White Wedding

by Stacy Claflin

  “Have you met the jerk?” Ariana leaped to her feet. “He beats his son up for fun!”

  Dad’s expression tightened. “I think Cal’s trying to send a message.”

  “To whom?”

  “Me, I’m sure.”

  “What message?” she demanded. “Why?”

  “To back off the case, more than likely. But what he doesn’t know is that I’ve already been given orders to focus on another case.”

  “Then tell him! Let’s go to the prison right now.” She grabbed his arm and yanked.

  He didn’t budge. “I’ve also been given orders to let those on the case deal with that.”

  “What?” she shouted. “Damon’s missing! We can’t just sit around and do nothing!”

  Dad took a deep breath. “You know how this goes. We have to wait.”

  “Waiting sucks!”

  “I know.”

  “We have to do something!”

  He gave her a sympathetic look. “I’ll call the agent after dinner.”

  She hesitated. “The FBI is still on it?”

  “Correct. Agent Kutcher is working on it from my precinct. She and someone from the nightshift are heading to the prison right now to speak with Cal. If you want, I can see about having you meet her. Maybe after school tomorrow.”

  A new wave of anger raced through her. “You people are crazy! I don’t want to be in school when people I care about are missing! Garcia made me stay when you were taken to the woods, and now this?” She stomped her foot. “No! I’m not going back until Damon is safe and sound.”

  Dad’s expression didn’t reveal anything. After a moment, he gave a slight nod. “Understood. But I don’t think you want to fall behind.”

  “I don’t care!”

  “You might later.”

  “Some things are more important than straight A’s and perfect attendance! Besides, I’ve already been absent, so the record’s not an issue now.”

  “You don’t want to lose the GPA too, do you?”

  She didn’t reply.

  “How about we head downstairs and have some dinner? I think I smell Papi’s famous beef stew.”

  Ari glowered at him. “You seriously expect me to eat at a time like this?”

  “Like it or not, your body needs fuel.”

  She didn’t budge.

  He rose. “After dinner, I’ll call Agent Kutcher. But only if you eat.”

  “Now you’re resorting to bribery?”

  “It’s for your own good.”

  They stared each other down until she finally relented. “I’m not going to eat much.”

  “As long as you eat something.”

  “Fine.”

  “Good.” He put his arm around her and guided her into the hall then down the stairs.

  Ari’s mouth watered at the aromas of Papi’s stew. Her traitorous stomach rumbled.

  Dad gave her a knowing look.

  She averted her attention.

  All conversation stopped as soon as they stepped into the kitchen. Everyone except the babies threw her concerned glances. She ignored them and sat at her usual spot, refusing to make eye contact though she could feel their gazes burning on her.

  “Are you okay, honey?” Mom asked.

  Ariana nodded without looking up.

  “The twins have been looking for you,” Mom said. “I think they’ve gotten used to you playing with them before dinner.”

  “I’m sure they’ll live.”

  “Ari,” Dad warned.

  “It’s okay.” Mom patted Ari’s hand. “I know you’re really worried about Damon.”

  “And Dad won’t take me to talk to Cal.” She gritted her teeth.

  “Good.”

  She gave her a double-take. “Good?”

  “Yes. You don’t need to spend time at a prison, talking with a dangerous criminal.”

  “Who also happens to be my boyfriend’s dad and the one person who probably knows what’s going on!”

  “And you think he’ll tell you where Damon is?”

  “He might!” Ari narrowed her eyes. “But we’ll never know, will we?”

  Mom and Dad exchanged a glance.

  Ari bit back a comment that would likely get her grounded.

  Dad cleared his throat. “I’m going to call the agent on the case after dinner and see what she got out of Cal.”

  “Probably nothing,” Ariana mumbled.

  Papi brought over the steaming pot and removed the lid once it was on the table.

  Ari’s mouth watered again. Dad was right about one thing—she needed to eat. She would need the energy to figure out her next move.

  Chapter 5

  Damon shivered, rolled over, and grasped his stomach. It ached like it had been through a war. He opened his eyes, expecting to see his bedroom at Laura and Gordon’s house.

  This wasn’t that room. Even with the dim light, it was apparent the once-white walls were caked in mud. Boxes surrounded him on one side and workout equipment on the other.

  He’d recognize this place anywhere.

  Damon bolted upright, gasping for air. Everything came pouring back—the bitter coffee, getting sick, and finally being thrown into the back of a van. He strained to remember if he recognized any of the men who had approached him.

  It was all so fuzzy, as it had been at the time. He’d been so sick.

  Now he was in the basement. Dad’s basement. Most houses in the area didn’t have one, but Dad had insisted.

  His stomach lurched. What if Damon wasn’t the first person to be held captive in this room? Had his dad held other people—kids, even—while Damon was home? Or Mom, when she was alive?

  The depths of the reality of having a criminal for a parent hit him at the least expected times. Now was definitely not the time to fall down that rabbit hole.

  He needed to get out.

  Damon used a stair-stepper for balance as he rose to his feet. His legs wobbled, but they held his weight. He took one unsteady step after another, the concrete floor chilling his bare feet.

  Why would the men bring him here, of all places? To taunt him? Or was it merely the one place where nobody would look for him? The house was empty, waiting for Damon to become an adult and take it over since Dad was never getting out of prison.

  Or had he managed to do just that? A shiver ran down his spine. What if Dad was upstairs with his abductors right now? What were they planning? Were they going to go after Ariana next?

  A cold fear washed over him. That was the only thing that made any sense. With Damon locked in the basement, he couldn’t protect his girlfriend.

  He raced for the door and twisted the knob. Locked. He pulled and twisted more, putting all of his weight into it. Was tempted to pound on the door and demand to be let out. But he didn’t want to alert his captors that he was awake. If they were even upstairs. They might’ve left him in the basement to die.

  His stomach dropped.

  Would Dad really allow that? He was temperamental and abusive, but surely he wouldn’t go that far. Damon was still his son. But then again, the man was angry with his wife for dying in a freak accident.

  Cal Jones was exactly the type of man to let his son die—and to order it from the inside of a jail cell. The only question was, why take him now? Actually, that wasn’t the only question. What was the point? Was he trying to make a statement? Get something out of him? It just didn’t make any sense.

  Not that it mattered. The only thing that did was getting out. He’d escaped this house before, and he could do it again.

  Damon felt around the door, looking for anything that would help—a loose pin to pull the door of the hinges, a way to jiggle the lock out of position. But it was secure.

  Footsteps sounded upstairs. He froze in place, his heart threatening to explode out of his chest.

  Who was up there? How many of them? If his own dad didn’t care about beating the tar out of him, then these guys would care even less.

  He flexed. This wa
s why he’d spent so many hours building his strength, growing his muscles. Not for the men upstairs specifically—it had been to fight back against his dad closer to graduation. Any sooner, and he would’ve gotten kicked out of the house. But living with the Burrells showed him that living away from his dad was the best thing, even with a screaming baby.

  Now all he needed was to get back to his foster house. It was more of a home than this building. The only thing that had ever made it home was his mom, and she was long gone.

  Damon’s heart finally calmed down. He listened, strained to hear conversation. If he knew any of his abductors, it could give him an edge. Each of Dad’s buddies had their own weaknesses, and he would find a way to play to those. Then he’d run faster than ever.

  The voices were muffled, like he was listening from underwater. That was actually how this felt—being trapped, unable to breathe.

  He drew in a few deep breaths, trying to clear his mind. There was no way to open the door and there were no windows. That didn’t leave him with many options, other than waiting.

  But there was no way he was just going to sit around until someone came down. He had two choices. Either see if any of the old exercise equipment still worked or go through the boxes and hope to find something that could be used as a weapon.

  That was an easy decision. He needed to find something to defend himself with, and he could be creative. Nearly anything would do—a pencil, a spoon. It was just a matter of looking.

  Damon cupped an ear, straining to listen, as he made his way to the nearest pile of boxes. He slid the flaps from one another. Just clothes. Those weren’t useful weapons. Not unless he used something to throw over someone’s head. Just like they did to him. That was kind of fitting.

  Footsteps sounded on the stairs. They were headed his way.

  Chapter 6

  Alex placed the sleeping baby, who was actually closer to a toddler now, into the crib. Now both were sleeping and Ariana was finally doing her homework. At last, he and Zoey could sit and talk.

  “Your phone keeps buzzing.” She held it up.

  “Let me see.” He sat next to her on the couch and took his phone.

  Five missed calls from Agent Kutcher.

  “Emergency?” Zoey lifted a brow.

  “Probably just a case update. Or maybe good news about Damon.”

  “Call her back.”

  He put his arm around her and kissed her cheek.

  “We’re all worried about Damon. Laura has texted several times to find out if we’ve heard anything.”

  “Hopefully this is good news to give her.” Alex returned Kutcher’s call and waited for her to answer.

  “There you are!” She sounded out of breath. “I’ve been trying to reach you.”

  “I didn’t hear my phone. Did you talk to Cal?”

  “Yes. He was as shocked as anyone about Damon’s abduction.”

  Alex snorted. “He’s a good actor. One of the best.”

  “Yes, I know.” Kutcher’s tone sounded more professional now. “That’s why I felt him out at first. Didn’t bring up the topic and acted like I was there about something else.”

  “And?”

  “He was his typical cocky self until I mentioned that Damon’s missing.”

  Alex tensed. “What was his exact reaction?”

  “It would be a stretch to say he seemed worried, but he was definitely surprised.”

  “Tell me everything.”

  “He was spouting off about a recent kidnapping the authorities hadn’t tied his ring to. More than anything, he was trying to get to me, but he doesn't know who he’s dealing with. Then I brought up Damon, and he yawned. Said he needed to get back to his cell.”

  “Typical.” Alex clenched his fists.

  “But then I said he went missing this morning, and that got a reaction. Mild, but it was a reaction.”

  “What did he say?” Alex asked.

  “It was more in what he didn’t say.” Kutcher paused before continuing. “He just stared at me, sizing me up like he was trying to figure out if I was telling the truth. Then his whole posture loosened. He asked where the kid was—that was how he referred to his son. The kid.”

  “Doesn’t surprise me. What happened after that?”

  “Not much. He got quiet, other than asking a few basic questions that we couldn’t answer. I told him if he wanted his son to be found safe, he needed to tell us anything he knew.”

  Alex squeezed a cushion. “Let me guess—he had nothing to share.”

  “Bingo.”

  “What now?”

  “I told the guards to listen to anything he says and report everything back to me, that a kid’s life was at stake.”

  Alex drew in a deep breath. “And you think they’ll cooperate?”

  “They seemed eager to help.”

  “How does a man care so little about his own son?” Alex exclaimed. “Criminal or not, it just isn’t natural!”

  “We see it every day, unfortunately. I’ll see you tomorrow at the station, Officer Mercer.”

  “Okay, goodnight.” Alex ended the call, tempted to slam the phone down.

  Zoey put an arm around him. “Doesn’t sound like Cal was very helpful.”

  He shook his head. “Not in the slightest. If he knows anything, he’s staying tight-lipped.”

  She rubbed his shoulders. “Somebody had to have seen something.”

  “It probably happened at a coffee stand. The only clue we have is that he told Ari he was getting coffee. Do you know how many stands there are between his foster house and the high school?”

  She frowned. “Not to mention the coffee houses.”

  Alex rubbed his temples. “Exactly.”

  “And nobody’s found his car?”

  He shook his head. It was starting to pound.

  “Well, he’s not only smart but also strong. If anyone can get away from abductors, it’s him.”

  Alex looked up at her and frowned. “And that just proves whoever took him knows what they’re doing. It has to be Cal’s ring.”

  “And he doesn’t know anything? Or at least that’s what he is claiming?”

  “Yes, but he’s a world class actor, as we know.”

  She looked away.

  “Zo, I wasn’t trying to say anything against you.”

  “You don’t have to. He fooled me, and I should’ve seen right through it.”

  “There was no way to know what he was up to. The man knows how to get what he wants—and that’s what worries me about Damon’s abduction.” Alex’s stomach tightened. “What does he want?”

  Zoey squeezed his hand. “Let’s hope it’s just attention. I can’t stand the thought of him wanting to hurt Damon. Could he really pull that off from jail?”

  Alex nodded. “You’d be surprised what criminals manage to do from prison. One phone call is all it takes.”

  “Aren’t those monitored?”

  “Yeah, but they have codes—and they’re updated all the time. It’s impossible to keep up with every change as it happens.”

  “What are we supposed to tell Ari?”

  He thought about his earlier conversation with her. “The truth. She deserves as much.”

  “I mean, does she need to know all of this?”

  “She knows all about Cal already. It isn’t going to surprise her.”

  Zoey clings to him. “What if she’s next? They could have their sights set on her! Her abduction could’ve been related to the ring. And that lady in red went after her!”

  Alex held her gaze. “It’s a safe assumption that the ring has been involved with each kidnapping in town. It won’t be easy to prove, but with enough digging we should be able to connect all the dots. The ring is actually more like a spider web, sticky and almost not noticeable until it already has you.”

  “Is that supposed to make me feel better?” Her brows drew together.

  “In a way, yes.”

  She looked at him like he was crazy.
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  “They’ve been here all this time and, for the most part, Ariana has been fine. I’ll up the security at all the schools, and we’ll go over safety with her again in the morning.”

  “Maybe we should just move, Alex. We were talking about it before, remember?”

  “That isn’t going to help us find Damon.”

  “It might keep our children safe.”

  He threaded his fingers through hers. “Our lives are here—our friends and family. Your parents just handed this house over to us. We won’t be living in just the converted garage apartment, but the actual house.”

  “We still need to move.”

  “That would just be letting the bad guys win.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “How so?”

  “By sending the message that we’re scared.”

  “I am!” Tears welled in her eyes.

  Alex pulled her close and rubbed circles on her back. “My job is here, and I’m working hard to get to the bottom of all of this—and the FBI is on our side. Kutcher’s working from the station and her colleagues are spread throughout the country working other locations. We—”

  “You could work from somewhere else, too. We’d be safe.”

  “Would we? We’re already on their radar. You think they wouldn’t follow us wherever we go?”

  She sniffled. “You’re terrible at comforting a person, you know that?”

  “I’m just saying moving isn’t the answer. Besides, do you want to be away from Macy? Then the twins wouldn’t grow up with their cousin. We’d be ripping Ari from everything she knows—and if you think she’ll be happy about us moving away from Damon, she won’t be. She’ll fight us tooth and nail.”

  “That’s assuming Damon is found safe.” Zoey drew in a shaky breath. “What, then? We just sit here and wait for the criminal ring to come after us again?”

  “No. We use safety precautions. Live our lives and win by not letting them get the best of us.”

  “I hope you’re right, Alex.”

  So did he.

  Chapter 7

  Nick wiped sweat from his brow and collapsed onto the couch. “Going through this house is actually harder work than being a police captain.”