“Seen Clio?” Ron looked shiftily away, and Chance growled.
“Clio?”
“My woman, she lives here.”
“Clio’s your woman?” Ron asked, stepping back.
“How fuckin’ stoned are you? Have you seen Clio?” Ron looked guilty, shook his head, and darted back inside his apartment.
“Pick the lock Rooster,” Chance ordered. He was sure Ron was peering through the spyhole. Chance noticed that Clio’s door didn’t have one. Seconds later, Rooster had the door open, and Chance stormed through the door. His disgust was evident as he looked around the joint tiny living room and kitchen. Chance took six strides and was at Clio’s bedroom door, it was just large enough for a single bed and a chest of drawers.
Chance stamped out and opened the next door. The bathroom had a sink, toilet and shower stall, and he could reach out with his arms and touch either side. Shit, how long had Clio lived in this dump?
“Chance,” Bear called, and Chance left the bathroom and walked to his VP Bear stood in the kitchen, looking down at a pan dropped on the floor. It was a cake tin, and its contents had spilt out. On the worktop was two pans full of brownies which hadn’t been removed.
“No sign of a struggle apart from this,” Bear said. His own gaze raked Clio’s apartment, while clean and freshly painted there was no getting away it was a dump. Clio had done her best, but the rot couldn’t be hidden.
“Someone surprised her,” Chance grunted.
“Any idea?”
“Clio mentioned Randy Ron and Tommy, both puttin’ moves on her. That Ron guy was skittish,” Chance mused. Shotgun left the apartment and banged on Ron’s door.
“Someone took her,” Chance said, pulling his phone out of his pocket. He dialled the one person who could organise the police into a missing person search.
“Emilio, it’s Chance. I’m at my girl’s apartment, someone’s taken her,” Chance snapped out the address and hung up.
“Any answer?” Bear asked as Shotgun walked back in, Shotgun shook his head.
“Probably stoned out of his mind and in a coma,” Shotgun glanced at Chance. Chance was barely holding on to his temper.
“Emilio’s on his way. Should check the woman downstairs is okay,” Rooster suggested sensing Chance needed out of the depressing apartment. Chance gave a curt nod, and they locked the door behind them as they left. They walked downstairs finding several stoned men lying on the stairs. Chance curled his lips in disgust. Where the fuck was Clio, had one of these hurt her?
“Chance,” Bear said, pushing past him and Chance looked up and saw two men surrounding Leslie’s car. Bear pinned one and Chance had the other around the neck before they saw Hellfire approach.
“What the fuck you are doing?” Chance snarled. Leslie got out of the car.
“They know Clio, saw her on Friday. They’re aware of something, Chance,” Leslie said and gave one thug a kick in the shin. Chance bit back a grunt of amusement.
“Oh yeah?” Chance rumbled.
“Yeah, they told me to leave it alone, Clio was no longer my concern. They know where she is,” Leslie kicked the other one in the shin, and he howled.
“Where’s Clio?” Bear rumbled, lifting his thug up with one hand and dangling him two feet off the ground. The guy spluttered and avoided eye contact. Chance pulled the other guy’s head back until they heard an audible snap.
“One more millimetre and your neck will snap, leaving you paralysed for life. Now, what do you know about Clio?” Chance demanded his face in the thugs.
“Tommy heard she came into money on Friday. That’s it, Tommy told us to chase off anyone asking about the bitch.” Chance gave him the dead eye.
“And where is Tommy?”
“He was there when you came in. Tommy said him and another guy were gonna handle her,” Chance felt his stomach clench, and he let the guy’s head go and smashed a fist into his face. The asshole dropped like a stone, Bear closed his grip until his guy passed out for lack of air and fell. Leslie pulled a baseball bat from the car.
“Go,” she hissed. “I’ll watch them.” Chance sent her an admiring look and raced back into the apartment block. His long legs taking the stairs two at a time, he belted back up and reached Ron’s apartment. Chance didn’t pause and lifted a foot and slammed into it. The door shook and gave partial way, shrieks echoed from inside, and Chance kicked again and was through the door. His hand gripped Ron, who stood naked in front of him.
The asshole was sporting a hard-on and was flushed red. Chance picked him up and threw him against the wall and barged through the first door. It was the scumbag’s bathroom, and it was empty. Chance barrelled back out as Rooster threw a blanket over Ron and held a gun on him. Chance tried to open the bedroom door and found it locked.
He lifted his foot again and kicked the door. It slammed open and hit someone and bounced back. Chance rammed a hand into it, and a pained grunt echoed as the door hit someone a second time. He shoved hard and dragged the skinny ugly man who’d been outside the apartment block through the door. The guy was naked from the bottom down, and Chance’s stomach dropped as he threw the asshole at Chatter and stared into the dark bedroom.