Page 173 of Dark Endures

“Tell him that we want our money. And if he doesn’t pay, we’ll take it out of your skin, then kill you.”

Maddox answers. “Hey—”

Tears start to flow as I see his happy face. “They told me to call you.”

“Who told you? Where are you?”

“The men. They said to tell you they want their money. And if they don’t get it, they’ll kill me.” Maddox really didn’t need to hear the rest.

A knife plunges down towards my thigh at the same time as he takes the phone and throws it out of the window. “Stop screaming.”

“There’s a knife in my thigh.”

“It’s just a little cut for emphasis. If I wanted to kill you, I would have sliced your femoral artery.” The man reaches across and takes my jaw in his hand. “He’s going to pay through the nose to save this pretty face of yours.”

Crawley

Maddox

“The men. They said to tell you they want your money. And if they don’t get it, they’ll kill me.”

A knife plunges down, and Mindy screams.

The call disconnects.

I pull up the tracker on her phone. It moves for a second. Then blinks away.

My world tilts and crushes in, but I don’t have time to be afraid. “Lock down the town. I need every brother on security. Set up a team to pick up the kids from work and school.”

The room explodes with action.

Vex is on his feet and out the door before I can blink.

Ethan is right behind him.

Jacko comes to stand next to me. “We’ll find her.”

Will we? The tears on her face just about broke me. “Enzo, take my phone. It has her last known location. See if you can find anything.”

Jacko moves in front of me. “You’re the clue. Take a minute and figure out who could think you owe them money.”

Money.

Money.

I don’t owe anyone. “The bag. The one from Adonis’ place. But he’s dead.”

“It’s a start. Who else, who else could you owe money?” Jacko puts his hand on my shoulders, holding me in place, forcing me to focus.

“He owes the drug dealer,” Everett answers from the door. “What’s going on? Why does everyone have to stay inside?”

That’s why we lock our doors. Though I doubt any lock would keep that kid out. “Mindy has been kidnapped.”

“That woman is always in trouble.” Everett moves towards the computers where Enzo is plugging away.

“It wasn’t her. They kidnapped her because of me.” How would they know I cared about her? “We only started dating. How would they know to take Mindy? It’s got to be someone at the party.”

Vex walks in with Dahlia over his shoulder, dragging Fea and Daria along.

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