Page 82 of Fate

Chapter Eighteen

Kathleen

Carson isa complete and utter wreck. It’s been ten days since we came home to find his daughter and her mother gone. Not gone for the day, out and about at a park or a playdate.

G-O-N-E.

At the hospital, Carson was released before me. I have suspicions that he released himself against medical advice, because from the second he came to my room and the truth was revealed about our drugging, him being taken advantage of while unconscious, and me telling him about the baby, he hasn’t left my side. While I was in the hospital, he was in the bed with me or in the chair next to the bed when the nurses were seeing to my medication and vitals. It was exactly where I wanted him, so I didn’t complain.

Then we got home and found out Misty had cleared out her clothes, the baby’s clothes and essentials, and her new car was nowhere to be found. Apparently, the day Carson was taken to the hospital by Chase, Misty had gone to the bank, cleared out her accounts, and taken a five-thousand-dollar cash advance from the emergency credit card Carson had given her. She was in the wind with approximately fifteen grand cash in her pocket. Carson had never taken a dime of the money she’d earned from working for Charles as his executive assistant, and the man was generous with his employees. With the way Misty lived in the past, that kind of money could keep her and Cora in hiding for a solidyear.

Ten whole days and not aword.

To keep busy, I’m making coffee and puttering around the beach house. I don’t have any idea what to do or how to make him feel better. We haven’t made love since we came home, which has inadvertently put distance between us that I’m eager to fill. Only, I can’t force him to feel good when he’s lost in a vicious haze of worry.

The phone rings. I grab it before Carson and put it on speaker. Carson is quick to stand over the island and stare at the phone.

“Hello, Eli.” I recognize the number and grip the counter for support. Every time he calls, a small bit of Carson’s light flickers out. I know right now Carson wants to grab the phone and hold it to his ear, but we have a pact. No secrets, no matterwhat.

“Yeah, is Carson there too?” Eli’s gravelly voice comes through the speaker.

“I’mhere.”

“I’ve got a lock on her,” Eli says flat out. No lead-in, just straight to the heart of the matter.

Best six words we’ve heard in the better part of two weeks.

Elijah “Eli” Redding is married to my soul sister Maria. He’s also a badass bounty hunter with loads of experience and countless takedowns. Apparently, he’s magical at tracking people and bringing home the bad guy. Even people like Misty, who don’t seem to have much to track. Eli also has his team running deep background on Misty Duncan, who on the surface was clean as a whistle. Probably because she wasn’t always Misty Duncan. That was her dead husband’s last name. Misty isn’t even her real first name. It’s a nickname. She was born Mystique Turner. What kind of name is Mystique? Her mother and father must be as wacky as her. Anyway, that’s the last update we received from Eli’steam.

“Where is she?” Carson says flatly.

“SinCity.”

“Of course. No better place to hide. Bright lights, everyone with a shadow behind their eyes and a secret in their soul,” I add unhelpfully.

“Got word from one of my men a woman matching her description is bartending at some skanky topless shithole called Jugz with a ‘z.’ Started a few days ago. Stands to reason. Close enough to get to quickly and seedy enough to disappear. Unless you know where tolook.”

I roll my eyes. Jugz? Really?

Carson leans over the phone. “When can you confirm it’sher?”

“Headed there now with Dice, my best hunter. Davis Industries has a jet ready to go. Got Scooter, my tech, on the background. He’s digging deep. Says he’s close to breaking into something huge. Will call from the air, yeah?”

The veins in Carson’s forearms bulge. “I know you said you don’t want me there, man, but I gotta say, I want to be there.” Carson’s voice is like sandpaper over stone, scratchy and rough. He’s keeping his emotions in check the best he can, but each day his daughter is gone, he loses a bit more of his sanity.

“You’re in no condition, man. I got this. I’ll make sure it’s her. Keep eyes on her until I see the girl. Then we go in. I’ll have them both on the plane back to you before you knowit.”

“Eli…” Carson’s voice cracks, and he clears his throat. “Find my daughter. Bring her home.” He closes his eyes and drops hishead.

“Most important job I’ve ever had. You have my word I’ll do it right.” Then the line goesdead.

Carson grabs the cordless phone, flings his arm way back as if he’s a professional baseball pitcher, and smashes it into smithereens against the opposite wall. He follows that up with a mighty howl. “Goddamn it!” His shoulders lift and fall with every labored breath he sucks in. His head falls forward.

I rush over to him and put my arms around him from behind. “He’s going to find her. He’s going to bring her home. He promised, and Maria swears he’s the best in the business. The best. For Cora. He will find her. You have to believe.”

Carson is no longer able to hold up under the weight of his misery. He falls to his knees, his fists on the tile floor. His entire body shakes, and a sob is torn from his throat. “I just fucking got her, and she’s taken her away. My baby girl. My fucking daughter!” Finally, it comes out. He hasn’t so much as shed a tear since finding out Cora was taken and Misty had skipped town. Instead he’d taken the anger approach, but right now he’s losingit.

I go down to my knees on the cold tile floor next to him, wrap my left arm over his back, and lean toward his head. Tears slip down his nose, falling to the floor in tiny drops. The fear and anxiety has finally taken over. Instinctively, I push him so that he’s sitting on his ass. Within a second, I crawl up into his lap, wrap my legs around his waist, and tuck my head against his neck. I hold him as tight as my arms will allow while he rocks and cries, letting it allgo.

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