Page 49 of Lethal Justice

Chapter Twenty-Five

Malco feltthe pain in his side and swallowed down a grunt before it left his mouth. Kasten rolled him with a booted foot, and Malco bit back the hatred he had for the man. Now was not the time for anger; it was the time to remain calm so he and Alex could find a way out of this. Alex wasn’t looking too hot though, his face was a mess, and Malco could see him favoring his left side.

Kasten leaned down and got in Malco’s face as Alex groaned in the corner as he started to come around. “You fucking people think you’re so clever, but this is my city. I own it, and I own you, and now you’ll pay for breaking the rules, and so will that little slut lawyer you’re fucking like the whore she is.” Spittle landed on Malco as Kasten finished his angry monologue.

“You’re nothing but a greedy little man with a God complex.” Malco kept his gaze on the man, watching the lines of fury bracket his mouth. He said no more, not wanting to push his luck and gain himself a kicking he wouldn’t handle well with his current injuries.

Kasten laughed, throwing back his head as he spun toward the door. He placed his hand on the brass knob before he angled his head toward Malco.

“You wouldn’t understand men like me. We are leaders, and you...” Kasten curled his lip in obvious disgust. “You are nothing.” On that final note, Kasten stepped through the metal door and closed it. Malco heard the bolt slide home and the click of a padlock, and sagged back on to the cold dirt floor.

He lifted his head and looked around the dimly lit room. It seemed to be some kind of storage unit on the east of the city. He didn’t know this area well, but he knew the gangs never came here, which probably made it the perfect place to hide them. His team would be looking for them in gang territory, and they’d never find them. He and Alex had to find a way to get themselves out of this mess.

Malco shimmied his way toward his injured friend and leaned heavily against the metal wall when he did. His own breathing was labored because of his earlier blood loss and the pain he was in. He noticed blood on his white shirt from the reopened gunshot wound and cursed inwardly.

His gaze landed on Alex. His lip was split and swollen, his right eye barely open from the already forming bruises; a small cut near his hairline indicated blunt force trauma, and Malco was certain there were more he wasn’t seeing. He’d been conscious in the car, but when they’d gotten away from the prying eyes of civilians, Kasten’s colleague had pistol-whipped Alex on the back of the head but, for some reason, left him alone.

“Hey, Alex, come on, man, wake up.” Malco kicked his friend gently on the leg, trying to rouse him. A groan was his answer, but it was better than nothing. He needed Alex awake because it was going to take both of them to carry their own weight to get out of this. He felt his jaw harden when he thought of Frida and the frightened and bewildered look on her face when they’d been taken.

The fear he’d felt roiling in his belly when he saw Kasten was so real he had to gulp down air to stop it from making an appearance now. In a few days, she’d come to mean everything to him, and he’d give his life in a heartbeat and without a second thought to keep her safe, but because of that, he was terrified she’d do the same for him.

If she gave up this case to keep him safe, Malco knew it would torture her, but he knew if it came down to a choice between his life and the case, she’d hand it over without a second thought. He couldn’t let her do that, she’d worked too hard and fought to be the woman he loved, and that wasn’t someone who gave in to bullies.

As he thought about it, he gave Alex a heavier kick. “Wake up. We have to get out of here.”

* * *

Frida was exhausted,it was the second night with no sleep, and it had been six hours since the man she loved had been taken. Nicholas had located Rina, and the decision had been taken to keep her under watch and see where she went. She lifted her hair off her neck, tying it in a haphazard bun on the top of her head. They had located bugs in the conference room, and now Shane was running a complete check of the entire facility.

Ward had spoken with JaKheel, and he seemed to think the Blood Razors wouldn’t be foolish enough to hide the men there. So now she was poring over the paperwork again and seeing if she could find a clue as to where they might be. She knew she should be tying everything in a bow so she could take Kasten down the minute they located Malco and Alex.

The door to Shane’s office flew open, banging against the wall as Cleo came running in. “You have to see this.”

Frida’s heart kicked up at the urgency on the woman’s face, and then her eyes moved to the laptop she held in front of her. The screen showed her and Malco’s car being pulled over and then Kasten and the other uniformed cop closing in on their vehicle. She watched as Malco was pushed against the hood of the car and she spoke with Kasten, who was clearly visible underneath the hat he wore. The recording followed as Malco was driven away, and she got in the car with Shane and Emme.

A voice came over the recording then. “Another incident of police brutality from the city’s finest. I’ll attempt to follow them to the station and get more footage as this poor man is taken into custody.”

Frida glanced at Cleo and saw the same expression on her face as she knew she wore herself.

“This is it! We have to find this person. They have no idea how much danger they’re in.” Frida felt anxiety and hope waged war within her.

Cleo spun on her heel. “On it.” Frida jumped up and followed the woman from the room as she raced for the tech room. Cleo slammed through the door, Frida on her heels to see Emme and another woman. Frida stopped short as she surveyed the beautiful woman in front of her. She was around five feet four inches and slim, with just enough curves to give her body a gentle, feminine appearance.

Warm citrine toned skin, and dark, almost black eyes with defined sweeping brows framed a face that had a peach blush and rose-pink lips. Frida snapped out of her perusal when Emme spoke.

“Ah, ladies, great timing. This is Imari Kayoko.” Emme smiled at Imari. “This is our wonderful office manager, Cleo, and lawyer extraordinaire, Frida.”

Imari tilted her head and dipped her chin in greeting. “Nice to meet you.”

“Great to meet you too.” Frida looked at Emme then, a sense of urgency in her gut. “I don’t mean to be rude, but we have a problem.”

Emme frowned. “News on Alex and Malco?”

“Kind of.” Cleo shoved the screen at Emme, and Imari watched over her shoulder as Cleo hit play. Frida dug her fingernails into her palm until the video finished.

Emme’s eyed met her own, and Frida saw the realization in them. “We need to find that person and fast.”

Frida rubbed her hands together. “I know, but how?”