Final Debt (Indebted #6)(72)

Clenching my hand, I rubbed at the sudden ache in my heart.

I f*cking miss you, Needle.

I shook my head. “A phone. Do you have an in-flight phone I can use?”

She nodded. “I’ll get it for you.” Disappearing down the back of the aircraft, she returned with a satellite phone.

The moment I turned it on, I forgot all about her and focused on rallying every plan I’d put into place before Jasmine called to say Nila had been taken to Africa.

How long ago was that?

A decade? Two?

Shit, it felt like an eternity.

The first call was to Tex.

He answered on the first ring, almost as if he sensed the magnitude of the situation and the peril his daughter was in.

“Arch speaking.”

“It’s Jethro.”

His voice turned sharp. “You said you’d call me hours ago, Hawk. What the hell happened?”

“Change of plan.” I swiped a hand over my face. “Look, they took her before I could put everything into place. It’s happening right now. You need to gather whoever you’ve been working with and get to Hawksridge this very f*cking second.” My heart charged with gunpowder. “Can you do that?”

“What the f*ck happened? Is my daughter okay? Tell me what the hell you did!”

“She is for now, but she won’t be if we don’t move fast. Get ready. I’ll meet you outside the gates to the estate in—” I checked the clock. Landing was in two hours. The local airport I’d ordered us to land in was closer to Buckinghamshire than Heathrow. Every extra minute I gained on my father counted. On a commercial service, Cut would’ve had no choice but to land at Heathrow.

Local time would place my arrival at late morning.

I’m closing in.

Working out the time differences, I said, “Meet me at eleven thirty a.m. Bring everything you have. I’ll tell you what we need to do when I’m there.”

“Jethro—”

“No, I don’t have the time to console or repeat myself—just be there.” I hung up and dialled the next man on my list.

Kill answered on the third ring.

“Speak.”

“Kill, it’s Hawk.”

“About time you f*cking called. Been sitting in this damn bed and breakfast waiting for the green light to move.”

“You’re in Buckinghamshire?”

“Where the f*ck else would I be? I said I’d come. I came. Brought three of my best men with me, too.”

I slouched in my seat with gratitude.

Thank God for friends in random places.

I took a deep breath. “I need you to get to Hawksridge as soon as you can. Sneak onto the grounds. Hide. If you see anything threatening Nila Weaver’s life, you have full permission to do whatever’s necessary.” My voice faded. “Just keep her safe for me. I’m almost there.”

“The woman I met at your diamond warehouse?”

I pinched the bridge of my nose. “That’s the one. My father will have her, or possibly my grandmother. I want to deal with them on my own so keep them alive if possible. But above all, do whatever you need to keep Nila unharmed—even if it means slaughtering them.”

Kill’s voice grew cold and calculated. “You have my word. We’ll leave now. See you soon, Hawk.”

Hanging up, my fingers shook as I dialled the final number.

“Flaw speaking.”

“Flaw…it’s Kite.”

It didn’t escape my notice I’d made three phone calls and used three names. Was that who I’d become? Three facets of myself? How would I choose which was the better side of me and settle into one person after so much strife?

“Shit, man. Cut just arrived ten minutes ago. Bonnie has Nila up in her quarters. Where the f*ck are you?”

Shit!

“I’m on my way. I’ve sent reinforcements, but I need you to do something for me.”

“Name it.”

“I’m making you vice president of the Black Diamonds. I need you to gather those you trust to take down the members loyal to Cut. Fracture and Cushion should swear allegiance to you. Colour might, too—he was friends with Kes and not a bad guy. But the rest, I’m unsure of. You’ll have to work out who to trust and who to peg for a rebellion. You think you can do that?”

Silence before he gulped. “You want me to start anarchy?”

“I’m asking you to get the brothers out of the way. The war is happening right now. It’s going to end tonight. I can’t have the club getting in the way.”

“I know which members will stick by you and which won’t. Leave it with me. I’ll make sure to keep them out of the way and deal with those who won’t behave.”

I smiled with thanks. “Appreciate it. I’ll be there soon. Help will arrive with me. I have reinforcements. Just stay low and get ready.”

“Been born ready, my man. This is yours. Don’t f*cking care it’s not your thirtieth or you haven’t inherited the estate yet. This became personal when that motherf*cker shot Kes in cold blood.”

Leaning against the window, I sighed. “It’s personal. And it’s almost over.”

Flaw growled, “Let’s finish this for him.”

The ache returned to my heart—this time for my brother.