Ruben helps her set the signage up on the sidewalk, but I'm already pushing past them. "Sorry," I say. "I just got to find her."
There’s a shout, a scream.
"That's her," I say, "goddammit."
Griffin's eyes are knitted with worry and Reuben follows me as we round the corner toward the alley. I hear Rueben on the phone with Rye, who is coming around Warm Way just as we are coming from the other direction.
"I was at the bakery," he says. He's holding a croissant. He drops it in a trash can as he joins us, our eyes locked. "Abby?" he says.
I nod. "She's in trouble," I say it as a truck drives off down the alley. "I know she's in there," I say.
I run down the alley after it, but I can't see her. Can't see anyone.
"Goddammit," I shout.
But my truck is right next door in the alley behind Hammer Home.
I jump in, my brothers with me: Rueben in the truck bed, Rye at my side. I tail the truck, my foot on the gas, driving fast as I can.
A moment later, the truck that I know Abby's in jolts to a halt, and I'm about to rear-end it. Then it turns down Restful Road.
"Shit, Bart," Rye says. "I should have never questioned her or how you care her about her or anything. You knew what you were doing."
"You want to do this now?" I ask. "When we're in the middle of a car chase?"
"We're gonna get her, okay?" Rye’s words are firm. Resolute. "No matter what, we're gonna get her."
He's right, of course. We are. Because we're not gonna let anybody, and I mean anybody, hurt the woman I love.
He's calling our other brother, Mac. "Hey," Rye says. "Where are you?"
"Grabbing some pizza at Home Slice."
"You have your car?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Get in it now. I need you to turn onto Restful Road and I need you to block the red pickup truck that's going to be headed your way in about two minutes. Understood?"
"All right," Mac says, ending the call.
I look over at Rye. "Thanks."
Ruben shoves open the window in the back of my truck. "What's the hold up? Where's your girl? We need to rear-end this truck in front of us. You understand?"
"I'm on it," I say just as I see Mac's truck coming toward us on the other side of the road.
"Now, you just gotta sandwich that truck," Rye insists, calling Graham as I maneuver the truck on the road.
"Just?" I shake my head, swearing under my breath.
"Yes," Rye snorts, "just. Punch the gas."
I do as he says, and the truck ahead of us does the same, but it can't get very far because Mac, being the youngest brother, T’s his car in front of the truck and I do the same with mine.
We've blocked Restful Road entirely, but we've also barricaded the truck.
All four of us Rough boys jump out of our vehicles and surround it.
"Get out of the car," I shout. "Now!"
A man who's big, and I mean really fucking big, gets out. "Don't talk to me like that. I'm Ricky, the strongest man in the world."
Mac's eyes widen. "You got to be kidding me."
"They're in the circus," Rye grunts, "what do you expect?"
I'm not laughing, though, because none of this is funny. This is Abby we're talking about.
"Where is she?" I say as another man, I'm guessing Abby's father, drags her out from the truck. She's crying, shaking, scared. This girl, this woman I love, is terrified. And I see why, Ricky’s got a gun pointed at her.
"He’s gonna shoot if you don't back down, you understand me? I'm her father. I know what's best. And what's best is her coming with me. Now!"
"What's this about?" I shout. "You just want some power and control over your child? Well, you lost it. She's a grown woman and she can decide what she wants."
"What she wants? This girl never knew a thing about what she wanted. She just bent over backwards and did what I said her whole damn life.”
“Well, she’s not bending anymore. She’s standing up straight now,” I say, my voice loud, clear, strong. I may have been doing what I was told my whole life too, but right now, I'm doing what matters. And that's protecting the woman I love.
I'm lined up with all four of my brothers and we all know what we’ve got to do.
We’ve got to disarm this man and we’ve got to get Abby back.
She belongs to us now. She's as rough as we are.
Her eyes find mine and I swear to God, her soul and mine, they're one. I'm gonna do what I have to, even if it means taking a damn bullet for her. Because this woman, she's my woman. And even if the strongest man in the world is between us, he’s not gonna keep us apart.