Page 106 of Surrender

“You can have it. Take it. Where can I bring it to you?”

“Figure out a way. One that doesn’t involve your guard dog or the fucking cops.”

“You have to tell me what you want me to do!”

“Momma!” Lucy screams, her voice wet and choked with tears.

Everyone in the room stops breathing.

Pain slices through my insides as fury coats my veins.

“Momma’s here, Lucy.” Whitney lunges forward as if she’s about to climb straight through the phone. Jude catches her around the waist and yanks her into his chest.

A white-hot rage sears through my gut. I look down at the pink bracelet with beads wrapped around my hand. The very same one Lucy made for me weeks ago that I never take off. The gold bear charm glints in the light overhead.

Bears arestrong. Like you.

The line goes dead, cutting off Lucy’s sobs.

* * *

Leaving Whitney with Jude is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. She only puts up a minor fight before sagging with exhaustion in my twin brother’s arms and letting us lead her to his truck.

Just before I tuck her safely inside, she grips my forearms through my coat with surprising strength.

“I need you to promise me you’ll find them.”

I lift her chin and give her my eyes. “I’ll find them.”

She rattles in a shaky breath and nods.

“I mean it. I’ll do whatever it takes to find them.”

“Whatever it takes?” The gravity of my statement weighs on her words.

I slide my fingers beneath her chin, pressing them against her pulse. Satisfied with the rapid thrum, I tell her, “Whatever it takes.”

I kiss her quick yet deep in a harsh press of my cold lips against hers.

“Be safe.”

“Always, baby.”

“Make sure all three of you come back to me.”

I tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear, hoping like fuck I’m not lying when I say, “I will.”

I leave Jude with strict instructions to let me know the second Devon calls back, and Corjan and I take off in my SUV.

The time we spent at the daycare getting details down was long enough for the sun to set. Corjan drives us along snowy roads on the outskirts of town with only the headlights illuminating the way. I ride passenger, my fingers flying over the keyboard as I text damn near every contact in my phone the make and model of the vehicle Devon was seen driving outside the daycare center.

After reviewing the footage, it became clear how arrogant this piece of shit is. He didn’t even bother to hide anything. Parking at the curb, he waltzed right in and came back out with his kids in his hands as if he were a model father. At least that was how Silas relayed it.

“We’ll find them.” Corjan breaks the silence for the first time since I told him to head north an hour ago.

“Yeah.” I scan every foot of the ditch that we pass.

The muscles of my fingers cramp where I have them in a tight fist.

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