Chapter 65

Aidan

"Raphael is gone," I barked on the phone. "But I am going to keep looking around the house. You do the same," I said to Joseph before hanging up.

I moved swiftly through the rooms, searching for any sign of that bastard. My eyes darted from corner to corner, every shadow and every sound fueling my heightened senses. The scent of stale cigars and something metallic hangs in the air, making me want to gag.

"Come on," I muttered under my breath, frustration mounting. "Fucking coward."

I searched all the rooms and then reached a door that was closed. I flung it open only to find a set of stairs leading down.

A basement.

I carefully climb down, nearly holding my breath. I could hear my men upstairs, scuffling about.

The damp stench of the basement assaulted my nostrils as I approached the door, and then I heard it – a faint sound, barely audible. A muffled cry for help.