Page 70 of Line of Resistance

Eloise answered. “One of the little boys who was at Emmett’s party. Bryson Prior. He lives out Steese Highway off Aproka Street.”

“Got it.” Heidi rattled off the familiar address. “I’m sending everyone that way now. How long until you’re there?”

Reed was already working to put the address into their GPS. “Thirty minutes.”

“It looks like we can be there in twenty. Do you want us to go in or stand down?” Heidi’s words came quickly as she continued typing.

Nate shook his head even though there was no way for Heidi to see it. “Don’t do anything until we get there. I want to be sure someone Bryson knows is on-site if shit goes sideways.” His body stayed tense as the call was disconnected and the man driving changed directions, going a little faster as they sped toward Bryson’s house.

“He’s okay, right?” She wanted reassurance. Wanted to be told everything would be fine.

Nate curved his hand around the side of her face, pulling her closer. “I will do everything in my power to make sure he is safe.”

It wasn’t what she expected to hear, but somehow it was better. Nate wasn’t lying. Wasn’t claiming everything would be fine just to placate her.

But hewasmaking a promise. A promise she knew he would keep.

A similar looking SUV was suddenly behind them, driving a little closer than normal. Eloise twisted in her seat, looking out the back window. “Do you know them?”

“I do.” Nate tipped his head in a nod, acknowledging the man in the SUV behind them. “That’s more of my family.” His hand gripped hers, lifting it to his lips to brush a kiss across her knuckles. “And they will do everything in their power to make sure Bryson is safe too.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

NATE

“THIS ISN’T GOOD.” Reed scanned the filthy bungalow, lips curling at the horrible living conditions Bryson had been dealing with. “Looks like they left in a hurry.”

“How can you tell?” Nate kicked through the mess of empty liquor bottles and other miscellaneous trash. “It’s not like we could gauge whether or not this is messier than normal.”

Reed’s lips pressed into a tight frown. “I guess not.”

Reed obviously hadn’t been faced with a situation like this before and didn’t realize how normal this was for many people. Many kids.

Lucky him.

Reed picked up a discarded vodka bottle, scowling as he looked it over before dropping it back to the grime covered floor. “I guess we should go tell Eloise they’re not here.”

Nate raked one hand through his messy hair before scrubbing it over his face. “She’s going to go scorched earth when she finds out Bryson’s missing.” It was one of many things he loved about Eloise. The intensity with which she cared about a little boy everyone else had all but abandoned. But the same characteristic he loved so much meant she was going to lose her fucking mind.

Nate went for the door, calling over one shoulder to Reed as he left. “Give me a few minutes. Keep looking around for anything that could tell us where they might have gone.” He paused before adding on, “Or been taken to.”

It was an unfortunate possibility and yet another reason he knew Eloise was going to go absolutely ballistic. She was going to feel like she was responsible for Bryson being missing and would decide she’d also be responsible for bringing him back.

And he didn’t put it past her to figure out how to make it happen.

Nate slid into the backseat of the Rover where Eloise was waiting with Rico. The distraught look on her face made it clear she already knew what he was going to say.

“It’s empty.” Nate braced, expecting tears and yelling. Frustration and fear.

Instead, Eloise took a deep breath, sitting up straighter beside him. “Okay.”

Maybe it was a delayed reaction. Maybe it would take a second to process. It gave him time to explain. “I’ll find him. I promise.”

“I know.” She said it so matter-of-factly. As if there wasn’t a doubt in her mind he was capable of doing exactly what he claimed.

Nate’s brows jumped up. “You do?”

Eloise reached out, grabbing his hand and holding it tight. “It’s going to be okay. We will find him and keep him safe.”

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