Page 43 of Wilde In His Arms

“Melody and Fox have so many plans for what they want to do together.Once she opens her restaurant, I bet they start working on a family.”

He'd like to do the same with Aria.He wasn’t getting any younger.Mason was younger than him and already married and expecting a child.If he didn’t do something soon, he might find himself with a great performance record with the FBI and alone.

He wanted more in his life.He wanted Aria’s love and attention and a million memories they shared.

His phone chimed with a text.

HAYWARD: Check your email.We caught a break in the case.

“Hey, babe, hold on a sec.I need to look at something.”

“Sure.I’ll just put on my makeup while you do that.”

He pulled up the email forwarded by Agent Hayward from the lab.He stared at the results and took a double-take before he understood what he was looking at.The DNA found in room 310 at the resort matched that of an eight-year-old boy reported missing two years ago.Toby Simmons.Those results also matched DNA found in the cabinet Julia used to sneak something out of the hotel.

“Holy fuck!No.I was right fucking there!”Frustrated as hell, he dug his fingers into his hair, pulling it a bit.The pain barely registered beneath his rage.

He’d missed it.He should have figured it out.He should have asked more questions, or done something.Anything.

The kid was right there under his nose.

“What?”Aria sounded concerned.“What’s wrong?”

“Baby, I’m sorry.I have to go.I just got a huge break in the case and if I’m lucky, I’ll get to reunite a child with his family.”

“Go.Call me and let me know how it goes.You’ve got this.Be safe.”

“I will.Promise.Love you.”He needed to save that kid.

And he had a good idea where to find him.

If she hadn’t moved him already.

He picked up the phone and called Agent Hayward.“Tell me you got a warrant for the resort.”

“I got it.”Agent Hayward had come up from Utah a few days ago to help on the case.

“Good.Now get one for Mrs.Lopez’s house, too.I think the kid is there.We’ll send a team to search the resort just in case she’s hiding any children there, but you and I will go to the Lopez house.I think she’s got the kid in the cellar.She bought a ton of cereal and frozen pizzas, plus some children’s fever reducer.”He slammed his hand down on his desk.“Damnit, I knew something didn’t feel right about her taking that rolling cabinet all the way down to the laundry and the side door.”He didn’t have time to berate himself.They needed to move on this quickly.

“I’ve got someone picking up Gilbert David.”The guy who’d been in room 310.Julia had rolled the cart out of his room.He’d dumped all that cash on the cart, telling her he didn’t mean to do it.

What had he done to the boy?

Nick’s stomach turned.He didn’t want to think about all the possibilities.

He focused on the case.“Is Gilbert David still in the state?”

“He never left.He has a place in Bozeman as well as the membership to the resort.”

“Good.At least we don’t have to hunt him down across state lines.How far away are you from the Lopez place?”Nick was ready to head out now.All he needed was his keys.He found them in the tray by his door and locked up and went to his car.

It sounded like a car door slammed on Hayward’s side of the call.“I can be there in about twenty-five minutes.”

“I’m about the same.Meet me there with the warrant and a team.I’ll send agents to Julia Lopez’s place to pick her up, too.Maybe we’ll get lucky and we can use whatever we find to get Julia to give up her brother.”

“Let’s hope.See you there.”

Chapter seventeen

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