The Beats In Rift

Chapter 25

Jared 

I PULL MY bike up at the address he gave me, then pull out my phone and call Ice. He picks up after two rings. "What do you need?" he asks. I never ring Ice unless I have a job for him.

"I need you to make your way here. I might need you to clean for me."

"Personal or business," he asks, not that he will care. He only asks so he knows whether to involve any of the other brothers. "Just you, personal."

"Leave your phone on, I'll GPS it."

I end the call and slip my gun from the side satchel into the back of my jeans. The place looks abandoned. I'm cautious of my surroundings. The fact that no one's around and its deserted makes me edgy.

My heavy footsteps echo around the abandoned development as I slowly walk up the path to a beat down house. My phones vibrates with Justin's name flashing on the screen.

"What?"

"Tell me you're with Meadow." His voice is strained.

"No, Dad called me wanting to talk, I'm like an hour from hers at some run down street. I dropped her off first. Why?"

"He's fucking lost it. He's insane." His voice is weak, like he's struggling. "I had a message from him saying that he's going to give me what she flaunted for too long before he kills her."

The break in his voice makes me swallow.

"What the fuck does that mean? He has her Mom. Does he mean her Mom?" My voice is laced with anger.

I run up the pathway and kick the rotting wooden door open. It crumbles under my weight, dust and dirt lift from the floor as it disintegrates. The house is empty, undisturbed for what seems like years. My stomach drops. "Where is he? Why did he make me come here?" I whisper down the phone, but I already know the answer. "He led me away from her. Fuck!"

"I'm on my way to you, Jared. I'll be a few hours though. Shit, he's changed his phone. I can't get in touch with him!"

I end the call and bring Beats' name up in my phonebook. I hit the ring icon and bring it to my ear. The endless ringing brings dread creeping into my bones. I hear the connect and my heart jumps until I hear her answer machine. "Sorry I missed your call. Please leave your details and I'll get back to you." Her voice washes over me like warm caramel over ice cream, melting my heart. I can't lose her.

I rush back to my bike and take off in the direction of Beats' house. I try Crystal's phone and get no answer. I grip the handlebars and blast the engine, my mind playing havoc with me as the miles pass. I finally reach her street, the flashing lights from a police car and an ambulance sends ice shooting through my veins.

I jump from my bike, leaving it to crash to the floor. I rush past the crowd that has gathered and push my way through. "No sir, please stay back," an officer says. I ignore him, fear driving me forward. He grabs at me and I shrug him off easily. More officers rush at me.

"That's my family in there!" I roar as I barge them out of the way. I see Crystal standing in the passage, a paramedic trying to calm her down. Our eyes meet and she sprints towards me. "God Rift, I'm sorry. Someone took her, he forced his way in and hit me with something and I was coming around when I saw her being forced out the door."

"Where are the girls?"

She gestures towards the house. "They're okay, the paramedics are checking them over but they're fine. My Mom's coming to get them. They want me to go hospital because of my head injury."