Page 98 of Brutal Knight

The warehouse is flat and empty. There’s nothing blocking my way. I dart for a door, the doorknob only inches from my hand as I reach out, adrenaline surging through me.

But before I can grab it, I’m yanked back.

My father pulls my hair, grabbing it and tugging so hard it feels like my scalp is burning. My neck aches as my head jerks back. I cry out in shock, my hands flying to my head.

He pulls me by my hair as I struggle to get away, feet skidding on the floor. I’m blinking away stars when he shoves me back in the chair, retying me before I can get my bearings. Tears of shock cloud my vision as he wraps my wrists tighter, so hard I think my fingers will go numb.

“You’re pathetic,” he says, slamming my ankles into place. “Running isn’t going to help. You’re wasting your energy and mine.”

He speaks to me like I’m a child, annoyed and haughty. I try to slow my breathing, try to relax. I don’t want to hyperventilate and end up dizzy and disoriented.

“You’ll be someone else’s problem soon,” he says, yanking the ropes tight across my skin. It burns when he tugs, but he doesn’t care.

He steps back and looks me in the face, his lip curled in disgust, his gaze flat and cold.

“Well, hopefully Cyrus will be able to finally break you. I have a good feeling about him.”

I think he’s right. If anything could break me, this just might be it.

CHAPTER37

Connor

I’m almost blind with rage. It rings in my ears, blocking out everything around me. I can barely breathe, barely swallow. It chokes me.

It’s nearly impossible to focus, but I have to. If I don’t get my shit together, there won’t be anything or anyone who can get Willow back.

I wouldn’t care if it was another Assembly member that took her. I would kill any of them if I had to, but I know now that it was her father. I have a vague memory of seeing his face through blurry vision as I was bleeding out on the ground.

And I’m going to make him pay for what he did.

My brothers are with me. They didn’t hesitate when I challenged them, and I’m so fucking grateful for that.

We leave the hospital as soon as I’m dressed and ready. Lachlan leads the way, already on his phone. As I listen to his low, urgent voice, I realize he’s talking to Kade Underwood, leader of the Devil’s Disciples.

Favors among Assembly members are common, but once you have one, you don’t use it lightly. Finding leverage doesn’t happen often. I’m surprised that Lachlan is willing to give this up, and more than that, I’m grateful.

“Kade. I need you to track a license for me.”

Kade is loud. I can hear him on the other end when we get into the car. “Send it to me, then.”

“Let everyone know there’s a reward for sabotage. I don’t want the car to move another inch.”

“Noted. I’ll send you what I find.”

“Thanks.”

Lachlan hangs up, and I dig my fingers into my thighs. This isn’t the first time we’ve mobilized to find Willow, but it’s bigger than ever before.

This is different. She didn’t just run. She’s been taken. Before, it was easy to think that we’d always get her back, always find her. Low-level men from the Ravens were never enough of a threat for me to worry about. I imagined they’d be sloppy, obvious, easy to track down.

Her father is different. He has an army behind him, and he wanted her back badly. He was willing to shoot me, risk killing me. He was willing to bring down the entire Assembly on his head just to get her back.

We reach the club and go in through the back door. It’s dead now, not yet open for business.

“What else?” I ask Lachlan. “We need to get moving. He’s had her for hours already.”

“We need to wait for word first. Get our things ready—as soon as we get a call from Kade, we’re out of here.”

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