Page 71 of August

His phone buzzed in his pocket. Thank fuck he had reception now, but he didn’t dare pull out his phone and risk a distraction. Nonetheless, his heart raced with every buzz against his thigh, each sensation sending a blaring warning bell through his skull.

He fought to regulate his breath as the goon with long blond hair tied back into a ponytail at the nape of his neck spoke low into the phone at his ear. He pocketed the device and nodded. “Senator will be right out.”

August folded his arms across his chest. Then the quiet ringing of Toth’s phone snapped August’s attention to his friend. Toth also didn’t reach for his device, but the damn-near simultaneous phone calls made August’s blood pressure heighten.

“I just missed a call,” August said.

Toth’s skin paled, and he jammed his hand in his pocket.

“Hey! Hands where we can see them!” one of the idiots yelled, and lifted his weapon.

Toth held up his phone. “Easy.” He glanced at the screen, his face tight. “It’s Dana. Hello?” he said, bringing the device to his ear. “Wait—shit.” Toth’s eyes flew to August.

The air was vacuumed from August’s lungs and the trees and grass fell away from him. Only the rushing sound of blood in his ears was audible.

Toth held the device away from his mouth. “Taschen’s in the hospital. He was shot in the head. They have Gigi.”

“What?” Rage flooded through August’s veins as he snatched the phone from Toth. “Dana? What happened?”

Dana sniffled and choked on the other end. “I’m at the hospital with Taschen. I only talked to him for a moment before he lost consciousness again—he said the cartel has Gigi.” She droned on about how she’d found Taschen, but August couldn’t process a single syllable.

The ground caved beneath his feet and the world tilted on its axis. Rami’s rough hands gripped his shoulders, anchoring him in place.

Gigi’s gone.

Bile spiked up his esophagus, and the acrid taste of regret was so foul he almost retched. He never should have fucking left her. Never should have taken the chance. He had only a flicker of concern for Taschen. Yes, he hoped the guy lived. Hoped to hell he didn’t die having tried to do August’s job and protect Gigi, but Jesus. All his concern was laser focused on her.

Pain shot from the center of his breastbone to his left shoulder.

“Dude,” Rami barked, giving him a deadly shake. “She’s gonna be okay. Breathe, for fuck’s sake. You look like you’re going to pass out.” Despite his pep talk, strain and worry creased Rami’s eyes.

Toth was speaking to the guards, trying to explain the situation, but nothing reached August’s brain. All that mattered was Gigi. The only person he lived for had been taken from him. He knew what these people did, how they’d hurt her. The torture she’d endure just so they could send a message.

Wham!

Rami’s palm connected with the side of August’s face, forcing him to snap his attention to his friend’s bright-blue eyes and the tattoo that ran from his eyebrow to his cheekbone.

“Listen, man.” Rami’s admonishing tone made August suck in a breath. “We’ll find her.”

Ghost stared at him with a look of pity as he took a step closer. “Whoever touched her will fucking die,” he said, placing a hand on his shoulder. “We’ll see this through.”

His words spoke to August on a fundamental level. The only thing he cared about right now was killing the bastards who’d dared to take her.

The sound of the back door creaking open reached his ears, and August shifted his attention to Senator Roy Radcliffe. The older man crossed his arms over his chest, making his round middle strain against his checkered blue dress shirt. “What’s all the noise about?” His salt-and-pepper hair receded from his tanned face, and his eyes were small and cold as he stared at August with disdain.

In one swift move, August broke away from his friends and advanced on the senator. “You sonofabitch. You knew she was vulnerable. You knew they wanted her.”

Roy reared back and shook his head. “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.”

“Get back!” one of the guards ordered.

August breezed past him, cocked his fist, and decked the senator in the face.

All hell broke loose.

CHAPTER 22

“Goddammit!” Toth’s scream punched through August’s haze of rage. “Don’t fucking shoot!” he commanded the group.

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