WHISPERS IN THE DARK

Chapter Twenty-Six

**MALIKI'S POV**

"WHERE...IS...SHE?" I grunt, each word punctuated by a punch that transforms the man's face into a bloodied mess.

"That's enough, Maliki. He's dead," Ryan says softly, his voice firm as he tries to pull me away from the crumpled, bleeding body on the floor.

It's been three months since Callie was pronounced dead. Those months have been a relentless grind of grueling work and brutal interrogations. Her voice, her shadow, haunts me every waking moment. The voice in my head insists she's still alive, but every reminder of her loss makes my heart ache anew.

During Naomi's family's grieving period, Ryan and I decided to stay in her hometown. Elizabeth hasn't left her room in all this time, and Naomi, David, and I have thrown ourselves into work, tackling every job that comes our way to keep our minds occupied. Ryan has remained by Naomi's side throughout, a grim start to their supposed happy future.

Our recent targets have escalated from small warehouses to our major supply and shipment depots. The name that keeps surfacing is "Olivia."

Rumor has it that Olivia has taken over Callan and Luca's operations, working alongside her father. They had been trying to undermine David and me ever since they moved to Spain. But despite their efforts, they've stayed hidden, sending their men to do their dirty work. No one knows where they are, and our frustration has led us to capture and torture their operatives until death, hoping they'd reveal something useful.

I cast one last glance at the bloody corpse before turning to leave the dark, grimy cell. "Maliki, this needs to stop," my father's voice calls from the top of the stairs. I scoff, brushing past him. "I'm doing what I was trained to do," I retort before storming away.

Slamming the door to my room behind me, I collapse onto the bed and stare at the ceiling. Memories of Callie flood my mind-her smile, her laugh. She made life bearable, even though I never had the courage to tell her.

The door bursts open with a loud bang, and Naomi storms in. "Enough wallowing. Get ready; we're heading out," she orders, followed by Ryan, Cole, Steph, Leigh, Marcus, and Sam. "Not in the mood," I reply, not taking my eyes off the ceiling.

Silence follows before Ryan, Sam, Cole, and Marcus move in, surrounding me. Naomi steps aside, heading back to the door where Steph and Leigh wait, grinning. "I'm sorry, man, but what the wife says goes," Ryan says with a sheepish grin.

They grab me-each one holding an arm or a leg-and lift me off the bed. "Put me down!" I roar, thrashing as they carry me towards the car. They don't relent until I'm tossed into the trunk, the lid slamming shut behind me. "You're all fucking dead!" I yell, kicking out at the confined space.

The engine roars to life, and we drive for a short while. The car eventually stops, and the trunk opens. Disoriented, I scramble out, taking in the surroundings. My friends are gathered around me, and I realize we're at the club Ryan and I own. "Not a chance," I mutter, turning to storm off.

"Do you think Callie would accept this bullshit from you if she were here?" Steph's voice cuts through the loud music and chatter. Her words strike a chord, and I freeze, fists clenched at my sides. Memories of meeting Callie at this club-the night she danced with abandon, her eyes sparkling in the lights-flood back.

Turning around, I make my way to my friends. "One drink," I concede, and they quickly agree. We head inside, the thumping music and the sweaty crowd doing little to lift my mood.

We settle into our usual VIP seats. My gaze drifts to the dance floor, where Naomi and Ryan are dancing with Leigh, Cole, Marcus, and Steph. Despite myself, I smile, seeing them finally enjoying themselves. "I don't know how Naomi does it," Sam mutters. "He helps her forget," I reply, finishing my drink.

Two blonde girls approach, giggling unsteadily. "Care to dance?" the taller one asks, wiggling her eyebrows. "I'd rather let a hedgehog crawl up my arse," I retort, turning my attention back to my drink.

Sam grins and responds to the girls, "How about I dance with you both?" They giggle and pull him away, leaving me alone at the bar. I light a cigarette and order another drink. My phone vibrates, and I see Dom is calling. I answer, "What is it?"

"I've been trying to reach you for three months. I need to show you something," Dom says urgently before the call cuts off. A new message arrives with a location and a request to come quickly. I text back that I'll handle it tomorrow, but Dom replies with a photo of a beautiful house surrounded by fields. Zooming in on the background, I whisper, "No."

I scan the room until I find Naomi. I approach her, handing over my phone. "What am I looking at?" she shouts over the music.

I zoom in on the picture, pointing at something in the background. Naomi's face falls. "No," she whispers, grabbing Ryan's hand. "We all have to go now," she shouts. Ryan nods and gathers the group. We head out the back doors of the club.

Leigh, Sam, and I pile into my car, while Ryan, Naomi, Marcus, and Cole follow in the other vehicle. I send the photo and location to Ryan as we speed off towards the address.

As we approach the house, my knuckles whiten on the steering wheel. We skid to a halt and jump out, guns raised. Two cars are parked in front of the house, and I recognize them as belonging to Olivia and her father.

The door opens, and Olivia and her father step out, hands raised. "We are unarmed," her father shouts.

I nod to Ryan and Cole, who move forward. Olivia and her father kneel, but Olivia suddenly lunges with a knife. Naomi shouts, "She's got a knife!" Ryan wrestles the knife away and restrains her, pinning her to the ground. Naomi approaches, threatening Olivia before hitting her with the butt of her gun. Naomi kisses Ryan before turning back to the car.

Back at the cells, Ryan and I escort Olivia and her father to their respective cells. Cole and Steph are waiting in another cell, silent and patient. After locking Olivia and her father in, we brief David and my father, preparing for the aftermath.

Steph and Cole report that Olivia and her father have been silent throughout. I nod and tell them they're free to go. Entering Charles's cell, I see him looking up with fear. "Callie's death wasn't meant to happen," he mutters, glancing at the ground.

Rage flares inside me. How dare he mention her name. I storm over and kick Charles in the jaw, sending him crashing to the floor. Olivia screams for me to stop, but I ignore her. Grabbing Charles by the throat, I slam his head against the wall. Blood pours from his mouth and head wound.

"Please, Maliki. It was an accident," Charles pleads. I kick him in the gut, making him cough up blood. "Knowing Callie, she probably died smiling," he grunts. I kick him again.

Charles gasps, "She wasn't supposed to get hurt. He was obsessed with her. It was an accident, just like your mother's." His words blur as my vision narrows. I pull out my gun and point it at Olivia.

"Please, kill me, not my daughter," Charles begs, falling to his knees. I laugh-a deranged, crazed laugh. "She's just as guilty as you are. Give me one good reason she should live," I sneer, pressing the gun to his mouth. Olivia sobs uncontrollably.

"Olivia knows where Callie is," Charles mumbles against the gun. I pull the trigger, and he falls to the ground, lifeless. Olivia's desperate screams for mercy echo in the cell.

Entering Olivia's cell, I see Sam standing over her as blood pools from her neck. Olivia clutches at her wound, her muffled words barely audible, "Callie...is..."

*BANG* *BANG* *BANG*