Rebel Roused (Untamed #5) (3 page)

A
ll I cared about was Ree.

Find Ree. Save Ree.

Hunt my father down before he killed her.

The police weren’t going to do shit until they verified that she was actually in trouble—they’d made that clear when they’d questioned me at Rex’s days ago.

It hadn’t mattered that I’d pointed out all the evidence screaming that my father had taken her—her smashed phone on the studio floor, her partially packed bags, her purse still upstairs in her apartment, wallet untouched. She had no money, no credit cards, no ID.

It also hadn’t mattered that I’d told them of his threats. That he’d already tried to blow her up in the gallery. They still moved at a snail’s pace.

All I could think was find Ree. Save Ree.

When Rex’s body had been covered by a sheet and carried out on a stretcher in front of me, I’d lost it.

Rex was gone. Ree was gone. Who knew if she was even still alive? I had to get out of there and start looking for her.

Two exhausting long hours passed before the authorities were satisfied and I was finally released from questioning. But not before it became clear that Ree’s kidnapping was not going to get the immediate attention it needed.

“She’s an adult,” the detective said. “Sometimes adults take off. It doesn’t necessarily mean anything’s happened to her.”

Fuck it all—the police were going to be no help. At least not soon enough. Yeah, they’d eventually figure it out. Except Ree would be dead long before they decided she’d actually been kidnapped. I needed to find a way to spur them into action. Too bad the degenerate son of a criminal didn’t have that kind of pull.

However, I knew someone who did.

The one person I never thought I’d ask for help—the root of this very problem, but also the only man who had enough power to make things happen—the mayor.

Ree’s life was at stake, and there was no way in hell her dad could refuse to help.

Right?

I dialed his office, but as soon as I got through, his secretary brushed me off. “Mayor McKinley is in a meeting at the moment. Would you like to leave a message?”

“It’s about his daughter.” I threw a leg over my bike. “A matter of life and death.”

“He’ll get back to you soon.” Then she hung up.

Jesus fucking Christ.

Desperate, I made another call.

“Archer Chase.” He sounded formal and collected, and for a moment I was blinded with rage that anyone could be acting so normal when Ree had been kidnapped. But then I realized he didn’t know. Not yet.

“It’s Dare Wilde.” I paused, knowing this was going to be a kick in the nuts for him. “Ree’s…”

“What’s wrong?” he said. “Is she okay?”

“My fucking father has her, and I can’t get anyone to do anything about it. Can’t even get the mayor to pick up his phone. I need your he—”

“Meet me downtown. NOW.” He gave me the address to his father’s office where the mayor’s meeting was being held. He’d get me in, no matter what.

Eighteen minutes later, we were riding the glass elevator to the top floor. Storming past security and the front office staff, I followed him straight to the big corner office.

“Archer?” An older version of Archer—just as preppy, with grey-streaked blond hair and blue eyes—looked at us in surprise. His eyebrows’ knit together in confusion.

The mayor shot me a glare dripping with distaste. “This is a private meet—”

“Ree’s been taken,” I said, fighting the urge to grab him by the lapels of his expensive designer suit and beat the living shit out of him. “Your daughter has been kidnapped by my father.” I pointed at him. “You fucking started this, you have to help me end it. I’m going to find her, but I can’t do it without your help.”

Un-
fucking
-fortunately.

Whispers broke out throughout the room as the mayor’s face blanched. But, by god, he actually leaped into action.

Someone was FINALLY taking this seriously.

“Get the Chief of police on the line.” He nodded to the security guard, then turned to the man on his right. “Alert the media. I want this entire city looking for her. Within the next hour, Reagan’s name must be on everyone’s lips, her picture flashing on every television screen in the tri-state area.”

Thank god.

Over the next several days, I was inundated with questions from reporters and the police. None of them had any clue where to find answers. Where to find Ree.

I sought out every contact of my father’s I could find in the city, but got nothing out of them. No one knew anything. Or, more likely, no one was talking.

Fear consumed me, ate at me from the inside like acid spreading through my body. What no one seemed to understand—least of all the fucking mayor who spent more time posing for the press than speaking with the police—was that my father never played by anyone’s rules.

The mayor called a daily press conference, and watching him playing the part of the concerned father made my blood boil. Because offstage he was much too calm and collected for a man who was on the verge of losing his child.

Behind me, two of the mayor’s staff whispered excitedly.

“The girl’s disappearance is guaranteed to help the mayor’s campaign.” The words, uttered by some silver-haired political flunky, made the hairs stand up on my neck. “He’s a shoo-in for governor after all this press,” he said to the lady next to him. “Let’s be honest, all we need now is the dead body of a pretty blue-eyed, blonde girl, and he’s sure to win.”

I saw red. My entire body throbbed with rage. Before the man could utter another word, I’d turned and connected my fist with his dirty mouth.

“That’s my girlfriend you’re talking about, asshole! Ree is not some political pawn. Her life is not a fucking game!”

All I could think about was my father and his countless years of threats. Cameras descended on me, surrounding me as people hurried the mayor to safety.

If Ree died, he would never be safe from me. After I killed my father, I’d fucking hunt him down, too.

“Stop, Dare! Stop it!” Archer dragged me away from the now-bloodied man. Fuck, Abercrombie was stronger than he looked. He held out a hand toward the reporters. “Everything’s okay—give him space!”

The crowd parted and a strange hush fell over the room. I looked straight into the biggest news station camera I saw and spoke directly to my father: “Listen closely, you sick piece of shit. It’s me that you really want. Let her go and I’ll come willingly. Just tell me where and when.”

He’d get the message one way or another. I was sure of it.

And the second I was in front of him, I wouldn’t hesitate to kill him.

I would find Ree. And I would save her.

four

“
F
UCK!
” I slammed my phone down on the workbench in front of me. Paint bottles rattled in place as brushes rolled off the wooden surface and clattered to the floor. “Fuck, fuck,
fuck
.” Yet another dead end. Yet another old contact who swore up and down he hadn’t heard from my dad.

Although I’d spent months ensuring my father had no way of finding me, I was now doing everything in my power to lead the bastard to me. I gave every fucking deadbeat my phone number to pass on to my dad just in case they happened to remember how to get in touch with him. I had to get to Ree before it was too late. There was no time for any more press conferences, questions, or strategizing.

We had to do something NOW or we were going to lose her. The clock on the wall was a ticking bomb, reminding me that time was running out. Each day, every hour, minute, and second, pulled her farther away from me.

Almost a week had passed since the kidnapping. Five days of silence and darkness. Over a hundred hours of no leads, no contact. More than seven thousand fucking minutes of not knowing a single thing.

Was she in pain? Was she afraid? Was she…alive?

Countless scenarios filled my head, each darker and more gruesome than the last. After all, this was my father we were talking about. A man without a heart, a monster devoid of a soul. I knew all too well what he was capable of, and the thought that he was anywhere near the woman I loved tortured me more than any of his beatings ever had.

But for Ree’s sake—for our sake—I had to keep my shit together.

“Anything?” Archer’s voice was low and tight.

I shook my head as he handed me another cup of coffee. “Nothing yet.”

Tick-tock. Tick-tock.

“You’ve gotta get some rest, man. You have haven’t slept since…” He looked away, unable to finish the sentence.

“And I won’t sleep until she’s found. Until she’s safe. Until he’s fucking dead.” I took a swig, welcoming the burn of the hot liquid against my throat. Whatever pain Ree must be feeling right now, I wanted to feel it, too. “I’d give anything to trade places with her,” I said, more to myself than my uninvited roommate.

“As would I,” Archer replied quietly. His jaw was set and determination pulsed through his words.

“I know.”

Ever since I’d called him, Archer had been there. Every step of the way. Day and night, he’d stayed glued to my side, setting up base on my couch. Despite the intrusion, I couldn’t bring myself to kick him out. Not when he kept me from going off the deep end.

He’d made himself and his resources available, drawing on his family’s connections to help me track down my father’s old contacts. It was hardly a surprise to find out how many things the Richie Riches of society had in common with the scumbag worms once we dug below the surface. Still, we kept coming up empty handed.

Tick-tock. Tick-tock.

“GODDAMMIT!” I ripped the clock off the wall and slammed it on the workbench. The cheap, plastic casing cracked in half, but the damn thing still kept ticking. Mocking me. Reminding me of what a failure I was. I couldn’t even keep my girl safe. I’d gotten her into this mess in the first place. If we hadn’t been together…if she’d never met me… “She should’ve been with you. Someone…
normal
.”

Archer scoffed. “Someone she doesn’t love?” His eyes were ice hard, but there was no anger in his voice. “Reagan has always been the type to march to her own drum. She’d just spent too much time living life on mute until you came along. I might not be happy to admit it, but you’re the best thing to ever happen to her.” He nodded at a smiling portrait of Ree—the first one I’d done of her.
Real Ree.
“She chose you, Dare. Now man up and deal with it.”

Easier said than done. Especially when guilt was ripping me up from inside. “She chose me to fuck up her life?”

“Some of us wish to have someone fuck up our lives.” Archer’s voice sounded distant. “Plus, you’re not at fault. Reagan’s father is.”

Her father, the man who appeared to be riding out the media circus with hopes it would take him all the way to the fucking White House. The selfish asshole who was still spending more time with reporters than cops.

Before either of us could say anything more, Archer’s phone rang.

“Detective Sutherland, hello,” Archer said, and my heart froze in my throat as optimism flooded through me. Despite the fact that every other call we’d gotten thus far had been full of dead ends, I couldn’t help but hope for some good news. “Uh-huh. Right. Yes.”

“Yes?” I said, trying to read his face. “Yes,
WHAT? Did they find her? Any leads?”

Archer shook his head and my heart plummeted. “Yes, I see. I’ll pass on the news. Thank you, ma’am.”

“No news yet,” Archer said. “She just wanted to let us know that the police are doing everything they can.”

I scoffed. “The police are a fucking joke. It wouldn’t surprise me to find out my father has Detective Sutherland firmly in his back pocket. He always had a way with cops.”

“We don’t know—” Archer was cut off by another shrill ring. This time, it was my phone.

“You answer it.” I shoved the device at him. “I’m going to explode if I hear another one of those motherfuckers lying about all the shit they’re pretending to do.”

I turned away from Archer, and ripped the batteries out of the clock. When he didn’t make a sound, I glanced at him. His face was pale, his mouth hanging open.