Page 74 of Asher's Assignment

Esther’s other eyebrow joined the first one, and they both arched higher. “What? Why would it be about me? Why would Leah be involved?”

“I was mulling this over on the plane ride here,” Audra glanced at Edie, whom Esther didn’t think looked surprised by the turn in the conversation. “It’s possible someone is obsessed with you. It could be Bradley, or it could be someone else entirely. Asher was in the way, so the guy took him out. As for Leah, Edie and I think he could be trying to create a family for you. Or using her as a lure, so you’re a more willing participant.”

“No.” Esther sat back and stared at Audra, then her sister. “No. Because if that’s true, Asher’s probably already dead, and I can’t accept that.” The ache in her chest that had been present since Asher disappeared grew two sizes, opening a yawning hole in her heart. He couldn’t be dead. She refused to believe it.

“None of us want him to be dead,” Edie said. “But we need to consider the possibility.”

“You can consider it all you want. I refuse.” Esther pushed back from the table and stood. She needed to get out of the house and get some space before she exploded. Without another word, she spun on her heel and left.

Thirty

Asher shifted, trying to get comfortable propped up against the wall on Leah’s cot. The girl had been sleeping a lot, which worried him a bit. He didn’t know if that was normal for her. Their captor had left her meds at the top of the stairs with their food this morning, but Asher was worried she was getting sick. The dampness wasn’t ideal for her already suppressed immune system. It would just bring it down more. Not to mention their environment exposed her to a host of bacteria she wasn’t used to.

He glanced at the window set high into the wall, attempting to gauge the time. His smart watch was missing, along with his phone. Their kidnapper was savvy enough to know someone could track Asher through both devices. It also kept him guessing about the time of day. Once it got dark, he planned to camp out near the top of the steps and ambush the guy when he brought them dinner and Leah’s evening medicine. He wished he had a weapon, but there was nothing down here except their beds and the toilet paper in the small bathroom tucked under the stairs.

Leah moaned softly in her sleep and snuggled deeper into his side. Asher brushed the hair away from her face. She was cool to the touch, which encouraged him. Maybe it was just her brain’s way of coping with the situation.

It would be nice if his did the same, but he’d had the opposite reaction. He barely slept last night. He couldn’t help but wonder who had taken them and why. How it was tied to Esther. Asher could understand his abduction with her involved, but not Leah’s. It made more sense that this was about Leah. But why was Esther involved? Why was he? Because they were in the way? But how would the guy know that? Asher hadn’t been involved until recently, and the guy had been around long before that.

A long breath left his chest. He’d been thinking in circles all night. It wasn’t getting him anywhere, and he had a headache from it. The only saving grace was he knew Esther would have called Edie by now. That meant Ford and everyone else were involved. Asher was confident they would find them.

Leah moaned again, a little louder. Asher picked her up and put her on his lap, tucking her into his chest and rocking her slowly.

Once more, he said a prayer the girl wasn’t getting sick. He tacked on another that his friends found him before anything bad happened.

Thirty-One

Esther retreated to her bedroom when they returned to her house. Audra was going to call Jo and have her look into Connie’s ex, Bradley. Until they had more information, there wasn’t anything they could do. And Esther needed some time alone. Her sister and friends had followed her outside not long after she’d walked out. She’d sat in the passenger seat on the way back and stared out the window, giving single-word answers as she grappled with her feelings. She didn’t want to deal with them. It hurt to think about what Asher could be going through. And despite her refusal to consider he might be dead, the thought had crossed her mind. It was like a spear to the gut. Her insides twisted up, and she couldn’t breathe.

Throwing herself onto the bed, she stared at the ceiling. A cloud of scent enveloped her. Asher’s scent. She should have asked Edie to change her sheets too. Her interlude with Asher might have only lasted a few days, but they’d spent every night together in her bed. She was thankful the rest of the house didn’t hold his scent. The memories were bad enough.

The tears she’d been holding back finally burst free. A guttural sob slipped past her lips. She turned and buried her face in her pillow. Asher’s scent hit her again, stronger, and the torrent of emotions and tears hit harder.

For several minutes, she sobbed into the material. When the bed dipped and a hand touched her shoulder, she turned and saw her sister through watery eyes.

Edie crawled up next to her and wrapped Esther in her arms. “Shh. He’s fine. It takes a lot to kill one of the Wagner Brigade. Asher might not be former military, but he’s not defenseless. I mean, he’s been living with us all these years and gets roped into our sparring sessions regularly.”

Esther continued to cry on Edie’s shoulder, listening to her soft, soothing voice. She hadn’t lost hope that he was alive, but the fear was there. It felt good to get it out.

Slowly, her tears stopped and her sobs turned to hiccups and sniffles.

“Feel better?” Edie asked.

“Yeah.” Esther sat up and wiped her face with her sleeve. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be. You care about him. You’re allowed to be upset.”

Esther bobbed her head. “Still. It just hit me. And once the tears started, I couldn’t stop them. I guess they needed to run their course. How are you not a blubbering mess? I’m not the hormonal one.” Edie was remarkably calm. Considering the worrywart she’d been lately, it seemed strange.

“I’m in my element. Delving into issues like this, finding solutions—it’s what I do. That it’s Asher involved just drives me more. I’m definitely worried, but the doer side of me is keeping the worrier side in check.” She gave Esther’s shoulders a quick squeeze. “Come on. We’re going to do a Zoom call with Dean. See if he’s up to some research.”

Taking another swipe at her face, Esther scooted toward the edge of the bed. “Can you give me a couple minutes? I want to splash some cold water on my face.”

Edie offered her a soft smile. “Sure. We’ll be down in the living room when you’re ready.”

“Thank you.”

“Of course.” Edie reached over and enveloped her in a tight hug. “I love you, Essy. We’ll find him. Leah too.”

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