“No way. We’ve cut off every way out.”
I nod, my jaw clenched.
This is taking way too long. Every minute she’s with him is a minute too many. I can’t even imagine what’s happening to her, I don’t want to. We can only wait until someone talks. Or we get a call from our sources that he’s attempting to leave. But the dead man inside said we are already too late. He could be trying to act tough, his last hurrah before we end him.
But if he’s right, then I’m missing something. Maybe Nikolov had help. There are other syndicates with their own ways out. But after the stunt he pulled at our engagement party, anyone willing to help him kidnap my wife would be a dead man. The war would be bloody and long. No one is stupid enough to knock on deaths door.
Except for one.
One that has already got one foot in the grave.
“Fuck.” It hits me and it all makes sense.
That’s it. Of course, the only way out we wouldn’t monitor and one scumbag that is sick enough to feed Lilly to a monster, primed to hurt her. Marcus.
“Get the boys. We’re leaving.” I break into a sprint back to the car.
Dante whistles, getting their attention and again we are on the move. Jumping into the SUV, hightailing out of the yard.
“Where are we heading?” Tommy asks.
“Marcus.” I say his name with so much hatred I can taste the fury on my tongue. “Find out if he had anything leaving the dock today.”
Dave pulls out his phone making the call.
“No fucking way.” Tommy shakes his head. “No way he’d throw away our pipeline.”
“I’ve seen how he is with Lilly,” Dante says. “He hates her. Some sick shit so I wouldn’t put it past him serving her up to him. But he loves money too much. I don’t see it.”
“You can’t take money where he’s going.” I put my foot down and the wheels spin, needing to get there faster. “He’s dying. Cancer. Nothing to lose.”
“Shit.” Dante's face says it all, he sees what I see.
“One of his cargo ships left the docks a couple of hours ago,” Dave says ending a call.
I grip the wheel tighter, my hands turning to stone. My own dock. My own territory. Of course, I wouldn’t think he’d be brazen enough to pull this stunt. But Lilly’s voice comes back, reminding me, this is exactly what he would do. And he would love every minute of it.
We pull up at the house, a two-story building with a circular driveway, in the leafy and secluded suburb. Lilly’s childhood home. I follow the circular drive all the way to the front and stop right at the door. Before we even have time to get out, Marcus bursts through the front door and stands dressed in a robe, holding a drink. My body freezes as I see a smile spread across his face. The boys get out first and begin to approach him.
“What a surprise!” His arrogant voice tips me over the edge.
Lilly’s every word runs through my head. Everything she has confided in me. Him trying to lay hands on her. Him calling her a murderer. Him turning down her cries for help.
I lean back into the back seat, grabbing the baseball bat hidden under the seat. Then I emerge, bat in hand. When the boys step aside, Marcus sees my face, and I see horror and understanding spread across his.
“Wait!” He holds a hand up in defence.
With every ounce of hate that flows through my veins, I swing the bat, directly at his leg. I hear the crack of his kneecaps as he hits the floor, along with the sweet sound of his screams of agony.
Finally, doing something I should have done a long time ago.
“You’re dead. KILL HIM!” He screams for his men.
Before his men even have time to react, Dante, Dave and Tommy have guns in their hands, aimed and ready for action.
Dante grabs the first man running out and shoves the barrel of his gun into the man’s mouth. “Don’t even think about it,” he growls.
“You can’t do this.” Marcus tries to stand, but he’s weak and stumbles finding his feet.