Page 28 of Stryker's Ruin

I-Tee: We got some photos you need to see from about an hour ago.

Stryker: Send

I study the photos. The body of a young blonde woman lying in a garbage bin dressed in only heels and panties. Bruising on her upper arms indicates someone held her. Her upper torso had been stabbed repeatedly and mutilated. Her throat slit so deep it was barely hanging on to her body.

I-Tee: She worked at Garvey’s underground sex club. She was feeding info to an undercover cop. He hasn’t reported in for forty-eight hours. They’re still looking for him.

Stryker: How’d you find this?

I-Tee: There’s an unauthorized camera across from the entrance of the club that I tapped into and have been monitoring for about sixteen hours. The body was tossed into the dumpster about an hour ago and ten minutes later a garbage truck showed up and collected the contents.

Stryker: Can you trace the camera feed?

I-Tee: Nico Camassa.

The O’Kelley guard across from me straightens and the door beside me opens. Garvey O’Kelley struts in, pats his soldier on the shoulder and walks into the dining room.

I hear his excuse for being late before I’m blindsided by them moving the wedding up. Should have seen that coming. They don’t want her to turn eighteen.

Vince’s man approaches me as the conversation in the other room turns to Garvey wanting to take her to his club. One look at his posture and the gleam in his eye and I suspect what’s coming before I even hear Vince tell the others at the table I’ve been dismissed.

“The boss wanted me to talk to you about something he’s considering. This isn’t the place to go over it, can we step outside for a minute?”

“I don’t like leaving her. It’s my job.”

“The whole family is with her, she’ll be fine for a few minutes. They’ll be eating another hour. We’ll just be outside the door.”

My phone vibrates in my pocket and I hear her panic through the microphone as she tries to call me.I’m coming babe, just hang on.

The guard leads me to the far exit where I know there’s another alley. I’ve reached the limits of the microphone on the necklace Ruin is wearing but I know where they’re taking her. I don’t plan on being very far behind.

He motions for me to step out first. Before I’m through the door I feel the barrel of his weapon on my back as he pulls mine from my back waist holster. Another man is outside waiting with a car running. “Hey, what’s going on?”

“You shouldn’t have disrespected the boss over that little bitch. She ain’t nothing but a whore’s daughter. Get in the car, we’re going for a little ride.”

He shoves me in the front and takes the seat behind me. After about ten minutes I’ve got a good idea where we’re heading. The driver coasts into the abandoned lot as directed. I use my left hand to release the blade in my belt buckle and stab him in the throat then roll out of the slowing car. By the time it’s stopped and the other guy fumbles out of the back I have my backup weapon out of my boot and take him out with a head shot.

After retrieving my weapon and leaving both bodies behind a trash bin in the vacant lot, I head back to my vehicle. Stripping out of my suit and glaring white shirt into black cargo pants and black dress shirt. I contact Steel with updates. He assures me he’ll have the bodies taken care of and tells me he’s sending backup.

“No. I have backup if I need it. The team doesn’t need to be involved in this kind of mess if we can avoid it.”

“Not how it works. Diego is on his way.”

Hanging up, I park a couple blocks from the club. Checking my weapons, I head to the alley entrance.

Luck is with me as a group of five are just gaining entrance. I follow them in throwing my arm around the last girl who’s already too drunk to notice. She giggles up at me and I tell her I’ll get her another drink. Sticking to the shadows, I’m making my way around the bar when my phone vibrates.

“I’m here,mo stór.”

Her voice cracks. “They—they said you were dead. I didn’t want to believe them.”

“Shush, it’s okay. I’m inside the club. Where are you?”

“I’m in a bathroom outside Garvey’s private rooms. But there’s a guard watching the door and waiting for me,” she whispers.

“When you walked in, did you see the bar?”

“Yes, go toward the left of the bar. You’ll see a short hall, at the end of it behind a curtain there’s another hall. You should see the man waiting.”