Page 95 of Hart of Darkness
30
Dillon
The factory was an abandoned building that once was home to a paint manufacturer. Rusty old drums and paint cans littered the place. The perimeter was outlined with corroded pipes, and plastic pails were stacked two high with a sheet of wood draped over them and a computer on top.
All the way there, I itched to call the cops, but I believed Grace when she’d said Miguel had cops on his payroll. I was afraid if I called them, I might not get anywhere in finding Maggie.
Grace ran up to Dom and practically jumped into his arms before the two locked lips.
Duke hustled up behind me and growled as he laid eyes on Grace and Dom.
I cleared my throat.
“I have no idea what is happening,” Duke said at my side.
I had no inkling either. I felt as if someone had pistol-whipped me. Or maybe I was under a spell or in a bad dream that didn’t seem to end. My sister was alive, and Maggie had been kidnapped all within a matter of two hours. The latter was freaking me the fuck out as my pulse beat wildly.
I was ready to snag one of the two handguns next to the computer and threaten Dom if he didn’t start talking.
Instead, I waved a hand around. “Dom, what the fuck are we doing here? We need to bring in the cops. We’re not going to find Maggie with a laptop. And you fucking lied to me about my sister. You know her quite well. Did you lie about not seeing her for two weeks?”
Dom wrapped an arm around Grace, who seemed to be more relaxed now that she was in his presence.
“Bro, who cares if he lied about Grace. She’s here. Let’s concentrate on finding your girl.”
I full-on laughed. “What’s with the change in attitude, Duke?” He hadn’t wanted anything to do with me when I showed up at his penthouse, and now he was all in to help, although he had a point. But we weren’t going to find Maggie in a run-down factory or splitting hairs over why Dom lied. And Dom wasn’t a cop unless he was undercover, but a biker dude dressed all in black with a few tats inked on his arm didn’t scream cop to me.
However, it did cross my mind that he could be involved with the Black Knights. “Why were you at Tapas anyway?”
He rubbed his arm, which had a tattoo of an anchor with wings. “Fi works there,” he said as though I were supposed to know that piece of information. “I’m not with a gang, and I’m not out to hurt anyone. I genuinely care about Grace. I did leave out some info when I talked to you at the Crow, but I had to. Grace didn’t want you to know where she was since Miguel has been hunting the city for her.”
“I get you don’t want to go to the cops,” I said to Grace. “But you can’t keep running from Miguel.”
“That’s no way to live,” Duke added.
Dom raised his hands. “All we’re trying to do is find a location on Miguel. Once we do that, then we can bring in the cops.”
“How do you know the Black Knights took Maggie?” I asked.
“Because Miguel drives a black Jeep,” Dom said as a matter of fact.
He’d left out a ton during our convo at the Crow.
I snatched my phone from my jeans. “I’m calling Detective Hughes.” He was the only one I knew who had the team and firepower and knowledge behind him. Not to mention, Ted would do whatever it took to get Maggie back since they were like father and daughter. “He’s been tracking the Black Knights.”
Dom started for me. “No cops.”
Duke blocked him.
Inside I was cheering like a fan at a football game that my older brother hadn’t lost the urge to protect me.
“I told you,” Grace said. “Miguel has cops on the payroll.”
Stepping back, Dom briefly closed his eyes. “I understand you don’t trust me. Just give me time. I might be able to get a location on Miguel.”
Maggie didn’t have time.
Grace set her soft brown eyes on me, pleading. “Dom is ex-military and has a friend who’s good at finding things on the Internet. He’s been helping us try and find Miguel’s warehouses, where he keeps the girls. I know you want to help Maggie, and I do too. But I also want to rescue all the girls that Miguel has.”
