Page 21 of Her Faithful Protector

“How is she, Sam?”

My brother hums. “Didn’t you talk to her just now?”

“Yeah. But I want to hear it from you.”

“She’s still in her room. I don’t think she got any sleep, andshe hasn’t eaten much. But Cass is checking on her regularly. And don’t worry, my wife will get her to eat, or my kids will.”

“I appreciate it, brother.”

“You know, Jack, I didn’t think you were that close to her until I saw how you looked when she was with you.”

“I didn’t know I was, either,” I reply, contemplating. I guess I can’t hide from myself. But that makes me wonder. Closeness is like a double-edged sword. It exposes both sides of you, the dark and the light. When Ava sees all the baggage I carry, what will she do? Will she be scared off by how broken I am?

God help me!

I can’t even spare a brain cell to process that right now. My focus is on finding baby Quinton.

Sam’s voice brings me back to what’s at hand. “Hey, listen, we just got hold of the CCTV from around the park where Ava was left unconscious. It looks like the two men went their separate ways. The van drove off, while one man carried Ava and left her in the park. We caught him on the street camera, driving a different car.”

“There’s got to be a woman involved, Sam. You can’t just abduct a seven-month-old baby with only a male kidnapper. Plus, it wouldn’t be easy to travel by air with a baby and go unnoticed. I think they’re driving. Maybe to Cali. But so far, the suspected properties around L.A. are duds. They’re either normal or empty.”

“Damn. What are you gonna do?”

“I’m heading to the W-Bot headquarters. I may come face to face with that cockbag.”

“You know what I’m going to say, right?” my brother croaks.

“What, Sam?”

“You’re very close to the heart of this beast. As your big brother and someone who has been in this rescue business foryears, may I remind you? Love can sometimes be your undoing when you desperately want to save the one you can’t lose.”

“Damn it, Sam. So you think my judgment is clouded?” I challenge him. “Let me ask you this. How close were you to the heart of the beast when you were trying to find me?”

My big brother was only twelve when I was abducted at a fair in Syracuse. Yet he never gave up on finding me. He left home at fifteen to take matters into his own hands. The police closed my case after discovering my bloodied clothes, but he knew it wasn’t over. He believed because he’s my brother.

“That was different,” Sam denies.

“No, it wasn’t. It couldn’t have been more personal. I was missing, presumed dead, with no leads, and practically an amnesiac. But you trusted your instincts. And here we are.”

“Fuck it, Jack. You’re getting really good at kicking my butt.”

“We both have a tendency to get emotionally involved with people we rescue—rightly or wrongly. But we also know how to separate our personal feelings from the facts when the time comes. It’s in our genes, Sam. I still have that Marine mentality running through my veins, so I’m solid.”

Sam sighs, giving in. “All right. Let me know if you need anything.”

The call ends. Time to face the beast.

7

JACK

The W-Bot headquarters stands as a six-story structure in downtown L.A. On the outside, the building maintains its nineties aesthetic, which is not typically associated with innovative companies these days. According to some news articles, the building is bursting with W-Bot’s rapid growth, so they’re planning to relocate.

I step inside. The atmosphere is that of a typical tech company office—clean-cut, modern design, with open spaces adorned with eccentric, futuristic furniture.

I approach the receptionist, pretending to be interested in a job in building security.

“Do you have any experience?” the lady asks. “This is a senior role that requires at least five years of field experience.”

---