Chapter 7 - THE WOLF’S FURY
The main house was instantly flooded with light.
Adrian Cross sat in his study, his hands gripped so tightly around the arms of his wheelchair that the leather was beginning to tear. Marcus stood beside him, his phone pressed to his ear, his face pale and grim as he listened to the security team’s reports.
"They bypassed the outer sensors, Adrian," Marcus said, his voice tight. "They had a jammer. They took the girl through the east wall. Emma Dawson is unconscious, and Noah is... he’s hurt, but he’s awake. He’s the one who triggered the alarm."
Adrian didn't speak.
But for the first time in eight years, he didn't use the joystick to move his wheelchair.
He reached down, his hands grabbing his right thigh, and with a low, primal growl of absolute, unadulterated fury, he forced his leg to swing out, his foot hitting the hardwood floor with a solid, heavy thud.
He stared at his foot.
It was shaking. The muscle was twitching violently, the nerves screaming with a sudden, intense pain that felt like liquid fire running through his veins.
But it was moving.
"Adrian..." Marcus whispered, his eyes wide with an expression that looked almost like fear.
"Get the cars," Adrian said, his voice dropping into a register that made Marcus’s blood run cold. "And get my gun."
"We don't know where they took her—"
"Viktor Reyes," Adrian said, his eyes flashing with a dark, murderous light. "He’s the only one with the stupidity to think he can use a child to negotiate with me. He has an old warehouse near the Port of San Diego. We used to own it together. He thinks I’ve forgotten."
He grabbed the arms of his wheelchair, and with a monumental, agonizing effort of pure, unadulterated will, he pushed himself up.
His knees wobbled. His thighs shook. The pain in his spine was so intense he felt his vision begin to tunnel, black spots dancing in the corners of his eyes.
But he stood.
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For three seconds, the Wolf of the West Coast stood on his own two feet, his shadow towering over the desk, his presence filling the room with a terrifying, ancient power.
"Let’s go, Marcus," Adrian said, before collapsing back into his chair, his breath coming in short, ragged gasps. "Before I have to burn this city to the ground to find her."
