sadistic tone. With my head down and my eyes closed again, I didn’t want to see them, but my choice was stolen from me when a firm grip to my jaw wrenched my head up. The pressure made my lids pop open even though I wanted to remain in the dark.
The man looking back at me was big but not fat. He was tall, bald, as if he shaved his head on purpose, and clean-shaven. I wasn’t good with ages, but he appeared to be anywhere in his late forties to early fifties. I didn’t want to notice anything distinguishable about him, but I couldn’t help but see the red mark near his right temple. It looked to be a birthmark in the shape of a jagged letter Z. His black eyes bore into me, their blankness sending a shiver through my entire body.
“Oh, we want you to tell them exactly what we did to you,” he sneered, pressing his cheek against mine, his lips close to my ear. “I want you to describe every detail to him.” Who is he talking about?
His fingers curled around the back of my neck, his hold on me fierce. He moved his free arm behind him, swinging it back in front of him, only this time he brandished a large knife, the glint of the top catching a beam of light coming in through the window.
“I’m gonna make you scream,” he threatened, placing the tip of the blade high on my cheekbone, digging in with the slightest pressure. “And you’re gonna love it.”
32
“How long are we gonna wait? I need to do something now,” Ryder shouted, pacing around the large wooden table, talking to no one in particular, several others scattered throughout the room, mixed up in various conversations.
Tripp, Hawke, and their cousins were off in the corner, planning. I couldn’t hear the details, but I didn’t need to. I was too focused on my own thoughts and fears to give anyone else the proper attention.
Marek and Stone stood by the head of the table, locked in their own discussion while I planted my large self against the wall next to the door. Kaden had come in and out, as had Tag, asking if I wanted him to continue watching over Morgan. I saw a glint in the fucker’s eye when I gave my permission, but I grabbed him by the back of the neck and squeezed, threatening to do him harm if he laid a finger on her.
He still seemed pleased to be tasked with the duty, but I didn’t have time to reiterate my threat, Marek waving his hand in my direction to bring me into his and our VP’s convo. He asked more questions about what happened right before the women were taken, making me repeat myself, sometimes more than once. My patience died, replaced with dread, rage and a bit of uncertainty mixed in for good measure. A concoction big enough to drive me off the deep end if we didn’t act, and soon.
Outside Chambers, the rest of the guys switched between talking amongst themselves and huddling close to their families—those that had them. Trigger, Cutter, and our Laredo brothers kept to themselves more than not, which seemed to be just fine by the looks on their faces. They didn’t seem put out or on edge like the rest of us, but maybe that was because what was going on right now was familiar to them, that most of them had lived through this before.
I sure as fuck hadn’t.
With my fingers digging into the knotted muscles of my shoulders, I tipped my head back and toward the ceiling, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath. Then another.
Then another.
Zoe’s face appeared behind my lids and I shuddered. Would I ever see her again? Would I ever be able to hold her close, tell her how scared I was? Tell her how I truly felt about her? That I couldn’t live without her?
“Brick!” Marek shouted next to me, shoving at me when I didn’t immediately respond.
“What?” I growled back, reining in my temper when he scowled at me.
“When was the last time you called Zoe’s phone?” Ryder heard the question and snapped his head in our direction.
“Two minutes ago. Still no answer.” I’d been continuously calling since we all got back here, but that bastard wasn’t picking up.
“Try again,” he demanded, intently watching me as I turned the device over in my hand and selected her name. One ring… two…