Page 48 of Moon's Promise

“I’ll take care of it,” Viper said before lowering the phone, disconnecting the call.

“Knox needs someone to do a wellness check on a woman. The woman is pregnant and isn’t answering her calls. The person who reported the woman missing called to say her midwife is on her way to check what’s going on, but she is worried because of a past history of domestic violence and doesn’t want her to go alone. Knox is on his way but wants some backup. His other deputy is working an assault, and he has to leave the other one in town in case of an emergency.”

Moon rose. “Text me the address. Did Knox say who called in the report?”

“The midwife’s sister. Get started on the way. I’m going to send Nickel, too.”

Hurrying out of the office, Moon made his way to his bike.

He started his bike then checked the address Viper sent him.

“Fuck.”

He wondered how long of a head start the midwife had on Knox as he pulled out of the parking lot. Depending on where Knox was when they had called in, he could beat him there. Thank fuck he had adopted the habit of always keeping his weapon on him.

He deliberately gauged his speed despite the sense of urgency, which was increasing with each mile. The area of the address was off the main road. He would be surprised if it even had a paved road.

When he had first come to Kentucky, he discovered homes had been built in the dense woods, making it nearly impossible to reach. It still amazed him how the homeowners managed to get in and out unless they were on foot.

Slowing, he looked at the GPS, checking for the turnoff. When he sighted the break in the trees, he held on to the handlebars as he gradually turned into the rutted dirt road.

“Dammit,” he swore. If the road got much worse, he would be better off parking the bike and making his way on foot.

He was about to say to hell with it when large pieces of gravel almost sent him flying over his handlebars. Only the sense of urgency kept him going.

Where in the fuck did this chick live?

A small creek ran along the dirt road, which he could see through the dense trees sporadically. As he went over a small bridge, which seemed barely wide enough to get accommodate a car, he gritted his teeth when he had to return to even more gravely road. Seeing it was winding up the side of the mountain before it disappeared from sight, Moon decided he’d had enough.

He found a clear spot off the road and parked his bike. Then, taking off, he started sprinting upward. When he reached the top, he was given a full view of the house he was trying to reach.

“Holy shit!”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

“Are you still there?” Larissa softly asked Crazy Bitch through the speaker phone as she drove.

“I’m here.”

“I wish I were there with you.”

“You’re better off where you are.”

Crazy Bitch’s rejoinder didn’t frighten her.

“Anna-Kate, I wish there were something I could say that could make the disappointment easier. There’s no magical way to conceive a baby, except time. You’ve had all the tests done, and Calder’s sperm has been analyzed. What you’re going through, thousands of other women have gone through. Cherish this time you and Calder are spending alone. Enjoy it while you can. Once you have a baby … believe me, there won’t be any alone or couple time for years. Make the most of it instead of looking at it as a negative. Follow the diet I gave you, continue taking the vitamins, and for God’s sake, quit stressing yourself out. You and Calder should take a week off and fly somewhere with plenty of sun. Have a bunch of randy sex not because you want a baby but to have a mind-blowing orgasm. Take making a baby out of the mix and just have sex for the pleasure of being close to that damn good-looking man you’re married to.”

Larissa faintly heard a sniffle on the other end of phone.

“You want my man, don’t you?”

“It wouldn’t do me any good. Calder only has eyes for you.”

“It’s not his eyes I’m worried about.”

“A baby isn’t going to keep a man from cheating,” Larissa told her. “Nor will it make him stay if he wants to go. Don’t borrow trouble where there isn’t any. Go on vacation, lotion Calder up with sunscreen, and let nature take its course.”

“Fuck it, I will,” Crazy Bitch snapped. “But if I’m not knocked up next month, I’m going to beat your ass.”

---