Claim - Page 89

The boxer is dead if you don’t do what I want. It won’t be a slow or easy death.

You can save him, if you come alone and don’t tell anyone.

There was an address scrawled on the bottom.

It was Carr’s writing.

Beau. He’d threatened Beau.

I raced out of the change room and back into the gym. I paused and saw Beau was still in one of the rings. I pressed a hand to my chest, over my racing heart. I watched him as he and the man he was training traded punches. I loved that primal, masculine beauty of his. I loved watching him spar.

I couldn’t imagine a world without Beauden Fury in it.

He’d survived so much and deserved a beautiful life.

I looked at the note again.

I knew what I had to do.

I crumpled the paper in my palm.

My hands clenchedon the steering wheel of Beau’s Mustang.

I was really nervous. It had been a long time since I’d driven, plus it was in a dark area that I didn’t know.

My heart was pounding, and my hands were sweaty. I felt like I’d been driving for hours.

I was finally going to confront Chandler Carr.

I was heading to an address outside of New Orleans. I’d left the city lights behind a long time ago, and now there were dark trees all around me. It was remote out here, and I couldn’t see any houses.

I swallowed. Beau would be so worried.

My hands flexed. I had to stick to the plan.

This ended tonight.

I leaned over and checked my cellphone. I had the map app open, and I could see I was getting close.

Hunching over the wheel, I searched for the turn to my destination.There. I barely spotted the overgrown driveway. I turned, the tires crunching on gravel. There were no lights anywhere. I dragged in a few deep breaths, nerves alive in my stomach.

Tonight, I was going to face the nightmare who’d stolen Allie and Karina from me. Who’d hunted me for over a year.

A cabin came into view.

I slowed and stared at the house. It was made of old, weathered wood, with a sagging front porch. There were no lights on, and bushes had grown up around it, giving it a wild, abandoned feel.

Of course, Carr wanted to make this as scary as possible.

I pulled the car to a stop. Thank God I hadn’t crashed or scratched Beau’s baby. I turned off the engine and sat there in the darkness, staring at the dilapidated cabin.

Fear was a big, hard ball in my throat. But I felt steady. I had to do this.

I checked my watch. Almost time.

I reached up and gripped the chain around my neck, my fingers closing over the boxing gloves pendant. Since I’d met him, Beau had given me so much: trust, desire, confidence.

And the skills to fight.