Page 61 of DFF: Delicate Freakin' Flower

I wasn't going to be hunted anymore.

I hadn’t told Webb or Eddie yet. I couldn’t. Not while the plan was still being formed, and my resolve needed to stay sharp.

I was still turning it over in my head when the satellite phone rang, making everyone in the room freeze.

Webb snatched it up and answered with a clipped, “Yeah.”

He listened for a beat. “Maddix?”

My stomach clenched until I realized—it wasn't Colin Maddox. It was the Maddix. The family friend and the one he trusted.

Webb hit the speaker button.

“I think you need to hear this, Gabby,” Maddix warned on the line, his voice low and tense. “Remember the man you think you saw being buried in concrete?”

“I remember,” I confirmed, stepping forward.

“This revolves around the head of contracting for Maddox Enterprises,” Maddix explained. “A missing person report just went public—filed by his parents.”

Webb swore under his breath.

Eddie’s eyes narrowed. “What’s the official line?”

“Internal HR reported that he ran off with a woman. His wife’s backing the story... but his parents aren’t buying it. They say he was planning a run for Senate next year and had high-profile meetings lined up.”

“And now he’s just gone?” I asked.

“Gone,” Maddix confirmed. “His wife just checked into a luxury resort in Cabo. She's giving no press statements, no appeals, andshowing no public concern. It's like she already knows there’s nothing to look for.”

We were all quiet for a second, then Webb leaned over the table and started typing the guy’s name into his laptop. After a few clicks, a polished headshot appeared on the screen—smiling confidently, dressed in a crisp suit, with teeth so white they looked like they could cut glass.

“Darren Redell,” Webb read aloud. “Born in Louisiana and based in Orlando. His public image is squeaky clean. If he was running for Senate, he’d either be a powerful ally?—”

“Or a liability,” Eddie finished. “Depending on what he knew.”

“And if he started asking the wrong questions,” I added, throat dry, “Colin would’ve made him disappear.”

I looked at the screen again, at that fake-polished grin. He was supposed to be the face of something better and cleaner. But all I could think about was that horrible, wet sound of concrete being poured and the way the men on that site hadn’t spoken a word as they'd done it.

Webb looked up at me, jaw tight. “They’re not just cleaning house. They’re silencing anything that could be used against them.”

I nodded slowly, knowing what he wasn't saying out loud—I was next on the list.

The driveto the ranch was long enough for me to think too much and short enough to feel like I hadn’t done anything about it.

I was behind the wheel of one of the bad guys’ SUVs, with the windows down, my hair tied up, and sunglasses covering my eyes that hadn’t slept. It smelled like sweat, old fast food, and a hint of motor oil, and I hated how easy it was to slip into the role of someone I wasn’t. Like I’d borrowed the life of someone dangerous.

Behind me, Webb’s truck followed close, and the taillights of Eddie’s ride were visible in the rearview. They were transporting the prisoners between them, who were still tied, blindfolded, and hopefully—for Eddie and Webb's sakes—silent. Well, unless they were divulging secrets that we needed to know...

I turned off the main road and followed the long gravel drive through vast pastureland lined with wooden fencing and tall oak trees. It had to be noted that the suspension in the SUV was slightly better than Webb's truck because my teeth didn't rattle in my gums this time. That didn't mean it didn't shake my brain around in my skull.

A few ranch hands came out to meet us, confusion turning to quiet understanding as Webb and Eddie unloaded the men from their trucks. Marcus walked out of the barn, wiping his hands on a towel, his eyebrows shooting up when he saw the haul.

“Christ,” he muttered. “This is your version of bringing home strays? At least I keep it to horses and wildlife.”

Webb didn’t bother with pleasantries. “We need to use the feed barn.”

Marcus nodded once, then barked something over his shoulder to the ranch hands. None of them asked questions, they just moved to do what needed to be done.

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