Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 45131 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 226(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45131 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 226(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
“Fuck,” I muttered under my breath, giving Clara an apologetic look as I stepped away just enough to answer. “Hold that thought, baby.”
She offered me a teasing, pouty smile, her voice filled with mock exasperation. “Fine. But you owe me.”
“Damn right I do,” I growled, letting my eyes linger on her as she sashayed into her bedroom and quietly shut the door. Steeling myself against the need to follow her, I swiped my finger against the screen and put the phone to my ear. “Yeah?”
The second I answered, King’s deep voice filled my ear, heavy with an undercurrent of tightly controlled anger that immediately raised the hairs on the back of my neck. “We’ve got a problem.”
I moved instinctively toward the kitchen window, my gaze flicking across the busy grounds below, scanning the rows of trees and the bustling preparations even as I braced for the details. “Talk to me.”
King’s clipped tone was edged with tension he didn’t bother to hide. “Echo and Wizard just flagged more surveillance footage from that so-called training facility. Cameras captured something we didn’t expect—people being brought in, restrained. Looks like they might even be drugged. So far, none of them have come back out. Not walking anyway.”
Cold fury spread through my veins, the icy awareness that the situation in Cedar Hills was darker and more complicated than we’d initially thought. My jaw clenched tight enough to ache. “We have IDs?”
“Not yet,” King replied grimly.
“What about the ones bringing them in?”
“Negative.” King's voice hardened further. “These assholes know exactly how to stay hidden—arrive at night, faces covered, and movements careful. Wizard is working to ID them, but whoever’s running this show has been at it a long time.”
I blew out a slow breath, steadying myself against the edge of Clara’s kitchen counter as anger pulsed in my gut. But we were strategic. We had to move carefully. We wouldn’t go in guns blazing. We’d have a plan, one that would definitely be fucking lethal. “I’ll head to the office, help Wizard with identification.”
King grunted—his version of approval. “Good. Tomcat’s already there, Echo’s on the way. Wizard’ll patch in remotely. Also need you to work with them to intensify surveillance around that property. I want eyes and ears everywhere—24/7 monitoring, drones, ground teams, whatever the hell you have to do. Map patrols and routines. Need a plan for security and surveillance we can roll out ASAP. Ace is digging into their financial trail, and Ash is handling the legal angles. I want to know who they are, who they’re fucking holding, and why.”
“Understood.” My gaze flicked again toward Clara’s closed bedroom door, my gut tightening with frustration that I had to leave her. But this club business couldn’t wait. “On my way in ten.”
“Good.” King's voice held the familiar steel edge of leadership. “Want regular updates.”
The line went dead, and I lowered my phone slowly, my knuckles white from how tightly I gripped it. I stared silently at Clara’s kitchen counter, taking a moment to gather myself before I had to face her and explain that club business had just cut our morning short.
Clara deserved more of my time than I could give her right now, especially after our first night together. That knowledge settled heavy in my chest because we hadn’t had a chance to talk about what club business meant. I hoped like hell that she would accept the place the Hounds held in my life and that it meant there would always be shit I couldn’t tell her.
That conversation would have to wait, though.
Taking a deep breath, I rolled my shoulders and pushed away from the counter, then crossed the small kitchen back to Clara’s bedroom door. I turned the handle and stopped to admire the vision before me. She’d curled back up beneath the soft sheets, and her eyes were shut, her dark lashes resting on her cheeks. My chest tightened at how perfectly she fit into my life, and how quickly she'd become an irreplaceable piece of the puzzle I hadn't even realized was incomplete.
As if she sensed me, Clara slowly opened her eyes, a sleepy smile spreading across her lips as she stretched beneath the sheets. My gaze tracked every subtle movement of her body, the gentle curve of her hip beneath the covers making my pulse spike hard.
“I have to go, baby.” I came close enough to brush a lock of hair away from her face. Her eyes cleared of sleep, awareness creeping into her expression as she took in the seriousness in my tone. “Got some club business that needs handling.”
She pushed herself up on one elbow, her messy chestnut waves cascading over her shoulder as she studied me carefully. I could see the curiosity in those amber eyes, questions flickering just beneath the surface. But to my relief, she simply nodded, trusting me without forcing explanations I didn’t have time to give.