Page 34 of Brutal Truths

I ease off just enough for the gate to finish opening—then floor it. A car coming down the road swerves out of my way, horn blaring. That prick is lucky I don’t have time to turn around and rip him out of his car for pushing my buttons.

We hit the main road without slowing, tires squealing. Zander braces himself, grabbing the overhead handle, as the car jerks. “Slow down, man. You can’t save her if you’re dead.”

Just as I’m about to tell him to fuck off, my phone rings over the speakers. Zander beats me to it, pressing the green button on the screen. “Let’s hear it. What are we walking into?”

“Good to hear your voice, Zander. Didn’t realize you were joining us.” Lane’s voice carries a hint of amusement. “So, how’d you get invited to the party?”

“Bossman made it happen,” Zander says. “Good thing I was close. Otherwise, Drake might’ve come. Instead, you’re stuck with me.” Fucker grins. “Better to look at, and I don’t grunt my words.”

I take the next corner faster than necessary. “Drake wasn’t coming. That was made clear before scar face showed up. Now stop the chitchat and tell me everything.”

“Not really sure what we’ll be walking into. Intel’s weak. Satellite picked up the SUV—the one that took the princess—parked in the drive,” Pauly’s voice responds. No surprise, I expected the crew to all be listening. “It’s too dark to confirm more. Once we’re closer, I’ll deploy a drone with heat sensors to tell us how many we’re dealing with. Wish I had more.”

“Are we sure she’s there?” Zander asks what no one else has said out loud.

I cut him a look. Things between the two of us have always been touchy. We met at boot camp. Rivals from day one. He jumped branches, ended up SAS—Special Air Service. Same kind of work. Same shitty mess. A bomb took out his unit during a covert op, leaving half his team dead and the others barely holding on.

Zander’s face is a mess of scars, but those haven’t slowed him down. He’s one of our best.

The advantage in this world is that everyone knows we hate each other. Though hate’s a strong word. Better to say I’m not a fan. But I trust him, and in this world, that’s everything.

Even if he’s one ugly, annoying prick.

“We can’t be positive until we get inside.”

I must grunt because Lane adds, “Even if she’s not, someone is. And whoever’s inside knows where she is and who took her. Don’t worry, Aiden. We’ll find her. Do whatever it takes. But my gut tells me this is where they are keeping her.”

“Why?” I ask. “Whose place is this?”

There’s a long pause that has the hairs on the back of my neck standing up. This is going to be one of those damn mysteries that makes no sense. A piece of the puzzle I’m hoping to solve.

“That’s the part that tripped us up,” Pauly finally says. “The place was purchased twenty-eight years ago by Sofia Joan Lopez, Isabel’s mother.”

“Shut up.”

“I’m not done,” Pauly sighs. “When she died, it passed to her mother, Alma. A few years ago, Isabel’s name was added to the deed. We only found it because Alma mentioned it to Misty. Told her she needed to check on Sofia at her home in Westbury. Said the young man she was playing house with was dangerous, and when he found out what she’d been up to, he’d kill her. Misty calmed her down, then passed the information over to Holster. Said it felt real. Important.”

I slam the car into park and jump out now that we’ve reached the farm, ending the call.

Lane is standing there, waiting for what I’m sure he knows is coming.

“So, you believe Isabel owns the house they’re holding her in?”

Lane shakes his head. “Six months ago, Rico sold it. How? Not sure. But that seems to be a pattern.”

When he doesn’t elaborate, I want to punch him. “To whom?”

“An investment company.”

“What does an investment company want with an old farmhouse in the middle of fucking nowhere?” My eyes scan over my men, and I lower my head, knowing they’re holding something back. “Just get on with it so we can go.”

“The woman who signed the papers is also the CEO of Ultion. Her name is Katerina Vetrov. Wanna guess who her great uncle is?” Pauly doesn’t wait; he spits it out. “Viktor Del Markov.”

Fuck!

Chapter 10

Isabel