HURRICANE (Beasts of Prey Book 2) Page 4

  Tiger's palms rest on his thighs, but something tells me that he holds back. He doesn't make a move if I don't.

  "You ordered one barbeque chicken?" The voice behind his back makes us both startle, and Tiger jumps up, pulling me with him. I let out a relieved breath, happy about the interruption. We’re balancing on the edge of a blade.

  I should have told Tiger how I felt that day. I should have said it to him every day for the past five years. I knew it the whole time; I've loved him from the beginning. Now when I did tell him, admitted my feelings, and we finally let it all out and went for it…

  I'm here. A fucking hostage. It feels like I'm missing a limb. Well, I kind of am. There's a hole in my chest, and my heart is with him wherever he is at the moment. I hope he is safe. That's all that matters.

  The voice I hate the most in the world pulls me back from my morning dreaming. "Darling, it's our lucky day."

  Oh, fuck look how excited I am. I don't say my thoughts out loud, just open my eyes and deadpan. "Did this place set on fire?"

  Levi laughs, ignoring my sarcasm. "Joe can't deal with you today, he got another case, so it's just you and me."

  Yes, clearly, my lucky day. What a fucking psycho he is.

  Levi walks to the bed, where I'm tied at my ankles and wrists like a fucking starfish. He has a pudding, a spoon, and a coffee cup in his hands as he sits at the edge of the bed. He is wearing light jeans and a light gray T-shirt, and his blond surfer hair is damp from the shower. I heard him showering earlier, even though I was still in a drugged haze.

  I smell like vanilla, so he must have bathed me last night like he always does after he's fucked me. There are only shadowy glimpses from here and there, mostly a word there and touch here, but I am quite sure that's what he was doing to me.

  He hasn't said a thing, and I won't fucking ask. I think it's better I don't remember it.

  Levi opens the pudding, taking a little spoon full of it. Chocolate flavored, and it used to be my favorite. It's not anymore.

  "There's a new series on Netflix, I thought we could watch it today," he says while feeding me the pudding, which I have to force down and keep myself from puking it out.

  He talks like it's the most natural thing to do. Watch Netflix with a woman who he has tied to a bed and fucked her when he's drugged her from fighting back. I thought my family and I were psychos, but this is a whole new level of the fucked up human mind.

  Levi's bright baby blue eyes meet mine with an arched brow. "Sounds good?'

  Well, fuck, no. It would sound good if he would stab himself with that spoon but yeah, clearly not that crazy.

  But I need to get out. My mind buzzes as a plan starts to form in my mind. I pull on an innocent, not too wide smile.

  "Sounds perfect, Levi," I answer, casually, not too sweetly so he won't suspect anything.

  The fucker won't even see me coming.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  I jog the stairs three at a time up to the hotel room I've been using. Mainly for a shower to get the blood off me after every fucker I questioned. It's not actually a hotel, more like a hostel kind of place and shady enough no one paid attention when I walked to my room covered in blood.

  Bet this place has seen worse than that.

  Gathering my clothes into the black duffel bag, I think about what happened. I never thought I would go back without her, but… Cobra would want me to work with Leo. Besides, just now when I was with him, it felt oddly soothing. I had someone to share this nightmare.

  Leo has his flaws, but he is still the closest to a father figure I've ever had. I don't know who our birth father is, and the asshole who we thought was our father was anything but and fucked us over in the worst ways possible. Leo was the one who saved me from that hellhole and has always treated me like a son of his own.

  His doubts about me betraying them were understandable now when I think of it. I didn't give any explanation for why I refused to go home after Cobra was taken. I got rid of the car and my phone. And then the fucking Crusador suggests I am the traitor, playing mind games with us.

  Yeah, Leo had a point.

  Still, I'd never do anything like that. I'd die for them, all of them. Family sticks together. That's what Mom would've wanted me to do too. And if Amelia could be in my position? I'd kick her ass if she'd turn her back for help. For a family.

  I throw my bag over my shoulder and pick up the red duffel bag into my hand at the end of the bed—Cobra's bag.

  The second picture of her flashes into my retinas, knocking the air out of my lungs. I sway on my feet, trying to stabilize my spinning mind and body. Every feeling starts to storm inside me, even when I try to suppress them down. It won't help me to find her if I break down now.

  I will find her. We will find her.

  She doesn't have to suffer for long. I'll get her into my arms, and I'll heal her. Fix her broken parts. Whatever she's going through now… I can help her; I know I can.

  If I managed to get through it, she can too, because she is so much stronger than I am.

  I leave the room behind me, get my mode back on track. In the hallway, people are staggering into their rooms after a night out, and the smell of alcohol is tangible in the air. Pushing myself through the front door, I take a breath of fresh air and pull my Ray Ban's on because the rays of the rising sun are starting to light up the new day.

  Day fifteen. That's how long she's been gone.

  Leo is waiting for me in a new Dodge Durango, and it's impressive, even though I'm not into cars. I asked what happened to his last SUV, and he just shrugged nonchalantly and told me someone who he was going to ask questions tried to flee. The guy had ended up between his car and the brick wall. In some sick way, it makes me feel good because it proves Leo isn't beating around bushes either.

  "Anything from Puma yet?" he asks when I jump in, tossing our bags to the backseat. Now, in daylight, I make a note there are bloodstains on the ceiling, and those didn't come from me. I appreciate Leo even more now.

  "No, let me call him." I twist on the seat to grab my phone and type Puma's number. I tap my free hand to my thigh, waiting for him to answer. “Through Oblivion” by In Flames plays from the stereo while Leo goes to the drive-thru, my guess is picking up coffee. He looks the same as I do—haven't slept in weeks.

  "Sup?" Puma's breathless whisper makes me roll my eyes.

  I want to give him a good old ass-whooping for smoking on a job again, but I don't want to backstab him and mention it beside Leo, so I grit my teeth and let it go.

  "Anything from the chick yet?"

  The long exhale comes through the lines when he lets the smoke out he held. "Nope. I've been outside of her house, but all she's done is gone to the store to pick up chips and come back home. It was last night. Now she's probably sleeping ‘cause there are no lights on."

  "We need the information, Puma." I give him a hint.

  The line stays quiet.

  Leo hands me a coffee and a brown paper bag, and I have to press the phone between my ear and shoulder to take them. Instead of driving, he snatches the phone from me.

  "Puma, we're coming there, and if you haven't got the address from her by then, I will," Leo declares with a tone that normally would send chills down my spine. Now? I'm pleased he is one big scary motherfucker.

  I can hear Puma's yelp from the other end. "Dad? What the hell? What are you doing with Tiger?"

  Leo rolls the Dodge on the move, taking a careful sip from his hot, black coffee. "We had unsolved issues, so I needed to find him. But the girl, don't let her out of sight. Understood?"

  Puma mumbles something in return before Leo ends the call and puts the phone on the console. I gulp the coffee, not touching the bag.

  "Eat it. You look like trash, and you have to be on your best when we find the location," he states, authority coloring his voice, and just like that, the old Leo is back. The one who handles every fucking situation and keeps cool. Who makes you shit in your pants with just his
presence.

  He might have a point there because I feel so tired I can't even find the strength to argue. I do as he says and start to unwrap a burger he got me while he continues.

  "I found the private airport Crusader has been using, and he came here the day Cobra went to stay at Luke’s place." He pauses, just for a split second. "He hasn't flown since then, so they're probably keeping her here in Preston. What do you have?"

  "He has a racetrack, but the whole place runs without him. Apparently, he is only a silent owner, and I got nothing from there. None of his men knows each other's last names, so it's been tricky to get something useful." I take a gulp of the coffee before continuing, my mind running to memorize every information I got so far. "Getting this chick's name is a fucking gold mine, I just know it. She's been dating Crusador's personal driver, and he's the guy we want."

  Leo glances at me before pulling on his aviators. "I'm impressed. You've done a better job than me. Tell me about this girl."

  "Her name is Ada Asher, a high school dropout who works with horses. She lives alone, which is good for us. First, I thought it'd be easier to let her just lead us to the driver, but we can't wait for her to wake up in need of a dick, so clearly, we have to get that information out of her."

  Leo frowns at me. "Let's make one thing clear, Tiger. You don't talk about dicks around me because I still haven't got over one particular picture. But otherwise, good job."

  My stomach twists for multiple reasons, and I clear my throat, keeping my eyes on the takeaway cup. "Yeah. Got it."

  A silence lands between us, and Leo's presence is filling up the whole car—squeezing the air out. There's over half an hour's drive ahead of us, and I know this will be a fucking hard one. I try to focus on his playlist, which goes from death metal to metal with hard rock vibes. It's nice that his taste isn't so different from mine because otherwise, this would be a trip from Hell.

  "Can I ask you something?" I keep my eyes on the coffee cup, sliding my finger at the edge of the top.

  Leo glances at me, nodding. "Of course, go ahead."

  "If this wouldn't have happened... If Cobra wouldn't have been taken..." I swallow the lump from my throat, keeping myself together. "What would've been your reaction when we would have told you about us?"

  Turning my eyes to him, I take in the frown on his face. Leo stays quiet for a while, his jaw ticking.

  "Tiger." He starts, letting out a sigh. "I know I'm not the easiest person to talk to, but..." Leo scrubs a hand over his face, taking a pause. "Fuck, who am I trying to fool? Yes, I would've been mad."

  I knew it already, but not just the stage of his anger. "You would've killed me." It's not a question.

  He shakes his head, looking at me. "No. Never. Of course, I'd have felt betrayed, but I'd never kill you for it."

  "Then what?"

  "I don't know, probably threw you out. You know I act on an impulse when I lose it. But it's not happening, so can we not think about what if." Leo looks at me, eyes steady. "Family sticks together. I might not be a perfect father, but I'm trying my best. I don't want you kids to think I'm a monster and you can't talk to me."

  "I know I can talk to you. She doesn't," I say, but continue as soon as I see the hurt in his eyes. "Only 'cause she wants to be perfect. Cobra didn't want to disappoint you, not in any way."

  The frown on Leo's face deepens, hiding his pain. "I wish I could take it all back. Turn back time and let her know how I feel."

  "Me too."

  "Things are gonna change," he assures me, or himself. "When we get her back, we're going to be more open. No secrets."

  "Yeah. No secrets."

  After that, we end up sitting in silence again. Leo is clearly deep in his thoughts and I try my best to keep my head in order. It's like trying to juggle with ten grenades. Too bad I'm not a fucking juggler.

  "Tell me about her," Leo suddenly says.

  My brows pop up. "Well, I already told you everything I know. I didn't get much out of her—"

  "Not Ada. I meant Cobra."

  I swear to fucking Satan my heart stopped beating for a moment at his words. I turn my gaze from my coffee to him, but Leo keeps his eyes on the road. One hand on the steering wheel, and another on the gearstick, muscles visibly rigid. What the fuck does he want me to tell him? I don't want him to lose his shit if I accidentally say something inappropriate, and his posture looks like he is a ticking time bomb.

  "What do you want me to say?"

  "What she is really like when—" he sighs, part of the tension leaving his shoulders. "When I'm not around. What she's like with you."

  It feels like I'm drowning on dry land when I think about her. I miss her so fucking much. I rub my chest, trying to help the aching, but it doesn't. Nothing will until I feel her head against it—her hands around me.

  I need to feel her.

  Trailing my gaze out from the side window, I try to find my vocals. "She's not that different when we're alone. Cobra—" my voice cracks, and I close my eyes, gathering myself. Still, when I open them, the pressure is there, and I have to blink to keep my vision clear. "Cobra is perfect. She is kind and always thinking about others before herself, but she's never a steppingstone. She can be vicious when the situation requires, and it's amazing. Every time I misstep, she brings me to my knees in a second." Thinking about her snarky comebacks at me makes me smile. I turn to Leo, and to my surprise, he is looking at me. His expression is softer, and there is a genuine smile on his face. "I don't know what else you want me to say? You already know these things about her."

  "It's okay, that's enough for me. I always knew you two had something special, but..." Leo says, pondering his words. "Well, I've made a lot of mistakes in my life, and I will make a lot more, but when it comes to Cobra and you," he tilts his head, eyeing me behind his aviators. "You are worthy of her, Tiger. You've always been."

  I can hear my heartbeat in my ears and feels like a little crack inside me comes together. Leo probably doesn't even know how much his words mean to me. He knows how ruined I am, and still... it just feels so fucking good to hear that he believes in me.

  To hear I'm not bad even after all I've done.

  "Fuck." I push my sunglasses up and wipe my face. "Are you trying to make me cry like a fucking baby?"

  "Maybe." Leo places his palm to my shoulder. "I know everything you've done in your life; you've done it out of love. Your heart is bigger than most people, and the fact you're willing to break it for the ones you love makes you a goddamn saint. I mean it. I respect you more than you can possibly know. And I wanted to say it now because of the life we live, we never know if we get a second chance to say it."

  I swallow the lump from my throat, or try, and scrub a hand over my face.

  "Can we just agree neither of us will die today?"

  Leo's face turns into a grin, easing the mood. "It's only eight a..m, and we have a long day ahead of us, but sure, let's agree we both will see the next sunrise."

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Leo parks his gigantic SUV behind Puma's convertible Camaro in a quiet suburb. The fact that the place is still sleeping at this time of the morning tells about the people who live here. There are no children leaving for school or parents rushing to work. Each and every house could use a new layer of paint, and grass wouldn't mind mowing.

  But there is one house stepping out in a positive manner. The lawn is trimmed, and there is no junk in the yard—only a little rusty Toyota from the year when wheels were invented.

  Puma gets up from his car, wearing entirely black attire just like us. The cap is clouding his face, the hoodie hugs his shoulders, which are slightly wider than two weeks ago since I last saw him, but instead of jeans like normally, he has fitted sweatpants with sneakers. It looks like all he's done in these weeks is smoking weed and hitting the gym without eating any of that junk he used to fill himself with.

  "Everything okay?" Leo asks when he slides the window open, and Puma leans his elbows to it.

>   "Yeah, cool. She's still inside." Puma jerks his head towards the only decent house in the neighborhood—the one with the Toyota. Then his green eyes come to mine as he lifts a fist towards me. "So good to see you, brother."

  I punch my knuckles with his. "You too. Do you wanna stay out of this?"

  Leo tilts his head, observing Puma while he stays quiet for a while, biting his cheek. Then he sighs, dropping his head down. "No, I'm coming too."

  We make our way to the right house, and Leo points us to go in from the back. I feel Puma giving me a meaningful glance as soon as we're out of Leo's hearing reach.

  "He knows," I whisper the answer.

  "Shit, and you're still walking." Puma shakes his head. "What happened?"

  I nudge his arm, scowling at him. "This is not the time or place to gossip, you dork. Focus."

  The doorbell's chime comes from the inside, and we place ourselves out of sight next to the back door. Puma crouches down, picks the lock, and waits for a couple of seconds. A muffled yelp comes from the inside, and that's our sign—it means Ada Asher is not running out anymore.

  The house is as little as it seems from the outside. Leo has already planted this little redheaded chick on the second-hand armchair in the living room, and Puma walks behind it, leaning against the kitchen counter. We all have the bandanas pulled to cover half of our faces—even Leo—because killing this chick isn't the plan. If she doesn't talk, then definitely yes, but otherwise, she will be alive after this. The only mistake she's been making so far is dating a douchebag.

  I sit on the low coffee table, letting Leo handle this.

  Ada's light green eyes are wide, and her petite body shakes as she hugs herself, sinking into the chair. "W-what d-do you want?"

  Leo steps closer, towering over her. "Your boyfriend. We need to find him."

  "Carson?" Her lips tremble, confusion shining from her eyes.

  Leo turns to look at me, tilting his head to the side. I realize I didn't even mention the fuckers name, so I give him a thumbs up.