Page 51 of Abducted

“That’s a good idea, thanks.” He’d never bothered to get a dog since he was rarely home. He loved animals, but it wouldn’t be fair to leave one alone all the time. Rufus was a damn good dog and well behaved. It would be nice having him around for the night.

Lana squealed excitedly from the kitchen, greeting Rufus. “Oh, you’re such a good boy!” She was on her knees, scratching his ears, when they walked in. “Hi, guys.” She smiled.

Nate inhaled deeply. “What’s in the oven?”

“Pizza. Make sure she eats.” Cal nodded at Lana as she rose from her crouched position. A large gash split the skin above Ethan’s temple. A butterfly bandage held it in place. Lana’s gaze drifted to Ethan’s wound, and her eyes grew soft and distant.

“You two all right?” she asked.

Nate nodded. “Yeah, it got a little crazy. They shot out my windows, and one idiot got inside and landed a lucky shot with the butt of his gun to Ethan’s big head.”

Ethan glowered at him. “There were five of them, and Stamos was shooting from the vehicle. We took out two of his men, and then they took off before the cops arrived. What happened to you guys?”

“One of the SUVs was hot on our ass from the moment we left your place. Lana did some quick thinking and hid the truck in the woods and I shot out their tires. One guy probably died from the crash, the other was nearly there. One was able to talk and only said that Stamos had hired him, but he knew nothing else. He had a broken leg, and I shot out his other one so he won’t be a threat.”

Ethan nodded, his expression somber. “We found an address for Will. Should we go?”

The sooner they left, the sooner he could get home to Lana. There was that word again,home. Lana was beginning to feel more like home than his house.

She lifted her chin, a shaky smile on her lips. “Go ahead, we’ll be fine.” Rufus sat next to her feet and gave him a big doggy grin.

“We won’t be long.” He pulled her tighter against him, not giving a shit what Ethan and Nate would say later, and pressed his lips to her forehead. Her arms came around his waist, her face buried in his chest.

“Where the hell you going, World War Three?” The corner of Nate’s mouth lifted.

Ethan jabbed him in the ribs. “Shut up, you ass.”

Cal turned and headed down the hallway to change into darker clothes. This time he was getting answers. The sooner they wrapped this up, the better.

***

“Let’s not killanyone, all right? We’ll collect the information and hand it off to Nate so he can do the FBI work.” They sat in Ethan’s truck, parked across the street from Stamos’s apartment complex.

“I can’t make any promises.” He pulled black gloves over his hands. “We’ll pop into Stamos’s apartment first and then Shawn’s. Just in case he’s there. Will shouldn’t have a clue we’re after him, and I don’t want Stamos tipping him off.”

Ethan nodded his agreement. “We’ll move quickly just in case and secure them both—if they’re both there.”

“Did you find any link between Will and Tanner?”

Ethan pulled his phone out of his pocket. “I hacked into both of their social media accounts, and it appears none of them are friends. However, they have numerous mutual friends, so my guess is there’s a connection.”

Cal shook his head. “We need to pay a visit to Tanner.”

Ethan locked eyes with him. His jaw worked. “You think that’s a good idea?”

“It would be cutting out the middle men.”

“True, but he’s not going to admit anything. It’s best if we corner these idiots, get them to confess who hired them, and then take Tanner down with evidence. That guy has more money and influence than we can shake a stick at. If we don’t have enough tallies stacked against him, there won’t even be an investigation.”

Cal nodded. It was a good thing Ethan, the levelheaded one, was here. He scratched his beard with his gloved thumb. Dammit, he’d forgotten to shave again. A picture of an aroused Lana squirming under him as he glided his bristled cheek across her naked body flashed through his mind. Shit. He did not need a hard-on while sitting next to Ethan.

“All right, let’s go.”

They slipped out of the vehicle and crossed the dark street. A light flickered outside the building, casting strobe shadows. They entered the three-story walk-up and advanced up the stairs two at a time. The old, worn carpet on the stairs reeked like urine. The stench of BO and cigarettes breathed out of the grungy paint.

Ethan pressed his back against the wall beside Stamos’s apartment, his gun pointing to the floor. Cal paused on the other side and pulled out his Glock.

Ethan nodded. It was go time.

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