I laugh. He’s preaching to the choir. If Barney does say anything to make me doubt him in the slightest, I’ll kill him myself. “For the past three days this city has realized who is in charge. People are quaking in their boots just like the old days. I’m not letting up, not until Mia is home. Until she's by my side. I don't care how many people I have to kill, I don't know how many people are involved in this. I don’t care. Each and every single one of them is going to feel my wrath. You don't touch what belongs to me.”
Jagger laughs, “Yeah boss this city has bled. They know who's in charge, no doubt about it. Shame that the people who have your girl don't know it. They're in for a world of hurt, and I'm looking forward to dishing it out.”
“You're a sick fuck, Jag, but I like the way you think.” I smile and nod my head toward the door. It's time to leave, time to talk to Barney. There’s something about him that I’ve never fully trusted, but I can't say for sure if he's the one who's on this. However my gut is telling me that he isn’t part of this. I can't explain it, my guts never wrong.
Walking out of the office, I notice Martin standing in the hall, his eyes glance between Jag and I. “Everything okay?” I ask.
“Nothing new to report, Boss,” he responds. “Barney just called, he’ll be here within the next hour.”
I raise my brows. I don’t believe in consequences, and this is one hell of a one, especially as Jag and I were just talking about him.
“Tina won’t stay in Hidden Hills any more, she wants to be close to the action.” He reaches into his pocket and takes out his cell.
“Action?” I growl. “Action? Like this is some sort of fucking movie.”
He sighs. “You need to relax, I didn’t mean anything by it. I just meant that she wants to be close to you so she’d know as soon as there was news. Barney said that she’s spent the past three days in bed crying. Your dad has had enough and they’re coming to stay here in San Francisco.”
I nod. “Thanks for the update. Find Carina, I want her found. How one fucking woman can escape over twenty men is beyond me. Bring her to me by the end of the night.” I walk past him and toward the exit, I need to make a phone call.
“Careful with her, Martin she bites.” Jagger laughs as he follows behind me.
Climbing into my car, I wait for Jagger to get in. Turning on the engine, The Bluetooth takes a while to connect but as soon as it does I dial Barney.
“Boss.” He answers immediately.
“Want to tell me why you’re updating Martin and not me?” There’s no mistaking the directness of my tone. I’m pissed and the threat that’s keeping my anger locked up tight is starting to fray. Jagger looks at me, he knows that I’m on the edge of offing anyone who gets in my way.
“Boss….” His voice hesitant, “He called me. I told him that we were on our way. I’m twenty minutes away.”
I hang up pissed that Martin has just lied to me. With each minute that passes, I’m beginning to doubt everyone. I know that it's not going to be long before I start doubting Jagger. One of my men is a rat and I'm going to find out who it is. Right now, my main focus is on finding Mia. Once I know that she's safe and at home, I'll then focus on dealing with anyone who is a rat or hasn't stood beside me while this shit has gone down and there's quite a few.
"Boss, what the fuck?" Jagger says, his voice vibrating with anger.
I put the car into drive and the engine revs. "That's what I'd like to know too." Pulling into the road, my foot presses on the gas, my hands tightening on the steering wheel. "Jag, I'm so close to offing everyone and starting over."
He laughs but I'm being serious. I don't trust anyone and I'd rather start off from the beginning. "Hudson, you can't do that." His tone full of humor, "but I agree, I don't trust any of those fucks, not anymore. I'm just fucking glad that Sarah and Allie are in New York."
"If this shit continues, I'll do it."
"Hudson, I'm your best friend, have been since we were kids. I know you, you're holding on but you're close to the edge." I turn to glare at him, what's he getting at? He rolls his eyes. "Look, what I'm saying is, whatever happens, I have your back. Whatever you need me to do, I'll do. Mia's yours and that means she is ours. We're going to get her back, Hudson."
This is why he's my right hand man, my best friend. The man would do anything for me and, in turn, Mia. My hands begin to shake, "Jag, all that I keep picturing is what he's doing to her. I can't stop it. Is she hurt? Then what’s happened to her." I'm unable to keep the fear out of my voice.
"Hudson, we're going to find her and if she’s hurt, we're going to rain a world of hurt on whoever has done it. I'll be there to dish out a few hits too." A smile forms on his face but I don't feel like smiling. Mia is in the hands of some bastard and right now I feel helpless.
"Tell me, Jag, who do you believe has Mia, honestly?" I ask, I have my suspicions but something will come to light and then I begin doubting what I think.
A heavy sigh escapes him. "I thought it was Barney."
"Thought? You don't think so anymore?"
“No, I don't think so anymore. Especially after that phone call with Barney. Something is not sitting right with me though, Hudson.” He shakes his head. “I mean, why is Martin lying? Why is Barney being so secretive? And why the hell has your dad not contacted you? Fuck, why has Tina not contacted you? The woman's daughter is missing and she hasn’t called you to find out if there's any news. So yeah, I don't know if Barney is responsible. I don't think he is but then again I could be wrong. This is a fucked up situation, one that I can't wrap my head around.”
He's right it is a fucked up situation, and trying to find out who has Mia is like trying to find a n
eedle in a haystack. Nobody knows anything. Whoever has her, must have a lot of backing. Or they’re keeping it very close to their chest. Meaning they don’t trust anyone with this information. That’s what I reckon has happened. That it’s someone quiet and unassuming. I need to find out who can keep something so quiet, my men talk worse than gossipers in the salon getting their hair done. That’s why my mind is fucked, I can't work out who it is, and all I can focus on is finding Mia. But for me to find her I have to know who it is. It’s a vicious circle, one that is never going to end.
“I tell you one thing, Jag, I find it funny timing that Tina and Dad are coming back now. I mean Mia has been gone three days now and they’ve not been involved at all in trying to find her and all of a sudden they decide they want to find out what's happening. It doesn’t sit right Jag.” There’s something about Tina I do not trust, fuck even my Dad's a piece of shit. The way they've gone about everything that's happened since Mia’s been missing has proved to me that they don't care about their kids. They’re both all about themselves.