Page 36 of Gentleman Wanted
Ruin started talking low and fast. Every now and then, he would glance in my direction with a frown on his face.
I couldn’t hear what was being said, but I could tell it was bad from the look on his face. I braced myself for the news.
Avery curled her hand around mine. Cali, on the other side, did the same. I was grateful for them. But I knew they were scared as well.
We were all scared. All of us standing out in the smoky wet street were terrified.
We were violent men. There was no denying that, but just waiting here to hear If someone had murdered a baby was enough to break us.
“Gent.”
I lifted my head. If Ruin was about to tell me that my family was dead, I wanted to face it like a man.
Gemma would want me to face it like a man. I told myself.
No, she wouldn’t. Gemma had never wanted to come back. I was the one who told her it was safe. I had talked her into coming back here.
She had trusted me to keep her safe. To keep them both safe, and I had failed her.
Young Blood.
He was the one who had done this. There was no doubt in my mind. He had set the fire in the shop, knowing it would draw me away, and I had fallen for it. I had left Gem and Bobby unprotected.
Young Blood would die. He would die bloody and in pain, and still, it would not be enough.
Nothing would ever be enough.
“Gent,” Ruin said again.
“Just say it.” I sounded clipped. Like I was barely holding on to my sanity.
Cali squeezed my hand again. I could feel her shaking.
“Gent. They aren’t there. The apartment is empty.”
For a second, I couldn’t understand him. His words made sense, but my brain just couldn’t work out their meaning.
“Thank God for that.” Avery sobbed against my arm. “Thank God, Gent, did you hear him? They aren’t in there.”
“Yeah, I heard him.” I tried to smile. To feel the same kind of relief that they all were, but all I felt was empty.
“They got out, Gent, that’s good news”, Ruin was talking quietly.
“Then where is she? If she had got out, she would have made sure we knew.” I took a deep breath.
Young Blood.
“Young Blood has them. They didn’t get out. They were taken out. This is just another damn delay tactic, and we fell for it again. That asshole has them.”
Wicked cleared his throat loudly. His face guarded. “You don’t know that, Gent.”
But I did know it.
Who else could it have been? Raising my chin, I caught Ruin’s eyes. For a heartbeat, he looked troubled and then he nodded. One single nod of his head. And I knew he agreed with me. He had my back.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise. Bobby was his half brother. His blood.
“Yeah, I do. We all do.” I glanced around at my club brothers. “We might not want to admit it to ourselves, but we knew.” I met Wicked’s eyes. “You said so yourself, Wicked. You warned us that he would come for them.” I did a quick headcount.
