Page 98 of Beautifully Broken Control

“What’s going on?”

Tuck pulled J to him, kissing one temple, the other, and then her forehead. “We’re going to go ask Doug a couple of questions.” Jensen opened her mouth to say something, but Tuck silenced her with a kiss. “Please, just this once, do what I ask without fighting me on it. Go back to the ranch. Take care of Noah. Let me rest easy knowing you’re safe.”

Jensen’s eyes reddened. “What about you? Are you going to be safe?”

Tuck hugged her tighter to him. “You know I always am, Wilder.”

Fuck.Jensen had almost lost Tuck once, and here I was, bringing him into more danger. “Tuck, why don’t you go with J?”

His head jerked in my direction. “Don’t say stupid shit. We’re in this together.”

Jensen straightened from Tuck’s hold. “No, you’re right. You need to go with them.” Her gaze traveled over us all. “Please, be careful.”

“We will.” Walker pulled J in for a quick hug. “Tell my girl I love her, and I can’t wait to marry her.” Jensen nodded, and we all took off, piling into two separate vehicles. Jensen and Anna on their way to the ranch, and Tuck, Walker, and I headed for Doug’s.

Walker pulled the address up on his navigation system as Tuck studied a map. “He rents an old cabin at the base of the mountains. It borders national forest land, so no one’s around.”

My jaw tightened, that familiar click sounding in my ear. “The perfect place to hold someone.”

Nothing else was said as we curved our way up the mountain roads. The only thing running through my mind was a chant.Be okay. Be okay. Be okay.As if I could will Kennedy’s state of being into reality with my mind alone.

We pulled to a stop at the base of a steeply inclined drive. Walker turned off his truck. “We go on foot from here.” We climbed out, and Walker handed out Kevlar vests.

I slipped the weighted material over my head, tightening the straps. I looked up, watching as my friends checked their weapons and vests. They always had my back. No matter what. No questions asked. “Thank you.” Two sets of eyes met mine. “You’re my brothers.”

We stood in a circle, gripped each other’s shoulders. No other words of affirmation or gratitude were necessary. We knew we were each other’s chosen family.

Walker released the hold first, starting up the side of the gravel drive, sticking to the tree line. “We play this smart. Tuck and I take point. Cain, you remain outside until we’ve cleared the building.”

I grunted in response. Tuck eyed me and shook his head. He knew there was nothing in this world that could keep me out of this house. And if Walker was honest with himself, he knew it, too.

As we crested the hill, a cabin and two cars came into view, an SUV that looked to be on its last legs, and a Mercedes. Walker held a finger to his lips and inclined his head towards the vehicles.

I took in the cabin, searching for any signs of movement. There was nothing. If not for the cars, I would’ve thought there was no one inside.

Walker and Tuck arranged themselves on either side of the door, Walker motioning for me to stand behind him. Gun gripped in two hands, Walker nodded. Tuck took two strides up onto the cabin steps. “Sutter Lake police.” With a swift movement I’d only seen on the screen, he kicked the flimsy door open, wood shattering around the busted lock.

My friends cleared the door in seconds, making their way through the space in a choreographed dance that only came with hours of training and practice. I followed behind, doing everything I could not to get in the way. The only sounds were the occasional “clear” from Tuck or Walker. Until I heard a strangled scream.

My chest seized as Tuck and Walker rushed towards the sound, careful to clear any doorways before passing by. It was taking too long. Kennedy was screaming, and anything could be happening to her. I pushed out every dark and disturbing image that tried to fight its way into my mind. I had to stay focused on Kenz. She was the only thing that mattered.

Tuck pushed a door open as Walker held his gun ready and halted as soon as he crossed the threshold. “Sutter Lake police. Put the weapon down, slowly.”

The air in my lungs disappeared in an instant. There was only Kennedy. My Kenz. My wild dancer. Perrier-obsessed, joyous spirit. And she had a gun to her head. The woman who held it looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t place her.

“I don’t think I’m going to do that.” The voice was calm. Far too composed for the situation.

“Ma’am, the only way out of this is for you to let Kennedy go. Releasing her will make the courts lenient.” Walker’s negotiator hat was on now.

The woman laughed, sharp and ugly. “So polite, with thema’am. Kennedy, you’ve made such proper friends. It’s a shame you couldn’t do that growing up.”

What the fuck?Who was this woman?

“Oh, screw this,” Tuck muttered. There was a pop and, suddenly, the woman was down. Down and convulsing, wires seeming to come out of her chest. I didn’t care what had happened, I only cared about Kennedy.

I rushed to the bed, grabbing her face as gently as I could. “Kenz. Where are you hurt?”

She winced at the sound of my voice. “I’m okay. Really. Can you untie me?” Her voice started to almost slur as she asked, and her eyes rolled back in her head. Kennedy’s body stiffened, falling to the bed and then seizing.

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