No One Owns Me

Chapter 22 — Ward — Losing Control

The door slams shut, and the sound rings in my ears like a gunshot. After that, everything blurs. I don’t remember scrambling out of the wrecked car. I don’t remember the first man’s jaw cracking under my fist. I don’t remember any of it—except her.

Casey’s hand stretching toward mine. Her eyes wide and terrified. Her voice screaming my name, cut short as they dragged her away.

Gone.

I stand in the middle of the tarmac, chest heaving, hands shaking so hard my knuckles ache. The road is empty now. The silence is louder than any shout.

“CASEY!”

No answer. Only wind.

I turn back to the car. The passenger door hangs half off its hinges. Her bag lies tipped on the ground, her hospital papers scattered across the seat like confetti. I pick one up, and it flutters in my grip.

“No.”

A bike roars behind me. Duncan skids to a halt, jumping off before the engine dies. He takes one look at the empty seat, the broken glass, the way I can’t meet his eyes—and his face crumples.

“Where is she?”

I can’t speak. My throat feels like it’s closed over.

“Ward. Where is my daughter?”

“Taken,” I get out at last. “The Crown. They took her.”

Duncan stares like he doesn’t understand the words. “How many?”

“Too many. I couldn’t—”

“Too many what? Too many to fight?” He grabs the lapels of my jacket, hauling me forward. “You were right beside her!”

“I KNOW!” The shout tears out of me, raw and broken. Every head turns. “I know I was. I tried. I tried everything.”

He lets go, stepping back like he’s burned. I kick the car door—once, twice, until my boot stings and the metal groans.

“Damn it! Damn it all to hell!”

Drake’s hand closes firm around my arm. “Ward. Stop.”

“Let go of me.”

“No. Breaking things won’t bring her back. Losing control won’t bring her back.” He holds my gaze, steady as stone. “She needs us sharp. She needs us moving.”

I breathe hard, staring at him. He’s right. And I hate it more than anything.

My eyes drop to the ground. Half-buried in the dust is something small and silver. I kneel, pick it up. It’s her necklace—the one she never takes off, the one she fidgets with when she’s nervous. My fingers close around it tight, and suddenly every wall I’ve built comes crashing down.

I’ve told myself it’s duty. Protection. Doing the right thing. I’ve listened to Duncan, stepped back, kept my distance, told myself age matters more than what’s in my chest. But none of that matters now. Not when she’s gone.

Duncan sees the necklace in my hand. His anger fades. He sees the way my shoulders shake, the look in my eyes.

“You care about her,” he says quietly.

“Yes.” I don’t lie. I can’t.

He nods slowly. “I know. I’ve seen it. Every time you look at her.”

“I love her.” The words burst out before I can stop them.

Duncan goes still. Drake falls silent beside me.

I shake my head fast, clarifying before they can misunderstand. “Not like that. Not now. Not while she’s seventeen. I know the line. I respect it. But that doesn’t change what she means to me. She’s everything. And I will burn this whole world down before I let anyone hurt her.”

I grip the necklace until it digs into my palm. “I love her enough to bring her home. Whatever it takes.”

Duncan rests a hand on my shoulder. No anger. No warning. Just steel.

“Then let’s bring my daughter home.”

I nod. The panic burns away, leaving only cold, sharp focus.

Drake walks over, phone in hand. “Got a lead. Traffic cameras picked up two black vans matching the Crown’s signature, heading north. They cut the feed twenty minutes ago.”

“Twenty minutes,” I say. “We’re losing time.”

“Not quite.” He turns the screen toward us. A blip pulses on a map. “There’s a disused Crown warehouse three miles north of here. Abandoned to everyone else… but still on their books. And it’s the only place this far off the grid that fits their pattern.”

I stride toward my bike, shoving the necklace deep into the inner pocket of my jacket, right over my heart.

“Let’s go.”

Duncan calls after me. “Ward—she’s counting on us.”

I swing my leg over the seat, fire surging in my veins. For the first time since they took her, I don’t feel helpless.

“I know.” I twist the throttle, the engine roaring like a battle cry. “And I never break a promise.”

I glance north, toward the empty stretch of road.

“Hold on, Casey. I’m coming. And this time—nothing will keep me away.”