Page 105 of Lawless

“I do and you know it,” he says, his voice unwavering.

Stepping up to me, he reaches for the gun that’s hanging from my fingers—his gun—and quickly tucks it into his pants.

“What the fuck are we waiting for?” he barks before racing toward the front door.

Ez catches my eye as JD steps out into the sunlight.

He doesn’t say a word, but I can read every single one he wants to say in his eyes.

“What’s the alternative?” I mutter. “Leaving him here?”

Without waiting for a response, I surge forward and into the fall afternoon sun. But it does little to warm the icy cold dread that’s running through my veins.

JD is already sitting in the passenger seat of my Charger waiting for me when I drop behind the wheel.

“Talk to me,” he demands. “I need to know everything.”

A pained sigh spills from my lips as Ezra pulls open the back door and joins us. But this time, instead of keeping JD in the dark, I tell him everything I know as we make our way to the location Aubrey gave me.

“He sent you a photo?” JD barks at my confession. “And it’s taken you until now to find her.”

“We’ve been trying,” Ezra pipes up from behind. “He’s taken them off-grid.”

“He thinks he’s winning,” I murmur.

“Fuck that,” JD snaps. “There is no fucking way we’re letting that cunt win anything.”

Silence follows his statement. None of us need to say the words; we all know just how vehemently we agree with them.

“He’s put her in a fucking cage,” JD fumes, his fists clenching and unclenching in his lap as he tries to process all of this.

“We’ll get her,” I promise before Ezra leans between the seats and grips his shoulder. “We’ve got this, J.”

The rest of the journey is silent and tense. JD is practically vibrating with anger by the time I take the turn that leads to the location on the very outskirts of Harrow Creek that Aubrey sent me.

“You trust this chick, right?” Ezra asks as the car bounces around over the rough terrain.

My heart lurches in my chest as I hear his insinuation loud and clear.

But that’s not what this is.

“Almost as much as I trust the two of you,” I say honestly.

“And how come I’ve never met her?” Ez asks, leaning through the seats again.

“Because you’ll probably try to fuck her.”

“She’s female, right?”

My teeth grind in irritation.

“Stay the fuck away from Aubrey. She’d eat you alive.”

“Pfft, I really doubt that,” Ezra mutters, pissed off by my lack of confidence in his skills.

“Where the fuck is she?” JD barks impatiently as I pull into a clearing and bring the car to a stop.

“She’ll be here,” I confirm, scanning the tree line for a hint of her. “Come on,” I say, killing the engine and stepping out so she can see us.

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