Page 94 of Renegade

I brought my fist up to my mouth in an effort to keep from laughing.Jesus, I would’ve paid good money to see a video of that. My mother was the queen of steri-strips—she’d pieced me and my father back together with them more times than I could count. Lauren’s story finally explained why I’d only gotten a Birthday BJ that night, instead of the real deal.

She pushed off of my chest and glared angrily up at me. “Don’t laugh at me. It could’ve happened to anyone. She also said she was going to tell you that she thought I had an STD.”

The laughter died in my throat. “She did what?”

I’d watched my mother self-destruct on multiple occasions as she allowed herself to get involved with my father. I even reached a point where it didn’t affect me. She was an adult and if she wanted to involve herself with a man who was physically and verbally abusive, then that was her choice. But, to try and break up my relationship with Lauren under some guise of caring crossed the line.

“Stay right here,” I told her before jogging down the stairs.

My mother sat at the table with an expectant smile on her face. “How’d that go? Did you let her down gently?”

I gripped the corner of the table with both hands because of the strong urge to throttle her. “Are you really trying to get rid of the one person who makes me happy?”

Her face paled. “You mean, you two are serious?”

I rolled my eyes. “Cut the shit, Mom.”

Lauren poked her head around the corner. “I’m just gonna go—give you two a chance to catch up.”

“No, your ass is staying. If anyone needs to leave, it’d be Betsy over here.”

My mother matched my glare and we ended up in a stand-off while Lauren went back into the kitchen. Her phone began ringing and she answered it, leaving the two of us alone again.

“You need to apologize.”

My mother nodded. “Stay here and let me talk to her.”

I straightened the napkin next to my plate and was debating on moving the silverware around next when Lauren yelled my name.

I was in the kitchen with her in two seconds. “What’s wrong? What did you do now?” I pointed at my mother and she immediately shook her head, pointing back at Lauren.

She covered the speaker. “It’s David. Elizabeth got a text from me to go up to the office and print out schedules in case we get snowed in tonight, but I didn’t text her. He’s up there now and she’s not answering her phone. I’m going to go let him in.”

“Get in the truck. I’ll drive you. Mom—”

She nodded and patted my arm. “I know the routine. I’ll be here when you get back.”

Lauren got back on the phone. “David, Mike and I are on our way. Give us a couple of minutes.”

I had the lights flashing on my truck before we even hit the end of the dirt driveway.

“Lauren, did he say anything else?”

She shook her head. “No, just that she’d left after receiving the text and now he can’t get ahold of her. Who would’ve texted her?”

I shook my head and ran my third light. “I don’t know. You’re sure you didn’t text her?”

She frowned. “I think I’d remember texting her. Maybe it was a glitch.”

We pulled into the parking lot of the dental office on two wheels. Lauren’s hands shook violently as she worked to get the door unlocked and the lights on.

We were dealing with a crime scene. Elizabeth’s coat and purse were lying in the floor near some blood and what had to be vomit. I grabbed my cell phone and pulled up theFind My Friendsapp just on the off-chance she’d made it out with her phone. It pinged her location south of town.

“Shit! Laur—call 911. Do not, under any circumstances, tell them I was here. David, get in the truck!”

She kept staring at the bloody handprint, with her hand pressed over her mouth. “Mike, what’s going on?”

I looked down to see that her phone was still tracking south; we needed to be on the road. “She somehow made it out of here with her phone on her,” I held it up to show them, “Whoever has her is outside the city, heading south.”

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