"Lexie?" Jackson asked in confusion.

"What the f.u.c.k is going on here?" Teddy asked as his gaze flickered to Lexie.

Stodden looked confused by her surrender when she had the upper hand in the situation.

"But Jackson owes you nothing." Lexie raised her brow. "And you killed his father and destroyed his family." Stodden made a move to raise his gun toward Jackson but Dane was too quick. His bullet lodged in Stodden's right shoulder, causing him to drop his gun.

"f.u.c.k," Stodden hollered as he grabbed at the table for support. The girl ran screaming from him and stumbled down the stairs. The blood saturating his shirt was in plain sight as he swayed on his feet.

"Jacobs...Rayner..." Stodden called for his men. He had lost but he refused to submit.

"Sorry, Stodden, but your men are dead," Jackson announced. "Tell me where Haffey's brother is."

"I'll tell you if you lower your gun," Stodden demanded with his one last remaining bargaining chip. "You let me walk out of here and I will give you the information you need." Stodden grimaced through the pain. Lexie searched for any sign of humanity in his eyes, but the only thing she saw when she looked at him was a monster.

"Nah, I don't think so. Besides, I bet your little buddy knows where he is." Jackson nodded toward Brian Crothers, who was cowering against the wall as Dane held him at gunpoint. His mask was pulled down around his neck and a look of desperation was painted on his features.

"Where is he? Dane asked, pushing his gun into Crothers' cheek.

"Don't f.u.c.king talk, Brian," Stodden demanded, but the threat of the gun apparently took precedence.

"I'm sorry...don't kill me. He's...he's being kept at um..." Crothers' glanced over at Stodden but Dane twisted the barrel of the gun harder into his flesh. "Okay, okay, as far as I know he's at a man's house named Trent Baker," Crothers confessed.

"Now that I have that little piece of information I don't need your piece of s.h.i.t a.s.s."

"Think about what you're doing, Jackson. It was Rosh that killed your father and you know it. I'm just a fellow man who doesn't like to pa.s.s up on good opportunities. Nothing more."

"f.u.c.k you, Stodden," Jackson seethed.

Lexie knew Jackson had been envisioning this moment his entire life.

"You sentenced my father to death and this is my retribution," Jackson raged as he pulled the trigger. The bullet hit Stodden in the other shoulder, causing him to stumble backward. Stodden lunged toward Lexie in on last desperate attempt. He never made it to her because the spray of bullets stopped him in his tracks. One by one his body jerked with the impact as he backed into the railing next to Lexie. She was frozen in place as he gave her a last fleeting look, reaching for her with a bloodied hand. Lexie covered her mouth with a gasp.

The momentum of his fall caused him to topple over the railing, his lifeless body dropped to the ground below with a sickening thud. Lexie looked at Stodden's dead body with wide-eyes. It was over. It was all over. She looked up and met Jackson's gaze. She was waiting for the feeling of joy to wash over her but instead tears filled her eyes. She wasn't sure what she was feeling, she was too high on adrenaline to register what emotion was fighting for center stage. Jackson wrapped his jacket around her and gathered her in his arms.

"Everyone cleared out in a hurry," Teddy said, looking at the empty club.

"Bullets do that," Dane answered.

"And I would imagine from the guest list it would be bad for those men to be here when the cops pull in," Teddy added.

Jackson held her against his side, placing a kiss on her forehead. She could feel his body shaking next to hers, or maybe it was her own, she couldn't tell.

"Call Haffey and give her the good news," Jackson said.

"On it," Teddy said, pulling out his phone.

Dane still had Brian Crothers against the wall at gunpoint. "What should I do with him?" Dane asked as the man whimpered. Apparently Stodden's partner didn't have a stomach for violence.

"Lock him in one of the offices downstairs. Haffey can deal with him. Let's get out of here," Jackson said to Lexie as he guided her toward the stairs. Lexie wrapped her arm around his waist and felt a warm, wet heat.

"Jackson?" Lexie pulled her hand away and saw the blood on her fingers. "You're hurt!"

"I'm fine," Jackson tried to dismiss her but Lexie wouldn't let it go. She pulled up his shirt to look for the wound. "I like where this is going."

Lexie looked up at him from under her lashes. "You're impossible," Lexie said with a shake of her head. "Dane?" Lexie called to him.

Dane looked at Crothers' for a moment before he hit him with the b.u.t.t of his gun and he dropped unconscious on the floor. "I couldn't leave him. I don't trust the b.a.s.t.a.r.d after seeing the s.h.i.t on his computer."

"I'll be fine," Jackson insisted. "The bullet just grazed me."

"Let's see," Dane said examining the wound. "f.u.c.k, that looks like it hurts. We'll get you fixed up," Dane a.s.sured him.

"That's a lot of blood for a graze."

"He'll be all right. He's been shot more than any of us," Dane said dismissively.

"That doesn't make me feel any better." Lexie sighed. "Let's just get out of here."

By the time they made it outside the sound of sirens could be heard in the distance and it was music to her ears. She had never felt so good to walk through a door in her entire life. She never wanted to step back into that place again.

"I could use a drink right now," Jackson said.

"Me too, but let's hold off the celebration until we get you st.i.tched up," Lexie insisted. Jackson gave her a smile and leaned in close.

"About what Stodden said..."

"Don't worry about that right now. Let's just have this moment." Lexie grabbed his cheeks and pressed her lips against his. "It's over," she whispered against his lips.

"It's over," he repeated with a relieved smile.

CHAPTER.

THIRTY-EIGHT.

Haffey The street was quiet in the late night hour as they drove by the rows of houses, all similar in size and style. The street looked very una.s.suming and the very last place Haffey would have considered looking for her brother. Though, she was not surprised. Stodden had found a way to penetrate every layer of the city.

Trent Baker was a typical family man. He owned and operated his own auto painting company for the last twenty years. He was also known to take on odd jobs when business was down. He had a wife and two children in high school; his oldest set to graduate in the spring. Nothing on paper stood out about this man that would raise any flags. Haffey didn't think about it much, she knew the dots could be connected later. The only thing that drove her was finding her brother, and time was of the essence.

When they neared the address located at the end of the street, they pulled onto a long driveway with a sign indicating, Baker's Auto Painting. The house was set off the road in a cl.u.s.ter of trees. The headlights illuminated the dark house as they pulled to a stop. The large garage behind the house was cast aglow in light that streamed through the windows along the side of the building. Music could be heard radiating from the interior as they pulled to a stop.

The three cruisers behind Haffey's vehicle pulled in, blocking off the driveway. The officers filed out of their cars with their weapons readied, awaiting her orders.

"Peters and Sanchez," Haffey motioned toward the dark house. "Clear the house. The rest of you follow me."

Haffey glanced at Sieks, who closed in by her side as they headed toward the garage. The music was the perfect cover to keep their approach quiet as she neared the side door. She could hear someone making noise from inside. Haffey motioned toward the others to ready themselves as she approached the door. They had no idea what to expect upon entry of the building. Haffey leaned away from the gla.s.s upper portion of the door to stay out of view from the interior and grabbed the handle. It wasn't locked.

He nodded toward Sieks as she pushed the door in. She and Sieks stepped in with their weapons raised. She could see Baker across the shop, he was wearing white overalls covered in paint, with a mask covering most of his face, but she knew it was him. "Put your hands up, Trent Baker."

The man looked terrified as she stayed frozen in place, watching the men file in his shop with guns pointed toward him.

"Put your hands up!" Haffey demanded.

Baker dropped his spray gun and made a grab for something on his work bench. "Don't f.u.c.king move!" Sieks screamed, circling the car that sat in the center of the room. The room reeked of paint fumes and it made Haffey lightheaded.

Haffey noticed what he was grabbing for. A pistol was sitting among his tools. "Put the weapon down, Mr. Baker. Surrender and you won't get hurt."

He pulled the mask off his face and looked at Haffey. "I'm sorry," he mumbled before lifting the gun to his head. Haffey made a lunge for him but she wasn't quick enough. He pulled the trigger and she watched the side of his head explode.

"No!" Haffey screamed but it was too late. Blood sprayed all over the freshly painted car. "Oh G.o.d." She covered her mouth as she took in the horrific scene. She pulled her hand away and noticed some of the blood splatter had gotten on her face. She frantically wiped it away.

Sieks walked up beside her and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Here." He pa.s.sed her a cloth to help clean the blood.

Sieks addressed the others still in the room. "Search the property and see if we can find any sign of Haffey's brother."

Sieks guided her away from the scene and led her out of the garage. "Take a moment," he said when they were alone.

"I don't need a moment. I need to find my brother," She pa.s.sed Sieks back the bloodied cloth. She knew she needed to focus on finding her brother. That was the most important thing. She would worry about Trent Baker later.

They searched the house from top to bottom, leaving nothing untouched, and Haffey was growing increasingly restless. He had to be here, they were out of options.

"I found something!" one of the officers called from the doorway of the garage. Haffey immediately ran into the building. She ignored the b.l.o.o.d.y mess as she pa.s.sed by into the office s.p.a.ce, off the back of the garage. The mat was pulled up off the floor and a latch was opened to reveal a descending staircase.

Haffey used her phone as a flashlight and pulled out her gun as she started down the steep stairway without hesitation. Sieks was quick to follow her; she could feel him against her back.

"There's a light," Sieks said, pointing to a chain hanging down from the ceiling at the bottom of the stairs. She pulled it and the small enclosed s.p.a.ce was illuminated. They were looking at a wooden wall and door that led into another area.

Haffey grabbed the door latch and slowly pulled it open. Holding her gun, she stepped inside. She could make out wooden crates piled up against the wall. She heard a small sound from inside, but the sound of footsteps coming down behind her drowned out any other noise.

"Be quiet," Haffey whispered. Sieks turned around and motioned for them to stop making noise. She froze in place, listening. It was a soft moaning sound coming from inside the dark room.

"Carlos?" Haffey called out as she stepped inside.

The moaning stopped and she heard movement, a bucket being knocked over, and the sound of a chain rattling.

"Carlos?" she called out again, this time louder.

"Belisa." Her name brought a rush of excitement. Her brother was still alive. Her worst fear was lifted from her shoulders and she gasped with relief.

"I'm coming," she said as she shone her light up and walked further. The boxes opened up into an empty area where she could see her brother chained in the corner of the bas.e.m.e.nt. He was badly injured from what she could tell in the dim light. The sight of him brought tears to her eyes, both of horror and relief.

Haffey dropped to her knees and threw her arms around him before placing her hands on either side of his face. The light from Sieks' flashlight illuminated his swollen features but she could see her brother behind the damage.

"Get something to cut these chains," she called out to no one in particular. She wanted to get her brother out of this horrible place and bring him home.

Haffey pulled the blanket tighter around Carlos' shoulders as he sat in the back of the ambulance. The paramedic was examining him and bandaging his open wounds.

Haffey looked up and saw Sieks and another officer approach. Sieks nodded for her to join them.

"I'll be back in a second, Carlos," Haffey said, giving his shoulder a gentle pat.

He nodded quietly. She could see the tortured look in his eyes and knew that he was suffering more than physical wounds.

Haffey jumped out of the back of the vehicle. "What's going on?" she asked.

"Peters spoke with some of the neighbors. They said that a about a week ago his wife and kids packed up and left late one night. It took everyone by surprise because the family looked like they were doing well before things took a turn. Darlene Baker was driving a brand new BMW and lots of delivery trucks had been arriving the last few months. By the looks of the interior of the house, they bought a whole lot of brand new s.h.i.t lately."

"A little unlikely for a small auto painting company to make that much profit in a short period of time." Haffey pursed her lips.

"Maybe Darlene found out where the money was coming from and took off," Peters added.

"Seems likely. Track her down and call me as soon as you do. I'm heading to the hospital with Carlos," Haffey informed them.

"Sure thing," Sieks said. He looked at Carlos, who was still being examined. "I'll be by the hospital as soon as I clean things up here."

"Thanks, Sieks." Haffey offered a small smile.

"Of course. Now go take care of your brother and leave the rest to me."

"I don't deserve you," Haffey said as she walked backward toward the ambulance.

"You're right." Sieks winked at her.

CHAPTER.