Page 186 of Brutal Collateral

“It’s here somewhere.” I point to the yard. “I’ll find it.”

“All the glass. It will get—”

I press my lips to her ear. “I will find it.”

Trace arrives a few minutes later with Rhys and a team of his men for extra protection in case someone is waiting to hear from Miller and will unleash a fury at us when he doesn’t respond.

With all the cameras in the houses nearby turned off, Trace’s men prepare to haul an unconscious Miller to a ghost car my enforcer uses.

“Where’s Miller’s car?” I ask.

Zeke looks around. “No strange cars outside, boss.”

“It’s Manhattan, he probably took car service,” Connor says.

“Shane, check his phone,” I spit out.

He gripes in relief as he pulls it out of Miller’s pocket. “Uh, yep. He took a lift service here. I’m downloading the ride-share record and deleting it from their system.”

“Give me the driver’s info,” Rhys says.

“Don’t...kill a fucking lift driver,” I bite out.

“No one will find the driver with the record gone and the nearby cameras wiped,” Shane adds.

“Are you really that stupid?” I shout at Miller’s unconscious, bloodied, and bruised body, his breathing a death rattle.

“Please, take it easy until I get back.” I hold Ava’s face. “This is too important. I have to make sure it’s done. I have to see it with my own eyes.”

“I know. But I’m coming with you. Don’t leave me here alone.”

She’s here alone all the time with the guards. She must be traumatized. But instead of going inward, she’s reaching out. All she wants is me.

Gus drives us in my Escalade as we follow the ghost car, driven by Trace. A few minutes later, I get a text from Rhys.

Rhys: Found a warehouse. We can stage the fall. We got this, cuz.

There would come a point, I have to be a leader and let those who work for me do their job. I trust them. My wife needs me. She’s my priority.

“We’re getting you looked at.” I make a call.

Ava stretches her limbs with only minor grunts. Her hand rests in my lap, her fingers still trembling slightly.

I squeeze gently. “You need X-rays. Cormac will take care of it.”

“You know everyone, don’t you?” She sits back, holding her stomach.

I make the call to my shadow medic. “Cormac. Ava needs X-rays, right fucking now.”

“Who’d she fuck up?” he asks.

“She...” I give a soft chuckle.” My wife fell.”

“Fell where? How?”

I give him a brief rundown leaving Miller out of it. “I need you. I’ll meet you anywhere, Cor.”

“Meet me at the school’s lab. I’ll do them myself.”

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