His to Take (Wicked Lovers #9)(125)
Author: Shayla Black

After a quick trek up the airstairs, Joaquin’s thoughts still raced. He ducked to enter the cabin and saw Stone banging away on a computer. He never looked up. “Hi, man. Sorry I keep accompanying the bad news.”

“Not your fault,” Joaquin assured him.

“I’m looking to see if LOSS has any sort of private network I can hack. If I can see their internal communications, we’ll be better informed so we can plan our next course of action.”

Good thinking. Stone had located Bailey once. Maybe he’d be helpful again. “I appreciate it.”

Stone shook his head as if to wave him away and kept pounding on the keys.

To his right, Hunter rose to meet him, hand outstretched. “We’ll do our best to get her back.”

Gaping, he shook his brother-in-law’s hand. “Why are you here? Your wife is having a baby.”

“His wife is not giving birth in the next five minutes,” Kata said, exiting the restroom at the back of the plane. “My obstetrician okayed travel for another two weeks. So after a short discussion—”

“Temper tantrum,” Hunter corrected.

“My husband and I came to help.” Kata went on as if Hunter hadn’t spoken. “I’m not just his wife; I’m your sister, too.”

And she shouldn’t be here. This mission could get dangerous. He looked at Hunter as if the guy had lost his mind. His brother-in-law shrugged. “She agreed to stay out of harm’s way. Stone will keep watch over her.”

Joaquin’s gaze fell to an older man beside Hunter. They looked remarkably similar, right down to the rugged face and shocking blue eyes.

The man stood and stuck his hand out. “Caleb Edgington. I’m Hunter’s father.”

Numbly, Joaquin shook it. “My mother’s new husband?”

Why the hell was this guy here? Yeah, he looked athletic, especially for his age, but they didn’t have time to help Grandpa if his back went out or he needed Jell-O.

“Yes.”

“I appreciate the offer to help, but this could get really physical and dangerous.”

Caleb’s expression iced over and he suddenly looked like a mean motherfucker.

Hunter cleared his throat. “My father served the army for twenty-four years, retiring as a full bird colonel. He fought in Kuwait and Afghanistan. He’s participated in combat training and clandestine missions all over the world. For over a decade, he’s consulted as a military specialist and owned his own private company of operatives. He’s a tactical genius.”

The older man crossed his arms over his chest. “I came because my wife asked me to.”

Joaquin couldn’t quite decipher Caleb’s tone. He seemed very straightforward . . . but underlying grit and a hint of disapproval laced his voice. Naturally, he’d side with his wife, who probably wished her deadbeat son would call or visit more. Joaquin shoved the sting of guilt aside. No time to think about that now.

“Sure. Thanks.”

“You and I have never met, but we’re family now. Family helps its own.”

Mind-blowing. More people willing to go out on a limb to help a relative stranger, just because there happened to be a little blood mixed in along the way. He’d seen this group’s closeness over the past few days, but he’d never expected it to include him. Against his will, he felt humbled.

Knowing he didn’t have time to examine the sentiment now, he addressed the group at large. “Do we know anything else?”

“The Kansas City and Omaha offices have been alerted,” Sean assured him. “The known roads into the compound are on surveillance. They’re worried a barricade will signal LOSS that we’re onto them and they’ll send McKeevy elsewhere. So there’s an APB out for him. The highway patrol in every state between here and Iowa will be on the lookout for anyone matching his description. They’re circulating pictures of Bailey, too. Other than that, all we can do is wait.”

The captain announced moments later that they were taking off and everyone would need to buckle up. Joaquin’s gaze fell to the only available seat on the plane—next to his sister.

Dropping into it, he set his backpack between his feet and strapped in. Within moments, they were airborne and reaching their cruising altitude. The silence felt crushing.

“I’ve done a lot of digging,” Stone said suddenly, still tapping computer keys. “LOSS doesn’t have any sort of internal hub or electronic communication system.”

“We know they’re using burner phones,” Sean tossed out.

Stone nodded. “I’ve checked all the private charter companies within a fifty-mile radius of Lake Harmony. I’m not seeing a record of any last-minute flights. That doesn’t make it impossible, but less likely.”