“Mic said he heard banging and moaning coming from the room,” he says.
I run my hands over my face, knowing this shit could go south real fucking fast if the moaning is nothing more than someone in the room on the other side of him getting off, since this hotel is one that is known for cheap hourly rates. We set up Mic and Sage in the room next to the one Yury is supposed to be occupying then Harlen and Evan in the middle, while Z stayed in the truck outside the entry of the hotel’s parking lot.
“Fuck, let’s go,” I say, following Wes down the open second floor walkway of the hotel. Once we reach the door where Harlen and Evan are, they come out and follow behind us. There’s no way to go unnoticed. The hotel is open, with the doors of the rooms leading outside to the parking lot. When we make it to the room, I stop and pull out my gun and press my ear to the door.
Hearing nothing, I’m about to move on to the room Sage and Mic are occupying, when I hear banging and what sounds like someone attempting to scream. Without thinking, I step back and kick the cheap door with my boot, sending wood splintering off in every direction. Holding my gun out in front of me, I scan the room then my eyes land on a gagged naked woman sitting on the floor, with her hands and ankles tied and her back pressed to the AC until under the window.
“Fuck,” I breathe, seeing the bruises covering her small form. “It’s okay,” I say, walking towards her, shoving my gun away and pulling my knife out of my pocket. Removing the gag first from her mouth, her head lowers and a loud sob rips from her chest as I cut the ties that are keeping her in place. “It’s gonna be okay.” I tell her, taking off my jacket and using it to cover her up.
“He’s coming back,” she says, lifting fright-filled eyes up to meet mine. “He’s going to kill me when he comes back.”
“You won’t be here when he does,” I assure her, picking her up and handing her off to Harlen, who is standing close to my side. “Get her to the hospital,” I tell him then look at Wes, who’s barely keeping it together, then to my cousin. “Call your dad and let him know what’s going on.”
“On it,” he mumbles, stepping to the back of the room.
“Mic, see if you can close the door,” I say calmly, and Mic’s eyes darken with fury as he goes out to the walkway and kicks off the broken pieces of wood then comes back inside, closing the door behind him. Standing in the room, I look around, seeing the place is a mess. There are clothes, empty food containers, and beer bottles thrown around the room, along with open condom wrappers, which cause rage to burn through every cell of my body.
“Keep it together,” Sage says, coming up next to me. My dad’s on his way, and this guy maybe the only lead we have to find the one who wanted Ellie.”
“I know,” I agree, but that doesn’t stop the images of me putting a bullet between Yury’s eyes from entering my thoughts.
“He just pulled in,” Wes says low, walking to the door and holding his phone in his hand, typing something back on the screen before shoving it in his pocket. Pulling his gun from the back of his jeans, he flips off the light. “How pissed is Nico going to be if I shoot this stupid fuck?” he asks, and I grin then move to the side of the door.
Placing my back against the wall, I hear the sound of metal and someone walking up the concrete stairs that lead to the second level. When we finally hear keys jingling, I swing the door open and shove my gun into Yury’s face.