make sure you get to an exit when he says.”

Dare cocked his head. “Why—”

“Gimme a five-minute head start.” Cole broke away from their circle and stalked down the sidewalk toward the warehouse.

Fuck, he hoped Kenneth was still there. He’d make the fucker suffer before forcing him to swallow a few bullets. Rounding the building, he kept his weapon trained in front of him. Two large SUVs were parked in the rear lot. He moved to the back door next to a loading dock and swept inside. The corridor was dim. Only one bare bulb was fastened to the ceiling.

He moved farther inside. One set of stairs went upwards, another went down. He rocked his jaw. He’d start in the basement and work his way up then give his brothers the go-ahead to start at different parts of the warehouse. Between the four of them, they’d clear the place—and find Sophia—in no time.

Where the hell is Dallas?

The errand shouldn’t have taken long... unless of course he’d run into issues, which wouldn’t be good. Cole couldn’t risk calling him now. He’d have to wait until his twin let him know he was in position.

He reached the staircase and paused. Muffled voices carried through the cement walls from the floor below. Cole edged his way down.

“Jesus!” an irate voice boomed. “She could be anywhere.”

“How long was she left alone?” another guy asked.

“Not long. Twenty minutes or so.”

Holy shit. Sophia had escaped. He did a mental fist pump. Pride flooded his chest. Of course she had. She was one of the strongest fucking people he knew.

“She could still be in the building. Nick, you drive around, see if you can find her on foot. I’ll search down here in case she’s hiding. Kenneth, you work your way up. Call Tuck and Adam. Get them to look too.” The determination in the guy’s voice made Cole’s finger itch for the trigger.

He’d blast each and every one of them.

“You two find her.” Fury and anxiety pitched the older man’s voice—it had to be Kenneth. “I don’t have time for this. Adrian will be here any minute and I need to go over this month’s shipment. He can’t know about Sophia.”

Cole quickly backed up the stairs. If the other head honchos were on their way, this was his best chance to take them all out at once.

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