RIDING DIRTY (Steel Titans MC Book 4) by Franca Storm (best books for students to read txt) 📗

would be fine if you had Cole’s rage working for you,” Liam said, with a laugh.

“I’m past the raging now,” Cole said.

“Didn’t seem like it a minute ago,” Rick pointed out.

“I made an exception for you.”

“Lock it up.” Liam snapped. He gestured at Rick, “No more small talk. Get to it. What’s going on?”

“Willa’s okay.”

Relief like I’d never felt before coursed through me. After way too long carrying the anxiety and fear for her, I felt some of the weight lift. There was more to the hope I’d been holding out, just based on her skills and abilities. Now there was something concrete.

Rick went on quickly, “It’s clear Blake is monitoring her calls and communications, because she sent me a coded message from an old burner.”

“How did she get a hold of that without him knowing?” Cole asked.

Rick and I exchanged a smartass look. “She’s another level,” I told them.

“Hella resourceful and skilled. She can work up a plan like nobody else,” Rick added. Reaching into his jeans pocket, he pulled out his cell, scrolled for a few seconds, then handed it over to me, showing me the message she’d sent him.

I took in the three words, frowning. It was coded all right.

Heavy shade. Sunblock.

“It means she’s in deep cover right now, working Blake. Heavy shade. The sunblock part is telling us to stay out in the sun, not to come into the shade. Basically, not to interfere with what she’s doing,” Rick explained.

“It’s not much to go on,” Liam pointed out.

“That shithead is using her for something for sure,” Cole said.

“And she’s using him right back,” Rick stated.

“She’s playing with fucking fire,” I said, a growl leaving me. What the hell was she thinking? Sure, she could handle herself, but everybody had a limit. She weren’t invincible. She weren’t all-knowing. She was out there alone without any backup and she’d decided to kick up a shit storm? Jesus Christ! I eyed Rick. “Any leads from the call?” It was a longshot with the burner, but I still had to ask.

“It can’t be traced, but I know where she kept that phone. Which office. Won’t tell us much, though. She could be miles away by now.”

Liam pulled his phone out and told Rick, “Text me the location. We’ve got some of our boys running down leads. I’ll have Van find the closest one of our boys to his place and point them toward it to check it out.”

Rick went ahead and sent the text, Liam’s phone chiming a second later. Then he turned his attention to me. “Look, there’s nothing we can do until we know where she’s at and where Freeman is keeping her. For now, let’s focus on what we can do.”

“Yeah,” I agreed. “Nolan.”

“I’m gonna send Mason down with you.”

“I’ll go,” Cole protested.

“Nah,” Liam said, shaking his head. “I know you’re better than you used to be, but we can’t take any risks here. Nolan is known for getting inside people’s heads. He’s even managed to with Slade before. Mason is the most level-headed with the hardest, impenetrable outer shell.”

“Yeah, all right,” Cole grunted.

“I need you to handle the borders here while they’re down there, Cole,” Liam told him.

That soldier mentality of his kicked in now that he’d been given a direct order, and Cole went rigid, assuring him, “Got it, brother.”

Liam clapped my shoulder. “Let’s get this asshole, Prez.”

Fucking right.

And I wasn’t gonna screw it up this time around.

Adrian Nolan’s life was ending tonight.

24

~Willa~

 

SECURITY WAS A JOKE.

Nolan really seemed to think that retreating to a house way out of the way was enough to ward off his enemies.

There’d been just three guards and I’d taken them down without much effort, given how weak their combat skills had been and the fact that they hadn’t been able to handle a surprise attack. They’d fought separately, instead of working off each other as a team. It would’ve given them way more of an edge and somewhat of a chance against me, at least for the first few moments, while I’d been getting into the groove of the fight. Instead, I’d disposed of them in moments.

Now I had my back flat against the corridor wall, just a few feet from Nolan’s bedroom.

Despite the ease with which I’d managed to access my target, the mission was going to be tricky from here on out.

A hit was one thing. Disturbingly, it was run-of-the-mill for me.

A hit was what Blake Freeman thought it was.

A hit was what I wanted it to be.

But it was a whole lot more complicated than that.

I couldn’t let Adrian Nolan die.

Not yet.

I tapped the infuriating earpiece that I’d been forced to wear and connected to Freeman, my voice below even a whisper, as I spoke, “In position. Going radio silent.”

“Twenty minutes and you reconnect, or I’m coming in.”

“Roger that,” I responded, swallowing down how pissed I was that he was giving me a command. Pride didn’t matter right now, though. It was all about the big picture.

I took a deep breath, getting in the zone, entering that headspace that allowed me to do this sort of high-risk, brutal thing.

And then I stepped up to the bedroom door, turned the knob without making so much as a sound, and slipped inside.

***

God, the guy was a heavy sleeper.

Then again, I could move like a ghost when I wanted to.

Still, I could sense the slightest movement anywhere within my vicinity, even when I was asleep. Slade could testify to that.

Slade.

My gut twisted, just like it had been doing ever since I’d watched the safehouse explode with him and Ricky inside.

I wanted to believe that they’d made it, but hope made fools out of many. Sometimes, it was all you had to hold onto, though.

Fuck! Stop! Get a grip.

I was on a mission. I couldn’t let personal sentiment infect me. I never had. It was a testament to the hold that Slade had on me.

Focus!

My gun at the ready, I