Page 58 of Dark Encounter
Maybe there was a way to talk to my father and see if we coulduseThomas to complete a task or a hit for us. Maybe we could turn his ass into a slave who ran errands for us. Anything was better than killing the prick.
"How do I get myself into these bullshit situations? First Jenna and now this?" I sat up and let out a long sigh before grabbing for my phone. I had to find out where she was.
I tracked her phone and found her moving slowly by the river outside of my father's place.
"What the hell?" I stood up and called her phone, the damn thing ringing a million times and going to voice mail. "What are you doing on my side of town, Grace?"
I called again. And again. And again.
Grabbing my keys to the motorcycle, I jogged out of the house and tried to ignore the horrible thoughts dancing through my skull. Someone had her. My father? No. He wanted her out of my life, but he'd never hurt her. He loved me too much.
Right? Fuck.
My phone buzzed, and I answered it. "Grace?"
"No, lover boy. It's Cole."
"I don't have time for your shit right now. I can't find Grace."
"I'm aware. Her brother just called in a panic because she should have been home hours ago." He cleared his throat as I got on the bike. "You wanna explain how you're connected to him?"
"Did he mention me?" I reached back to grab my helmet.
"No, but he lost a friend last week, and he's freaking out over another one not answering his phone."
"Is this what you cops do? Just dig around in bullshit until you find something worthy of picking apart?" I laughed. "My father might have you as part of the syndicate, but I have no problem putting a bullet in your skull and dropping you in the woods, Cole. Don't mistake me for a friend. It would be detrimental to you."
"You don't scare me, Erik, but I will tell you this. Thomas was the third member of the boys that stole from your father. You're going to have to put a bullet in his head, or your father's going to put one in yours."
"Why do you care?"
"Because I have nothing better to do. You need to walk away from her."
"I will. Right after I find her."
"Alright man, but you're playing with fire."
"Fuck you too, pig." I hung up the phone and closed my eyes as my heart ached. Why did Cole care? And where the fuck was Nate in all of this shit? Maybe he could off Thomas so I wouldn't have to. "No," I growled. It was my job, and nothing was coming in between me and what was expected of me. Not Cole. Not Thomas.
Not even my pretty little sex kitten.
The phone buzzed, and I glanced down. Grace. How? My number was unlisted.
"Erik."
"Grace. Where the fuck are you, baby?"
"I'm at home."
"No, you're not."
"I need you to leave me alone from here on out. I honestly don't want anything to do with you."
"I don't care what you want. You know how this works."
Her voice broke. "And that's the life you want for me? To be used by a depraved bastard that could care less about me? I've spent my whole life protecting myself from the very things you're doing to me."
"I would never hurt you. You know that."
