Hart of Darkness Read online

  “Get the keys,” one girl shouted.

  I retrieved the blade and stalked closer to him.

  I was about to drive the knife into his groin when men stormed back into the building.

  Miguel jogged up with a gun pointed at me. “Put the knife down, Maggie.”

  “Not happening. You’ll have to shoot me,” I said, not taking my eyes off Cory, who was still spitting out blood.

  Then Miguel fired, the sound exploding along with a burning, shooting pain somewhere on my body. The knife fell from my hands, and my body collapsed with it.

  30

  Dillon

  The factory was an abandoned building that once was home to a paint manufacturer. Rusty old drums and paint cans littered the place. The perimeter was outlined with corroded pipes, and plastic pails were stacked two high with a sheet of wood draped over them and a computer on top.

  All the way there, I itched to call the cops, but I believed Grace when she’d said Miguel had cops on his payroll. I was afraid if I called them, I might not get anywhere in finding Maggie.

  Grace ran up to Dom and practically jumped into his arms before the two locked lips.

  Duke hustled up behind me and growled as he laid eyes on Grace and Dom.

  I cleared my throat.

  “I have no idea what is happening,” Duke said at my side.

  I had no inkling either. I felt as if someone had pistol-whipped me. Or maybe I was under a spell or in a bad dream that didn’t seem to end. My sister was alive, and Maggie had been kidnapped all within a matter of two hours. The latter was freaking me the fuck out as my pulse beat wildly.

  I was ready to snag one of the two handguns next to the computer and threaten Dom if he didn’t start talking.

  Instead, I waved a hand around. “Dom, what the fuck are we doing here? We need to bring in the cops. We’re not going to find Maggie with a laptop. And you fucking lied to me about my sister. You know her quite well. Did you lie about not seeing her for two weeks?”

  Dom wrapped an arm around Grace, who seemed to be more relaxed now that she was in his presence.

  “Bro, who cares if he lied about Grace. She’s here. Let’s concentrate on finding your girl.”

  I full-on laughed. “What’s with the change in attitude, Duke?” He hadn’t wanted anything to do with me when I showed up at his penthouse, and now he was all in to help, although he had a point. But we weren’t going to find Maggie in a run-down factory or splitting hairs over why Dom lied. And Dom wasn’t a cop unless he was undercover, but a biker dude dressed all in black with a few tats inked on his arm didn’t scream cop to me.

  However, it did cross my mind that he could be involved with the Black Knights. “Why were you at Tapas anyway?”

  He rubbed his arm, which had a tattoo of an anchor with wings. “Fi works there,” he said as though I were supposed to know that piece of information. “I’m not with a gang, and I’m not out to hurt anyone. I genuinely care about Grace. I did leave out some info when I talked to you at the Crow, but I had to. Grace didn’t want you to know where she was since Miguel has been hunting the city for her.”

  “I get you don’t want to go to the cops,” I said to Grace. “But you can’t keep running from Miguel.”

  “That’s no way to live,” Duke added.

  Dom raised his hands. “All we’re trying to do is find a location on Miguel. Once we do that, then we can bring in the cops.”

  “How do you know the Black Knights took Maggie?” I asked.

  “Because Miguel drives a black Jeep,” Dom said as a matter of fact.

  He’d left out a ton during our convo at the Crow.

  I snatched my phone from my jeans. “I’m calling Detective Hughes.” He was the only one I knew who had the team and firepower and knowledge behind him. Not to mention, Ted would do whatever it took to get Maggie back since they were like father and daughter. “He’s been tracking the Black Knights.”

  Dom started for me. “No cops.”

  Duke blocked him.

  Inside I was cheering like a fan at a football game that my older brother hadn’t lost the urge to protect me.

  “I told you,” Grace said. “Miguel has cops on the payroll.”

  Stepping back, Dom briefly closed his eyes. “I understand you don’t trust me. Just give me time. I might be able to get a location on Miguel.”

  Maggie didn’t have time.

  Grace set her soft brown eyes on me, pleading. “Dom is ex-military and has a friend who’s good at finding things on the Internet. He’s been helping us try and find Miguel’s warehouses, where he keeps the girls. I know you want to help Maggie, and I do too. But I also want to rescue all the girls that Miguel has.”

  It was admirable that she wanted to be the savior, and if they could get a location, then it would be easier for Ted to get his team in and take Miguel down.

  “We’ve found Miguel’s bank,” Dom said. “My buddy is trying to crack through the firewall to look at all the properties Miguel’s purchased recently.”

  If I called Hughes, and someone inside the police department was working for Miguel, then Miguel would find out, and I might never find or see Maggie again, much like Grace. She’d been gone for four years, and the only way she’d gotten free was by killing her owner. I would die if something happened to Maggie or if she disappeared and I never saw her again. I couldn’t live through that.

  “How long?” I asked. “Maggie doesn’t have time.”

  Dom slid over to the laptop on the table. “Give me thirty minutes. He was working on things when I called him earlier.”

  I eyed Duke, who had been quiet the whole time. “It’s worth a shot,” he said. “And if Miguel does have a cop or two on his payroll, they’ll alert Miguel, and we might not find Maggie.”

  “Thirty minutes,” I said before heading outside. I needed air.

  Duke was right on my heels. “I need to check in with my guys.”

  “Dillon.” Grace’s tone was all doom and gloom. “We’ll find Maggie.”

  She didn’t sound so sure, and I checked my watch, marking the time. In exactly thirty minutes, if we didn’t have a lead, I was calling Hughes. Hell, I might call him anyway. He adored Maggie. And I wasn’t comfortable putting Maggie’s life in the hands of two people I hardly knew. I really didn’t know my sister anymore, and frankly, Maggie was my concern. She was my girl and the woman my heart was opening up to.

  When Duke and I were out in the open night air, I asked. “Do you trust Dom? You think he’s legit?” Duke dealt with morons and thugs who lied and the whole gamut of criminals and jerks. I didn’t think Dom was a moron. I couldn’t say for sure if he was a thug. Just because he was ex-military didn’t mean he was trustworthy. Or maybe I was too untrusting.

  Duke scratched his nose. “He seems like a good guy. Give him the time to find out something. I also agree with them on the cops. Jeremy Pitt is mafia, and he has most of the cops on his payroll. So Miguel could too. I have to call the club.” He walked in the opposite direction toward his SUV.

  I ambled toward the water along the side of the building that had rusty metal drums piled high. I inhaled the salty air then called Hunt. He knew Detective Hughes. He also worked for a mafia-run company owned by Jeremy Pitt, and he had access to a team of ex-military folks.

  “I’ve been waiting for your call,” Hunt said as soon as the line connected.

  “Sorry.” I’d called him and Rafe on the way to the factory to check on the shelter and to let them know what I knew at the time. I’d relaxed some when I found out that the girls at the shelter were tucked into their rooms. I filled Hunt in on Dom’s plan and what I knew from Grace about Miguel and the cops. “I need my own plan to find Maggie. I’m debating on calling Hughes. You seem to know the detective. Is he good or corrupt?”

  “He’s one of the good ones,” Hunt said. “However, I don’t know his gang unit very well. Before you call him, let me check with my brother, Wes. He’s Pitt’s right-hand man
and knows most cops in the city. Give me fifteen minutes.” He ended the call.

  I dropped my head back, hoping that Hunt would come through with something I could work with in finding Maggie.

  A crescent moon brightened the sky.

  The night was turning out to be one for the books. My sister had shown up alive and well after four years. Then Maggie had been kidnapped on a busy city street. The question “why?” flitted through my head. Then it dawned on me. Denim had been asking around the prison gangs. He might’ve mentioned Maggie’s name to the wrong person. Or maybe they took her because she helped Nadine.

  Grace came running out. “Dom is close. We just found out that Miguel purchased a house on Bleven in the name of Marco Holdings.”

  Duke rushed over.

  My eyebrows dove down.

  “What is it?” Duke asked.

  “I saw Marco Holdings on a notepad on Maggie’s desk when I was at her office yesterday.” Maggie hadn’t been kidnapped because of Denim or Nadine. She’d been taken because she’d been investigating Miguel, and he wanted to shut her up. I gripped the back of my neck to keep my hands from shaking.

  Grace’s tone softened. “If we found the house, then we can find his other properties.”

  I didn’t want to get all pissy with Grace. It wasn’t her fault that Maggie had been kidnapped. “Maggie’s life is on the line.”

  She stuck her hands on her small hips. “What are you going to do?”

  I peered down at my sister, whose expression was swirling with emotional pain. I suspected she wanted revenge on Miguel, much like Maggie wanted on Cory. “I know you’re trying to help. Go back inside and see what else Dom finds. Duke and I will be out here.” I couldn’t go back into that stuffy building. “I want to talk to Duke anyway.” I wanted to know why Duke’s attitude had changed from dick to jerk to prickly to the brother I knew as a kid.

  She didn’t argue as she left Duke and me standing in a deserted parking lot near the water with the city lights twinkling in the distance.

  Duke grunted, sounding exasperated and torn.

  “I’ve seen several sides of you recently,” I began. “One minute, you’re an asshole, and the next, you got my back. Right now you seem to be irritated again.”

  He let out a laugh that didn’t sound all too cheery. “I can’t stop thinking how someone bought our sister. Then she killed him. And she’s been in hiding from a psycho.” For the first time, he was showing me how concerned he was for Grace.

  I’d worried about Grace until I was sick to my stomach. Now that I knew she was alive and had fought her way out of Miguel’s organization, I didn’t think Duke and I should be concerned. Not only that, she had Dom, an ex-military dude. I didn’t exactly like him, not after he’d lied, but he seemed to adore Grace. “I can’t wrap my head around the fact that Grace was sold to some sick fuck and that she had to kill him to save herself, but as you said, she’s alive. She’s got Dom, and right now, I need to find Maggie.” The image of some guy’s hands on her made me more furious than anything. I hadn’t been able to save Grace, but I had a chance to save Maggie.

  Duke clamped a hand on my shoulder. “Love, brother, will get you killed. Love will only end in bloodshed and tears and heartbreak. You know, I’ve been keeping tabs on you. Since when do you let a woman into your life? You haven’t gotten close to anyone except your buddy, Rafe, and that family you look up to. What’s their name? Maxwell. That’s it.”

  I fidgeted with my phone. “It sounds to me like a woman massacred your heart.”

  He let go of me as his biceps bunched.

  My phone trilled. I didn’t recognize the number, but I answered it anyway. “Yeah.”

  Duke slipped his hands into the pockets of his slacks.

  “Dillon Hart, I’m Miguel Rivera.”

  I hit the speaker button. Duke’s eyebrows furrowed.

  “Where’s Maggie?” I gritted my teeth. “If you so much as hurt her, I will kill you.”

  “That isn’t any way to negotiate.” Miguel’s voice was sharp.

  Duke and I swapped a what the fuck look.

  “I’m listening.” My tone was flat, even though I was twitchy.

  “Here’s how this will go down. You’ll bring me your sister. In exchange, I’ll give you Maggie.”

  I scrubbed a hand over my beard. “What? This is all about my sister?” Grace had said Miguel was hunting her. I imagined he wanted her because she’d killed his client.

  “Her and I have unfinished business,” he said.

  Duke shook his head and mouthed “No.”

  I spied a black cat watching us from on top of one of the rusty barrels. The superstition that black cats were bad luck was proving to be true. “I’m not handing you my sister.”

  “Too bad. I guess you’ll never see your girl again.” The line went dead.

  I growled, ready to throw my phone, when it rang again. I put Hunt on speaker. “Talk to me.”

  “Bad news,” Hunt said. “That Rick detective you met with Hughes when they showed up at the shelter is a bad seed. He’s in bed with the Black Knights. He’s been feeding them intel on cop activity and probably on Maggie. So be careful if you go to Hughes on this one.”

  I clutched a handful of my hair. “Thanks.”

  “Rafe and I have things locked down at the shelter. Go find your girl.” Hunt hung up.

  “Bro.” Duke sat back. “Don’t do what I think you’re going to do.”

  I pressed my lips together as I hit the number that Miguel had called me from.

  Miguel answered on the first ring. “You came to your senses.”

  “I want to talk to Maggie first.” I wasn’t rolling over like a dog that wanted his belly rubbed.

  I heard him snap his fingers. “Talk to your boyfriend.”

  “Maggie?” My voice pitched, and my stomach rolled.

  “Dillon?” She sounded groggy and drunk and maybe in pain. “Don’t give him Grace. I’m already dead.”

  My heart splintered.

  Miguel came back on the line. “Do we have a deal?”

  I balled my free hand into a fist. “What does she mean by she’s already dead?”

  Duke’s face morphed into the Tasmanian devil.

  “Answer me,” Miguel said. “Or your girl is right. She’s dead.”

  Taunting him, telling him I would kill him, or any other threats wouldn’t speed up the process of getting Maggie back. “Where? When?” Those were the only two questions that were needed. Anything else, then I would be the one killing Maggie, and I wasn’t going to let that happen, regardless of how much I loved my sister.

  “That’s a good boy.” Miguel laughed. “I knew you were the brother that would listen.”

  Duke jerked. I didn’t have the call on speaker this time, but Miguel was talking loudly, and Duke was leaning in close to me to hear.

  My jaw tightened when Denim came to mind. I couldn’t worry about my brother right now. “On second thought, I’ll pick the spot. I want to make sure you don’t have anything up your sleeve.”

  “Fair enough,” he said rather quickly.

  I didn’t have to think hard as to why. If Rick were feeding him info, then Miguel would know if we brought Hughes in on the deal.

  “Meet Grace and me at Mooney’s Paint Factory at sunrise.” This was the perfect spot. No one was around. There was no public to worry about. The building was surrounded by water on the backside and a chain-link fence on the other three sides. The only possible place for his goons to hide was the abandoned building across the street.

  “Any funny stuff, and your girl dies. Oh, and one more thing—don’t waste your time on Hughes. If you alert him, I’ll know.” He clicked off.

  I marched toward the factory door.

  Duke was on my heels. “Seriously, Dillon? You can’t think Grace is going to walk into the enemy’s arms.”

  “I do, and she will.” I flew into the building.

  Dom hopped up from his chair, while Gr
ace whipped her head at me.

  “I just got off the phone with Miguel. Grace and I will be meeting him at sunrise right outside here. He wants Grace in exchange for Maggie.”

  Grace moved her head back and forth repeatedly. “I’m not going back to Miguel.”

  “Why does Miguel want you?” Duke asked. “He’s jumping through hoops for you, Grace.”

  The four of us stood in a circle of sorts.

  Grace tugged on her ear, a habit she’d had as a kid when she didn’t want to talk but knew she had to when one of her brothers demanded an answer, especially when it came to an incident between her and our old man. “The man who bought me. The one I killed. His family put a bounty on my head and Miguel’s if he didn’t return me to the family.”

  Dom mumbled something under his breath that I couldn’t make out.

  Duke growled low.

  I was numb.

  “She’s not going back to him,” Dom said through clenched teeth. “She’s been through hell. Do you know how she was tortured?” He tipped his head at Grace. “Show them.”

  Her shoulders slumped as tears clouded her eyes. “I can’t.”

  Dom cupped her face. “Baby cakes, they’re your brothers. They need to know.”

  Duke turned multiple shades of red. I was holding my breath.

  Dom guided Grace around so her back was to us. Then he lifted up her shirt.

  Duke paled. I was on the verge of throwing up.

  Grace’s back was littered with scars as though someone had whipped her. Then the idea of Maggie going through something similar made my stomach even queasier.

  Motherfucker.

  Grace fumbled to pull down her shirt. When she pivoted, her cheeks were coated in tears.

  Duke had his arms around her before I could blink. “I’m so fucking sorry.” He rested his chin on her head.

  Her arms went around Duke as she cried.

  Sandy grit lined my throat. I couldn’t let my feelings get in the way. Duke had just told me love would get me killed. Love would also get Maggie killed if I let my love for Grace get in the way. “I’m not into throwing Grace to the wolves. So we have eight hours to work out a new plan and find where Miguel is keeping Maggie.” If we couldn’t, then I wasn’t sure what our next move would be. “I’m calling in Detective Hughes and only him. Apparently, one of Hughes’s underlings is on Miguel’s payroll.” I blew out all the air in my lungs. “One thing I know for sure is that Detective Hughes cares a great deal about Maggie. That means he’ll do what we ask without his unit.”