Page 51 of Ethan's Command

“Yeah,” Rusty answered. “All good.”

Ethan pushed up, his heart pounding as he turned to Brooklyn. "Are you okay?"

She nodded, her breath shaky, her fingers digging into the gravel beneath her. "Yeah."

Hackles raised, Mojo stood rigid beside her, the Malinois’s teeth bared in a silent warning to any lingering threat. Ethan turned his attention to the van, the sick feeling in his gut deepening.

He yanked open the rear doors.

Empty.

Brooklyn sucked in a sharp breath. "No. No, no, no. Where is he?"

Ethan swore under his breath, stepping back as reality crashed down on them. "They played us. He was never here."

Rusty wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, his eyes narrowing. "Then where the hell is Liam?"

The only response was the hollow wind whispering through the trees, a cruel reminder of just how alone they were.

CHAPTER 21

“Where could he be?Where could they have him?” Brooklyn demanded. Breath stuttered out of her fast and harsh. Too fast. Blood seeped down her cheek from when she hit the ground. She went towards the two men on the ground, but Ethan stopped her. “Brooklyn, let me handle this.”

“Where is he?” she yelled.

Ethan held her and signaled to Cooper, who came and gripped her arms. “No,” she yelled. “I want to talk to them.” She shook Cooper off and then tried to shake Ethan off, but he grabbed her by both shoulders.

“Let me handle this. Cooper is going to take you to the truck and examine the cut on your face, okay? You don’t want Liam to see you this way. It will scare him. He wasn’t above begging for her cooperation. “Please, honey. Go with Cooper.”

She put her hand to her face and then stared at the blood on her fingers. She immediately quieted and allowed Cooper to lead her away.

Ethan walked over to where the two thugs lay on the ground. The shorter guy was dead, no question, but the taller guy still breathed. Ethan squatted next to him. The man’s gaze followed Ethan.

“Where’s the boy?” Ethan asked.

The man blinked but said nothing. Blood pooled underneath him. Clearly, he didn’t have much time left. They hadn’t bothered to call an ambulance. They wouldn’t make it in time. Ethan knew it but he hoped the guy didn’t.

“I’ll call an ambulance. I’ll get you help but you’ve got to tell me where the boy is.”

The man stared at him and then gave a weak smile. “Not going to make it…” he said as blood came out of the corner of his mouth.

Ethan’s stomach dropped. He had no bargaining chip. “Tell me where the boy is.”

The man opened his mouth again, but no sound came out.

“Tell me,” Ethan demanded. “Do you have the boy? You’re gonna die out here because your boss sent you without the proper backup. It’s on them. You are gonna leave your family in the lurch because of your boss. Why protect him? You’re gonna die.” Ethan held the other man’s gaze. “Where is Liam?”

The man closed his eyes, which made Ethan’s heart clench, but then opened them again. His lips upturned at the corners as if he hadn’t a care in the world. Maybe he didn’t anymore.

“What does it matter now if you tell me? You’re already dead. No one can touch you.” But she’s suffering,” He pointed to Brooklyn who was sitting in the front seat of the SUV, shock written across her features. Cooper dabbed her cheek with a cotton pad from the first aid kit. “Do one good deed before you leave this world. Where is the boy?”

The man’s eyes flicked toward Brooklyn and then came back to Ethan. He opened his mouth. “Gone.”

“Gone? What does that mean?” Ethan’s heart hammered against his rib cage. He dropped his voice. “Do you mean dead?”

The man’s breath hitched but he opened his mouth again. “No. Escaped. Out there…somewhere.” The man held Ethan’sgaze for a moment longer before his eyes turned vacant, no longer seeing anything, at least on earth.

Ethan stood. Rusty and Bellamy came over. “Did he tell you anything?” Bellamy asked.

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