Page 26 of Arrogant Rucking Player

Short and sweet, and utterly useless.

I swallowed a dollop of pure fear. “Thank you. Have you called the police?”

“What for?”

I closed my eyes and blew out a breath. “Because a child in your care has gone missing, Claire. He’s either walked away, or—” My eyes flew open and met Mason's narrowed gaze head on.

“Or someone took him.” Mason finished the sentence for me.

“Who is that? Who are you talking to?” Claire snapped.

We both ignored her.

Mason’s mouth set in a hard line, the lights from the city outside leaving his face in harsh relief. He placed the keys to his truck in my hand. “Where would he take Brady, Nyla?”

Stuart.

Clarity slapped me with a side dish of revenge that only an ex could manage.

Oh, my God. This is payback for me walking out on him last week. He’s taken my son.

Our son, who can’t stand to be in the same room as his father because he was scared of him.

I should have listened better.

I shook my head. “I– I have no idea. I don’t know anything about his life anymore.” I looked at himhelplessly. “I tried my best to stay away.” Because I thought it best to keep my distance. And now that choice was biting my ass in spectacular fashion.

“Who are you talking about?” Claire demanded.

I sighed. “I’m sorry we bothered you, Claire,” I said softly. “Go back to sleep. I’ll call the police and handle it.”

“As you should.” Her voice remained cold, and I expected the line to go dead.

Instead, Lisa’s sobs grew louder. “Stuart took him, didn't he?” she whispered, her voice ragged.

I froze. “What do you know, Lisa?” My heart pounded in my chest as Mason shoved mismatched socks on my feet, one feeling thicker than the other, and stuffed them into old shoes I hadn’t worn in years, but I didn't care. “What happened?”

“He– he called me. Yesterday. Told me to make sure I was with Brady last night. I didn’t want to take your money, Nyla. I knew you didn’t have a job right now,” she wailed.

My blood solidified in my veins. “Lisa,” I said carefully, plating my ass on my bed as gravity took a dive, and took me with it. “Can you please tell me where you think Brady and St– his dad are right now?”

Anything. Give me any information you have. Please. Tell me he’s safe.

“The restaurant. He’s— He was so angry with you,” she hiccupped. “I’m so sorry.”

The call went dead in my hand. One moment I was holding a phone and keys, the next I sat in Mason’s truck, and he was strapping me into the passenger seat, talking on his phone in a low, urgent voice.

“Yeah, that themed restaurant we were at for the team Christmas dinner. Anyone you can. Police, whoever you can get. Thanks, man. I owe you what, ten now?” he laughed and there was no humour in it as I stared at him.

“Mason?”

He leaned in and kissed me as he hung up. “We’re gonna get him back, gorgeous. I promise.”

I nodded as he headed around the front of the truck. The engine roared to life in the silent suburb. Streets and lights melded into a blur as we headed across the city, toward the restaurant I thought I had left for the last time. I knew long before we got there how this would end, because that was the thing about promises.

You should never make a vow you couldn’t keep.

CHAPTER TWELVE

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