There wasn’t much else to go on. Mr. Byron knew better than to speak those fears out loud. Guilt gnawed at him. She’d been taken right from under his nose, in his own territory. There was no excuse for letting this happen.
“Dennis, are you heading to Red Spider’s place to get her back?” Mr. Byron asked, his voice tight. He glanced at Dennis, anxiety twisting his gut. The man standing in front of him felt like a storm about to break, cold and dangerous, holding back a rage that could sweep everything away.
Over all the years he’d known Dennis Williams, he’d seen him face down all kinds of danger without missing a beat. But this was the first time Dennis looked like he could burn the world down.
Dennis’s reply was flat, no hint of emotion. “They took her. Of course I’m going to get her back. They better hope she’s unharmed. If not, I’ll make them wish they’d never been born.”
He didn’t wait for a response. Dennis and his men swept past, leaving Mr. Byron rooted to the spot. The intensity hit him so hard he could barely breathe. He waited until Dennis was gone before gulping in a shaky breath and fumbling for his phone.
He called his father, voice urgent. “Dad, you need to pull every string right now. Get everyone together and help Dennis take down Red Spider. If you can’t, you might as well start packing your office.”
He wasn’t joking, and his tone made that clear.
His father, the older Mr. Byron, sounded startled when he answered. “Is it really that serious?”
“It’s worse than serious!” Mr. Byron snapped. “Kaston’s going to explode. When people start asking questions and find out we’re involved, do you really think you’ll stay mayor? You know who Dennis Williams is. If you don’t see what’s at stake and grab this last chance, your career ends here.”
His voice trembled with anger now.


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