Traded (Blood Ties Book 5)

Tires squealed when I took the corner sideways as we raced for home. Colt rocked in the seat behind me, pale and terrified, while Carven was unflinching beside me, staring straight ahead, his fist clenched around the grip of the gun.

All I saw was that contract illuminated in King’s apartment. The one where Vivienne was sold behind my goddamn back…to Macoy Daniels.

COME ON! I strangled the wheel.

“He’s mine,” I warned, my focus fixed on the street ahead. “You got that? Macoy Daniels is mine…”

I pushed the car harder, driving the accelerator all the way to the floor as the sight of my house rose in the distance. The rear door of the car cracked open as I barely touched the brake, pumping the damn thing to bring us to a stop. But the son was already moving, charging out of the car with his brother close behind.

White steam billowed from the engine as I shoved the car into park and threw open my door. Footsteps boomed, swallowing the thunder in my chest as I raced for the house. Bodies lay in the front yard. I caught the wide, unblinking eyes of the guards assigned to protect us before I fixed on the open door of my house, listening to the thud of boots on the stairs.

Blood…that’s all I saw as I raced inside and skidded on the splattered mess in the foyer. Bright red across the stark white tiles. I followed the smear and found Guild lying face down.

“Vivienne!” Carven roared. “VIVIENNE!”

“Hey!” I lunged and dropped to my knees, pulling my closest goddamn friend over and into my arms. “I’m right here. Guild, I’m right here.”

Tight, shallow breaths. Wide, shimmering eyes. But he was still alive…he was still alive. Jesus…

Upstairs, doors crashed against walls as the sons tore their way through every room, making their way from their floor to mine, before descending on me like the wrath of the gods.

“Tried…to…get…her…to basement,” Guild whispered as Colt skidded to a stop in front of me.

He jerked his head toward the kitchen, then lunged, with his twin right behind him. “Where?” Carven barked, his eyes full of terror. “WHERE?”

“They…took her,” Guild forced, then he coughed, splattering blood against my arm.

Cold plunged all the way to my core. “They took her?”

“The Order,” he whispered, his face turning gray. “I…failed you.”

I winced and shoved my hand into my pocket. “You didn’t goddamn fail me, Guild.” I scanned the bloom of blood at his side and swiped my thumb across the screen of my phone, pulling up the only person who could help me now…

The Director of Emergency Medicine, Doctor Lucas DeLuca.

“DeLuca,” he answered, sounding calm while chaos reigned in the background.

People screamed. Machines howled. But I didn’t care about any of that. I didn’t care about a goddamn thing other than what was mine. “DeLuca, this is the man who spared your life.” I stared as Guild slowly closed his eyes. “Now it’s your turn to spare one for me.”

He went quiet at the other end of the line, then spoke carefully. “Don’t suppose I have a choice here?”

“No,” I answered. “You don’t.” Then I gave him the address of my house.

“I’ll be there in thirty minutes,” he responded.

I winced as the sons came up from the basement carrying vests, guns, and a whole arsenal in a duffel bag.

“Hold the fuck on,” I growled as I grabbed the sniper rifle Carven shoved toward me.

“Go.” Guild shook his head and whispered. “Save…her.”

I eased his head back to the floor, gripped the weapon, and rose. I didn’t want to leave. But I pulled on a vest as I stared down at him, then turned and headed for the door.

I didn’t stop, didn’t even look back, just forced myself to move and pushed into a sprint. The engine was still running, the steam no longer pouring from the engine.

“The tracker, Colt.” I slipped in behind the wheel and threw it into drive. “Find the goddamn tracker.”

My pulse was pounding. I swore the sound screamed her goddamn name. I barely waited for them as they flung themselves into the seats, just drove my foot all the way to the floor and jerked the wheel, whipping us around, and headed for the city once more.

It all came rushing back to me.

The hunt.

The violence.

I was trained for this…

I was born for this.

I looked over as I took the corner hard and headed for where I knew Daniels’s place was. The rifle was pointed muzzle down against the floor as Colt punched the details into his phone and waited.

“Do you have it?” I snapped, jerking my gaze from the road to him. He scowled and pulled the GPS out wider. Even from the driver’s seat I saw the tiny red light blinking. I turned back to the road, pushing the car through the city streets. He was silent…too silent. “Well?” I snarled. “What the fuck is wrong?”

“It’s gone.”

Rage punched through me. “What do you mean it’s gone?”

“It just fucking disappeared.”

I reached over, grabbed the damn phone, and turned it. That tiny crimson marker was no longer illuminated, leaving the map as dark as the goddamn night.

“It’s fucking broken,” he growled through clenched teeth.

“It’s not broken,” I said coldly. “It has interference.”

That contract burned inside my goddamn head. Permanent right to possess/use:

Permanent right…

Permanent right.

Hale sold her.

He FUCKING SOLD HER!

I gripped the wheel until my knuckles turned white.

She’d be terrified. Hurt. She’d be goddamn savage. I knew my Wildcat better than she knew herself. She’d fight with all she had…and they’d hurt her for it. The things that fucking cocksucker will do to her because of me…

“It can’t be broken.” Carven reached over and snatched the phone, then swiped his thumb to close the app, then opened it back up. “Or we have interference. The only way that tracker can be stopped is if they enclosed it in a metal box.”

I stared ahead blankly, terror blooming as I envisioned all the fucking things they’d do to someone so fucking pure. “Exactly.”