by HELEN HARDT
“You’ve got two boys at home to take care of,” I said. “She understands.”
“Talon’s got them today,” Jade said. “He’s taking them on an overnight in Denver. They’re going to the zoo.”
“You mean he actually left you alone?”
“I had to demand it,” she said. “By the way, I promised him you’d be here with me at night. Sorry to cramp your style. You don’t have to stay. I’ll be fine. Or Bryce can stay here with you. Talon will never be the wiser.”
“Works for me,” I said. “I’m happy to look after you.”
We drove out of the long driveway and onto the road that would lead us off Steel property.
A truck drove toward us and then whizzed by.
And recognition stabbed into me.
“That was Joe’s truck,” I said. “And Bryce was in the passenger seat.”
“Hmm. I wonder where they’re going?” Jade said.
“I have no idea. Bryce said he was going to talk to Joe this morning. I’m almost sure Mel said Joe was going to the hospital this morning, but they’re headed the wrong direction.”
“Something must have come up.”
“Yeah. Something Bryce hasn’t bothered to tell me about.” I tossed Jade my phone. “Send a text for me, will you?”
“I can’t get on. I need your thumbprint.”
I took one hand off the wheel to access my phone for her.
“What do you want me to say?”
“How about ‘where the hell are you going?’”
“Marj…”
I huffed. “Fine. Start with, ‘Jade and I are heading into the city to…’ Shit, I already told him what I was doing this morning.”
“He knows we know they’re going somewhere. Surely he recognized your car, with you driving.”
“Was he looking at me?”
“If he wasn’t, Joe was. Joe was driving, right?”
“Joe wouldn’t forgo seeing his wife and son for just anything,” I said. “I want to know what’s going on.”
“Okay. How about, ‘What’s going on?’”
“Good enough. Send it and tell me what he says.”
She tapped into the phone and then the phone beeped when she hit Send.
A few seconds passed.
“He says, ‘Stop texting and driving.’” She let out a laugh.
“Tell him to kiss my ass.”
“Marj…”
“I’m serious.” Then I thought better. “No, don’t do that.”
“I wasn’t going to.”
“Tell him I’m going to keep texting and driving until I get an answer.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah. Send that one.”
Tapping and sending again.
“What’d he say?”
“Nothing yet. Okay, he’s typing. Hold on.”
She chuckled. “He says, ‘Hi Jade.’”
“Oh, for God’s sake.” I was tempted to stop the car abruptly but not with my pregnant best friend in the passenger seat. I slowed to a crawl and pulled over to the side of the road.
I took my phone from Jade and called Bryce.
It rang.
And rang.
Just when I thought he was going to ignore me, he finally responded. “Hi, honey.”
“Don’t honey me. Where are you two going? Joe was supposed to go to the hospital, but it doesn’t take a genius to see you two are headed in the wrong direction.”
“Tell Melanie Joe will be there as soon as he can.”
“Sure. Be glad to. Now where the hell are you going?”
Silence for a few seconds that seemed like forever.
“Mills and Johnson found Cade Booker. We’re going to talk to him.”
I gulped. “He’s dangerous, Bryce.”
“After what he’s put us through, he’d better think the two of us are dangerous,” Bryce said. “We’ll be okay, baby.”
“I’m tempted to turn around and follow you, but…”
“But you’ve got Jade in the car.”
“Yeah, and she hasn’t seen the baby yet.”
“Go. Enjoy yourselves. Visit your nephew and Melanie. Joe and I will take care of Cade Booker.”
I nodded, knowing he couldn’t see me. “I want to talk to my brother.”
“He’s driving.”
“So? I am too.”
“No, you pulled over.”
How did he know?
“I know you,” he said before I could ask. “You wouldn’t put Jade in any potential danger. That’s how I knew you weren’t the one texting.”
“I’m pretty sure my brother can walk and chew gum at the same time. Put him on, please.”
Some rustling. Then, “Hey, sis.”
“I just want to remind you that you have a newborn baby and a wife who adores you.”
“You think I ever forget those two things?”
“Well…you’re walking into a situation without thinking it through, as usual. How do you know this isn’t Cade Booker screwing with you?”
“Mills and Johnson found Booker, and we’re going to—”
“What if the phone call was a fake?”
“It was their number. And it was Trevor Mills’s voice.”
“And Booker could have been holding a gun on him. Just be careful.”
“I always am.”
“I know. But this time you have the love of my life with you.” I closed my eyes, unwilling to let an emerging tear fall. “Please.”
“We both know what’s at stake here, Marj. I have a family, and so does Bryce. We get it.”
“Just don’t be a hothead.”
Stupid words. Words had no effect on whether my oldest brother went into “Red Joe” mode. But he did love his wife and son. I knew that as well as I knew anything. Bryce loved his son as well.
And he loved me.
“Just be safe,” I said. “Both of you.”
Chapter Forty-Nine
Bryce
“I suppose she has a point,” I said. “Booker could be deceiving us.”
“It’s possible. But is it enough to make you not go?”
I shook my head. “Hell, no. We need answers, and I aim to get them. Today.”
“One way or the other. If it is a trick, we know he’ll be armed in at least three places, which is why I’m armed in two. You?”
“Right there with you.” I patted my shoulder holster and pointed to my ankle. “How much longer?”
“About ten miles. Mills says they’ve got him in an old ranch house just outside the Belldore property.”
“I sure as hell don’t want to be blinded again, even if it is temporary.”
“Fuck. Me neither. That’s why we’re going in with guns drawn.”
I nodded. Sounded damned good to me.
“What the hell do you mean he got away?” Joe grabbed Trevor Mills by the collar of his shirt.
I held my gun steadily on his partner, Johnny Johnson.
“Let go of me,” Mills said. “Right fucking now.”
“For what I’m paying you clowns, you’d better find the bastard.” Joe let him go.
I forced back a sigh of relief. Joe was on edge, and Joe on edge could easily turn into Joe in a rage.
“We had him locked in a bedroom with bars on the windows,” Johnson said.
“Is he goddamned Houdini?” Joe said sarcastically.
“No. He must have picked the lock.”
“With what?”
“I have no idea. I frisked him good. There was nothing on him. We took his shoes, too, so wherever he is, he’s in his stocking feet.”
“Did you strip search him?” I asked.
“Uh…hell, no,” Mills said.
I swallowed. “This guy is dangerous and unpredictable. Hiding a bobby pin or anything else up his ass would be nothing to him.”
“You two should have foreseen that,” Joe said. “Why didn’t you tie him up?”
“Because we’re PIs, not lunatics. It’s ba
d enough we took him against his will.”
“The mercenary PIs with a conscience.” Joe rolled his eyes. “You two take the cake.”
“He couldn’t have gotten far,” I said to Joe. “Let’s go after him.”
“I wish we had two trucks,” Joe said. “We could cover more ground. What if we miss him?”
“He didn’t have access to a vehicle, did he?” I said to Mills.
“No. Our vehicles are accounted for.”
“Then he’s on foot, and he hasn’t been gone long,” I said. “We’ll take the truck and drive all around here. Good thing you’ve got four-wheel drive.”
Joe grunted.
I replaced my pistol in my holster. “We could use some help,” I said to the PIs.
“Can’t do it,” Mills said. “We’ve got another job.”
“That pays as well as I do?” Joe said.
“It’s all green to us.”
No. No one paid as well as the Steels. This didn’t make any sense, unless—
“You motherfuckers,” I said through clenched teeth.
Joe eyed me.
“They let him go, Joe. They fucking let him go.”
“Hey, we didn’t—”
I drove into Mills this time, slamming him against the wall. “Mercenaries. What did he offer you?”
“Nothing. He doesn’t have—”
“Bullshit. He might not have Steel money, but he’s rich. He was my father’s protégé. His real father was loaded too. What the fuck did he offer you?”
“You’ve got—”
“You gave him a car, didn’t you?” I tightened my hold. “Didn’t you?”
Joe had drawn his gun on Johnson by this time. “You’d better start spilling, or I’m going to start shooting. And I never miss.”
Chapter Fifty
Marjorie
“He said he and Bryce had something to attend to, and he’d be here as soon as he could.”
Melanie rocked baby Brad, trying to nurse him. “He’s starting to get it. He’s latching on, but it sure hurts.”
She smiled, though. Clearly she didn’t care about the slight pain. Who would? The baby was so beautiful, and he’d gained another ounce.
I didn’t want to worry Melanie, but something didn’t feel right. Bryce and Joe were walking into something that wasn’t going to end well. I felt it deep in my bones. I looked sideways at Jade. She and I had discussed what they might be up to during our drive to the hospital. I didn’t want her talking.
She didn’t.
As much as I loved seeing the baby and Mel, I was antsy to get moving. I wanted to get Jade safely home and then figure out how to get to Bryce and Joe before they did something stupid.
My brother was a big hothead, and so was Bryce when they were together. Both of them knew the dangers of what we were all dealing with, but leave it to the two of them to go running in without backup.
I tried not to check my phone too often. I didn’t want to be too obvious. Not that I thought Bryce would actually call me, but I had the urge to look at my phone anyway, even though the ringer was on. Call it a compulsion. It was better than cutting myself open.
Though my scar still tingled sometimes when I was tense, I’d kept the desire to slice myself open at bay. Perhaps it was my promise to be less self-indulgent. Perhaps I was conquering the problem. Or perhaps by helping Bryce with his self-indulgent behavior I had also helped myself.
Whatever it was, I felt an odd sort of loss. Nothing horrible or unbearable. Just the end of something that had given me a modicum of relief. The end of something that had been mine and no one else’s. Something that had served a purpose that no longer existed.
Strange, to mourn something that had only hurt me.
I could ask Melanie about it, but she was enjoying her son, and I didn’t want to ask her to work at the moment.
The scar tingling reminded me constantly that Bryce and Joe were out there, and they could be in danger.
I smiled. “You about ready, Jade?”
“Whenever you are.”
Great. That meant the decision to leave would be mine. I was hoping Jade might play the pregnancy exhaustion card. No such luck.
Minutes stretched into another hour. I took leave to get us all some drinks and tried calling Bryce.
No answer.
Not that I expected one.
I left a pleading voicemail, got the drinks, and headed back to NICU.
Come on. Ring. Ring. Ring!
My phone remained silent, but as if in response, Jade’s phone buzzed.
“Oh, no,” she said. “It’s Colin’s father.”
“Ted Morse?” I said. “Why is he calling you? And how did he get your new number?”
“I have no idea. Should I take it?”
“I guess so,” I said. “If you’re up to it.”
Yes, take it. Take it. Take it.
“Hello,” Jade said into the phone. “Yeah, hi, Ted. What? Are you kidding me?” She turned to me. “Colin’s missing again.”
I grabbed the phone from Jade’s hand. “Yeah? Who paid you this time?”
“Who is this?” Ted Morse said.
“Marjorie Steel. I’m a friend of your son’s, and I know exactly how Tom Simpson got hold of him. You sold him.”
“Sold him? What are you talking about?”
“You know very well what I’m talking about, Mr. Morse. You took a payment from Tom Simpson, and in return, gave him access to abduct your son.”
“This is ridiculous. I’m calling the police.”
“Do it. I have proof of what you did.” A lie, but Colin had the proof.
“You have nothing.”
“Are you willing to bet your life on that?” I asked. “I’d think long and hard first.”
“This conversation is over. I want to speak to Jade.”
“Sure.” I handed the phone to Jade.
“What am I supposed to do now?” she said after pressing her mute button.
“Keep him on the line. I want to get the call traced. Find his location.” I quickly called the number I had for Mills and Johnson.
“He’s probably in Denver at home.”
“We don’t know that for sure.”
“What am I supposed to say to him?”
“I don’t know. Just keep him talking. Tell him you have the proof, but you’re willing to listen to his side of the story. Whatever it takes to keep him on the phone. Damn! The PIs aren’t answering.”
“Call Ruby,” Melanie said. “She’ll be able to do it.”
“On it.”
Within a minute, Ruby was working on the trace.
“I’ve known you for so many years,” Jade was saying to Ted Morse. “Please tell me none of this is true.”
Apparently he was telling her just that. A few minutes passed, and Ruby was back on the line. “Done. He’s actually here. In Grand Junction.”
“Okay. Last I heard, Colin was in Glenwood Springs. Give me Ted Morse, Jade.”
She handed me her phone.
“Mr. Morse? When was the last time you saw Colin?”
“I haven’t seen him in a week.”
“He was in Denver a day ago.”
“He won’t see me.”
“Gee,” I said sarcastically. “I wonder why.”
“This is all bullshit,” he said. “I’d never harm my son.”
“Nah, you’d just have others do it and pocket their money.”
“This is—”
“Spare me your fake outrage, Ted,” I said. “We’ll find Colin ourselves, and we’ll get to the bottom of this.” I ended the call and handed the phone back to Jade. “Man, he’s rotten. I’m glad he’s not your father-in-law.”
“Me too,” Jade agreed. “More than you can ever imagine.”
“Ruby gave me an address. I’m going to get you home and then go see Morse.”
“Bull. We’re already here in Grand Junction. If you take me home, he might move.”
“I can
’t have you involved in this,” I said. “You’re pregnant. Talon would never forgive me if—”
“Sorry. I’m going. I actually know this man. Maybe he’ll talk to me.”
I sighed. “I wish Ruby were here.”
“Me too. But I’m all you’ve got.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“It’s exactly what you meant. Sorry. Your pregnant best friend will have to do.”
“No one I’d rather have at my back.”
True words. Just maybe not today.
Chapter Fifty-One
Bryce
Johnson gulped. “Put the gun down, man. You know I’m armed.”
“I can have a bullet between your eyes before you even think about reaching for your piece,” Joe said, “and Bryce has fifty pounds on your partner. Start talking. And don’t leave out a single dirty detail.”
“Fuck it,” Mills rasped out, choking against my hold on his neck. “Just tell them.”
“Fine. Put the damned gun down.”
“Nice try,” Joe said. “No deal.”
“For Christ’s sake. We’ve been working together for months now. Where’s the trust?”
“It went out the window when you let Booker go,” I said. “You heard your partner. Start talking.”
“Fine. Yeah, we let him go.”
“What’d he pay you?” Joe said.
“Not much. You were right about one thing. No one pays as well as the Steels. But he did have one valuable thing to offer.”
I shook my head, scoffing. “Your life.”
“Give the man a silver dollar,” Johnson said. “You were right about him hiding something up his ass, only it wasn’t a bobby pin. It was a fucking switchblade. Somehow he picked the lock and got out of the room.”
“And somehow, one man with a knife outmaneuvered two men with guns?” Joe said. “I don’t think so.”
“He had moves I’ve never seen before,” Johnson said. “Tell them, Mills.”
“A little hard to talk,” Mills choked out.
“Tough,” I said. “Talk.”
“Some kind of martial arts thing. Nothing we’ve seen,” Mills rasped.
“He was able to hold one knife on both of you?”
