Jack nodded before hurrying out of the room.

  “Where’s Colton?” Paxton demanded, running into the room. “I was told someone was shot.”

  “Nolan’s kidnapped your son.”

  Paxton shook his head. “That’s not possible.”

  “He shot Red!” Ace snarled. “Which means it was someone close to Colton, someone we’d cleared. The only people who could have given the authorization to let those men in was someone inside the company. I’m sorry to say this, Paxton, but Nolan has been behind this whole thing. The threats were bullshit. It was part of something bigger. It’s connected to the company. It has to be.”

  “It makes no sense.”

  “Do you know where Nolan might have taken him?”

  Paxton wiped a shaky hand over his face. “They could have gone anywhere.” He looked like he was about to be sick. “Why would he do this? Nolan is family.”

  “I don’t know, but I sure as hell am going to find out,” Ace replied.

  Paxton met Ace’s gaze, the heartbreak written all over his face. “Please bring my son back.”

  “I’m going to find him, even if I have to burn this whole fucking city to the ground.”

  King stepped in front of Ace. “You need to calm down.”

  “Fuck, calm! I’ve lost enough people I love, King. I can’t lose Colton too.”

  King nodded his understanding before turning to Lucky, who’d just rushed into the room with Joker at his side. “We need to figure out where Nolan might have taken Colton, and we’re going to need the truck.”

  “Miami’s a fucking bigass city,” Lucky said somberly.

  “Joker, I want you to reach out to your contacts on the streets. We need to find out who’s in town that might want Colton Connolly. I would look into anything connected to shipping.”

  “I’m on it.” Joker set up his tablet on the coffee table across from Jack, who’d finished cleaning up and returned with his laptop.

  King paced, his eyes closed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “We need to look at this from a new angle. Colton had plans to overhaul Connolly Maritime’s security.” King turned to Jack. “I need you to get into Connolly Maritime’s system and find out if any clients were found in breach of contract or recently terminated. Get someone onto the security company that was about to lose their contract.”

  “I’ve got something,” Joker called out, hurrying over. “I sent an alert out to all our people, and Bernadette was the first to red-flag her reply. She’s on a job in the high-rise next door to a luxury condo still under construction on Biscayne Blvd and NE 10th St. She spotted lights and movement coming from one of the top floors about half an hour ago. It could be nothing, but the construction crew has gone home for the day, and it’s the first time she’s spotted anyone there after dark.”

  “That’s almost a straight shot down Venetian Way,” Lucky said. “We can get there in less than twenty minutes.”

  “You know what else is real close?” Ace said, his gut twisting. “Dodge Island.”

  “Oh God.” Paxton leaned one arm on the back of the couch for support. “PortMiami. We have a contract with one of the cargo terminal operators there. Security is tight, but anyone with an ID from Connolly Maritime has access. We have cargo coming in and out all the time, as well as several storage containers on site.”

  Ace turned to Jack. “Are there any shipments scheduled to leave anytime soon?”

  Jack typed away at his laptop. “Shit. There’s a freighter loaded and ready to ship out in the morning from bay 110, wharf 2. It’s heading for the Port of Barranquilla, Colombia.”

  “They’re not going to wait until morning.” King’s eyes filled with a fire Ace knew all too well. He’d seen that look many times, right before an op. “We’re looking at a search-and-rescue mission here, fellas. Ace, Lucky, Jack, Joker, you’re with me. Joker, call in the cavalry. I also want a team heading to the construction site in case they’re still there. My guess is they’re going to want to move Colton out as soon as possible. Jack, reach out to our contacts at the Seaport Operations Bureau. Give them a heads up that we’re on our way, but make sure they don’t make a move until we arrive. I don’t want the kidnappers to know we’re onto them.”

  Everyone packed up at lightning speed. As they headed out the door, they assured Paxton they’d keep in communication with him. When they arrived at the hotel parking lot, the Knight XV was waiting for them. The luxury armored SUV with military engineering was top-of-the-line, and sexy as fuck. Hand-built in Canada as an armored law enforcement vehicle, a limited number had been produced, and the Kings had been the first in the United States to get their hands on one. It boasted a built-in oxygen survival kit, black box, reinforced steel doors, optimum surveillance, including night-vision cameras, and a protection system for under-vehicle blasts. If a King was riding out to battle, it made sense to have a Knight at his side.

  They’d spared no expense. If they were going to protect their high-risk clients, they were going to do it right. Colton might not be a visiting foreign dignitary or high-profile celebrity, but Ace would do whatever it took to get him back. He climbed into the back and grabbed one of the tactical vests and thigh rig.

  Time to do what they did best.

  Chapter 14

  Calm. He had to remain calm.

  “Nolan, please. Let’s talk about this.”

  A sharp jab against his lower back had Colton moving forward again. He couldn’t believe this was happening. How could someone he’d known for so long, someone his family trusted, betray them like this? He needed to know why. Nolan was a good man. What could have pushed him to this? Jesus, he’d shot Red.

  The breeze from the ocean swept through Colton’s hair, and he tried his hardest to fight the dread threatening to consume him. The island was quiet tonight with no cruise ships waiting to depart and only a couple of shipping liners docked. Even if there had been cruise ships in port, the likelihood of anyone seeing Colton was slim to none, not with them being at the far end of Terminal One near the south ship channel of the Fisherman’s Channel. The light surrounding the cranes and the lampposts scattered around the island weren’t enough to illuminate the pitch-black water that stretched on for miles. In the distance, the twinkling lights of Miami and Fisher Island reminded him of how isolated he was. His thoughts went back to Fisher Island, and Ace.

  Ace….

  Hope flared through him, and he straightened with a renewed sense of purpose. All he had to do was buy himself enough time until Ace came for him, and Ace would come for him. Colton believed that with every fiber of his being. As they walked through the yard, flanked by shipping containers stacked high, Colton tugged at his wrists. Not that he expected anything to give. The hinged handcuffs Nolan had used were a far cry from the zip ties Ace had taught him to escape from.

  “Nolan, talk to me.” Colton was struggling to wrap his head around all this. Nolan had watched Colton grow up. He and his family had joined Colton and his parents at parties and events. They’d had barbecues and pool parties. Nolan had been with Paxton when he’d had his heart attack. His quick thinking helped save his life. Why would he do this?

  “I’m sorry, Colton. I’m so sorry, but I have to hand you over to them.”

  Good. If he could get Nolan talking, then maybe he could…. I don’t know, do something other than get killed.

  “Them? Who’s them?”

  “The men I owe Lily’s life to.”

  Colton almost stumbled to a halt. He turned to stare at Nolan. “What are you taking about?”

  With a sigh, Nolan’s shoulders slumped, a pained look coming into his eyes. He kept the gun aimed at Colton, making sure to keep his distance. “Lily was going to die, Colton. A heart was never going to become available in time. Then one night, I got a call from a man who asked me what I would do for Annie’s little girl. I said I’d do anything. He said he had the means to get her a heart. I thought maybe he was trying to get some money out of me, but I was desperate. I asked him how much, and he said he didn’t need my money. He needed my connections with Connolly Maritime. More specifically, a means to import whatever he needed to get into the country.”

  Colton couldn’t help the gasp that escaped him. “Nolan, what did you do?”

  “I signed a new client.”

  “The only new client you signed around that time was….” No. It couldn’t be. Colton’s eyes widened. “Jeremy? Is Jeremy behind this?”

  Nolan scoffed. “Jeremy is a pompous ass. He could never pull off something like this. I needed a client and container with product I could manipulate.”

  “How?”

  Nolan waved the gun at him, motioning for him to keep moving. “A specified weight is needed each time, so I make sure an equal amount of produce is removed.”

  “How do you account for the discrepancies when the produce arrives?”

  “It’s written off as a loss so by the time it reaches the warehouse, the numbers match up. Jeremy’s always moaning about how much he loses in the transport but how inevitable it is, considering it’s fresh produce.”

  “You used your own son-in-law?”

  “Please. Jeremy is an ass.”

  “He’s still Annie’s husband and Lily’s father.”

  “They deserve better,” Nolan snapped, and Colton couldn’t disagree, but still.

  “What does any of this have to do with me?” They were nearing the last rows of containers.

  “Think about it, Colton.”

  The answer was obvious. “The new security system I want to implement. The regular audits and inspections.”

  “You’re very thorough, Colton, and far more hands-on than Paxton. With his health issues, and how close he was coming to retirement, he was leaving more and more up to the people around him he trusted.”

  “Like you.” Colton understood why Nolan had done what he’d done, but that didn’t mean he was about to forgive Nolan for his betrayal.

  “With you taking over, wanting to implement these changes, bringing in the Kings? We couldn’t have you inspecting Jeremy’s shipments. At first they wanted to kill you, but I didn’t want that; you have to believe me. I told them what they were doing wasn’t long-term. If you didn’t stumble across the truth, someone else eventually would, and killing you wasn’t a guarantee that Paxton or the board wouldn’t go through with your plans or hiring the Kings. I suggested they take you instead. Paxton would do and pay whatever they asked of him to keep you alive.”

  “And the threats?”

  “A distraction for when you disappeared. The police and everyone else would be searching locally for someone who doesn’t exist. Eventually they’d assume you’d been killed, giving my associates time to prepare.”

  Colton stopped and turned, his heart broken. “Why would you do this?”

  “If I didn’t cooperate, they’d kill my family. They’d kill Annie and Lily. What was I supposed to do?”

  “Did you send those men at the hotel after me?”

  Nolan shook his head. “They needed some information about you. Where you lived, worked, the clubs you frequented. It was supposed to be easy. They were going to make it look like someone had broken into your home and taken you, but your house turned into a damned fortress.”

  “That must have really pissed off your guys.”

  “Hard to make it look like a crazy stalker when no one could get near you. I never expected you to change your schedule, but you did. They were getting agitated, making threats.”

  “You got desperate.”

  “The only way to get to you was through me. I got them into the hotel, into the party. When I was informed they’d failed, I was given different orders. I had to bring you in myself. You’d trust me.”

  “Now what?” They were at the end of the line, and Colton followed Nolan’s gaze behind him to the huge vessel stacked with Connolly containers. Oh God. They were going to move him out of the country. He’d heard enough horror stories from his father’s friends, of heirs or high-profile executives being kidnapped. What were the chances of him making it back alive after leaving US waters?

  “As long as Paxton cooperates, they’ll keep you alive.”

  Colton shook his head, pleading. “Nolan, you can’t.”

  “I’m so sorry. I don’t have a choice.”

  “For fuck’s sake, are you planning on talking him to death? Why the hell have you kept me waiting?” A large, muscular man dressed in camouflage pants, a tan shirt, and boots removed the assault rifle slung over his shoulder to aim it at Colton. Several more men joined him, and Colton took a step back. “You’re stalling, Nolan. You think I don’t know stalling when I see it?”

  “I’m not,” Nolan assured him. “This isn’t easy. He’s my friend’s son.”

  “We had a deal,” the man snarled. “Get him on that ship, or I call the men sitting outside your daughter’s house. All that’s standing between them and your granddaughter is the babysitter. They can snap her neck without breaking a sweat.”

  “Oh God.” Nolan’s hands shook, his gun still aimed at Colton. “I will, but please, Mr. Ferris. Don’t hurt him.”

  “Then move,” Ferris barked when Nolan hesitated.

  “I’ll go,” Colton said, hands up in front of him. “Don’t hurt his family.”

  Ferris let out a snort of disgust. “Even the hostage has more balls than you do, Nolan. Everyone, on the ship.” Ferris shoved Colton toward the huge liner docked beneath the enormous steel crane used to load the shipping containers. A group of armed men followed them to a yellow metal set of stairs that led to the ship’s deck. Colton paused, and the muzzle of Ferris’s assault rifle pushed into his back. “Don’t even think of doing anything stupid. Start climbing.”

  Colton did as he was told, sneaking a glance at Nolan, who was being ushered toward the stairs as well. Was Nolan coming with them, or did they not trust him enough to leave him on his own? The climb was slow, but about halfway up, he could see out across the island. Nothing looked out of the ordinary, and a few faraway lights twinkled on the water from small boats. How would Ace find him? Even if Red managed to live and tell the others what happened, how would they know where to look?

  “Move,” Ferris snarled. “No one’s coming for you. I have men stationed around the island. The moment they spot any movement, they’ll inform me. There’s no one here.”

  Colton remained silent. Just because the Kings couldn’t be seen, didn’t mean they weren’t nearby. If anyone could infiltrate the island without being spotted, it was a group of ex-Special Forces soldiers. Colton had every faith in the Kings. In Ace. He had to believe they were coming for him because he couldn’t stand the thought of anything else. He continued up the stairs, and when he reached the last few, he made the most of his long legs, taking the final steps three at a time.

  Confident they wouldn’t shoot him dead, he ignored Ferris’s threats and jumped onto the ship, then bolted for the riveted wrought-iron platform the containers sat on, and ducked beneath it, using the beams to shield himself should Ferris decide to shoot his leg out from under him or wing him.

  “Colton, what did I say about doing something stupid?”

  Colton used the darkness of the platform to help remain hidden as he swiftly moved from one pillar to another. A shot rang out, and he froze.

  “The next bullet I fire will go into Nolan’s head.”

  Damn it. He closed his eyes and did his best to push down the panic threatening to overtake him. He had to remain calm. “I’m coming,” Colton called out, cursing under his breath. That was why they’d brought Nolan up here. To make sure Colton cooperated.

  Hurrying across to the other side of the ship, he rounded the platform and remained near the edge of the deck. Unlike a regular ship, the cargo freighter was built to carry shipping containers, leaving the sides open for easy loading and unloading. No high walls, no railings, nothing but platform and the deep blue sea.

  “I’m over here,” Colton shouted, waiting. He swallowed hard as Ferris marched over to him, grabbed a fistful of Colton’s hair, and jerked him forward.

  “Now you listen to me, you shit. You try anything, and I will kill Nolan and every member of his family. Do you understand me?”

  Colton clenched his jaw and nodded only to receive a backhanded slap so harsh it made him stumble sideways, his bottom lip split and his cheek pulsing from the blow. He glared at Ferris, straightening to his full height.

  “Don’t get fucking bold, Colton.” Ferris turned to face his men. “Hidalgo, you and— Where the fuck is Yanni?” Everyone looked around, some shrugging. Ferris pointed to one of his men. “Tanner, find out where the fuck he went.”

  Ferris grabbed Colton’s arm, and gunfire erupted from somewhere beneath the platform. Chaos broke out as Ferris’s men scrambled, ducking for cover behind containers as Ferris shouted orders and his men fired into the darkness. He grabbed Nolan and shoved him at Colton, and Colton took the opportunity to grab Ferris’s rifle.

  “Nolan, run!”

  Nolan didn’t hesitate. He bolted across the ship while Colton wrestled with Ferris, his handcuffed wrists making it awkward. All he needed was for Nolan to make it to the stairs. With Ferris keeping a death grip on the rifle, Colton used it to his advantage, twisting to get Ferris onto his back, then flipping him over his shoulder. Ferris fell, but tugged hard on the rifle, bringing Colton down with him. They thrashed around on the floor, each trying to get the upper hand, but then Ferris pulled back a fist and punched Colton in the ribs, knocking the wind out of him. After scrambling to his feet, Colton took off running as fast as he could. Shots pinged off the iron beams, sparks flying. He skidded when he reached a gap between platforms and hurried up the narrow metal steps to the platform, a wall of shipping containers to each side of the darkened space.

  Colton did his best to maneuver in the darkness, the only light coming from the moon high above him. If only he didn’t have these damned cuffs on. He moved swiftly but silently, remembering what Ace had taught him about steadying his breathing. Ferris was quiet, and it would have been easy to become complacent and believe the man had given up, but Colton doubted it. Gunfire filled the air, along with sirens, and Colton wished he could somehow let the Kings know where he was, but then he’d also be giving away his position to Ferris.